Our Story

E: natalie@riverfoundation.org.au

E: kelly@riverfoundation.org.au

Chris Skelton joined IRF one day a week in July as consultant accountant. Chris has over 35 years experience in professional services encompassing advisory, accounting and audit services to a diverse range of industries covering private business and public companies including not for profit entities.

Abdula spent 20 years of his professional career working among academia NGOs, research centers, and local and national authorities, with over 10 years focused in the environment sector. He manages the WE-BUILD river recovery project in the Addalam River Basin, Luzon, Philippines, working with a wide range of partners to deliver leadership capability advancement for communities and local governments. Abdula holds a Master of Integrated Water Management, Master of Science in Environmental and Resource Management, Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration. He is a member of International Water Association (IWA), Secretary of the Philippine Watershed Management Coalition (PWMC), and Ambassador of the International Water Centre (IWC).

E: abdula@riverfoundation.org.au

Tara Davis joins us from the Thiess International Riverprize winning Willamette river, USA. As the Alumni Coordinator, Tara has been busy reaching out to previous Riverprize winners and finalists to establish an IRF Alumni Network, better connecting our Alumni and mobilising a valuable international community of experts. Tara has extensive experience in river restoration, non-profit management and fundraising, network development, collaboration and strategy development.

E: alumni@riverfoundation.org.au

Craig is Thiess’ Executive General Manager – Assets, with more than 22 years’ experience in chartered accounting and contracting. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and holds a Bachelor of Business from the Queensland University of Technology. Over the past 15 years, he has held senior positions including the role of Finance Director, APAC and Africa for a global EPCM provider. During his time at Thiess, he has held senior finance, commercial and operational positions as well as the role of General Manager Finance and Commercial for Thiess’ Australian Mining operations. Craig is renowned for his strong leadership and ability to link both commercial and operational drivers to achieve improved business outcomes.

Peter is the London-based Director and Head of the Global Oil & Gas Services Sector with ERM, and was also a Fulbright  Fellow and Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry at Colorado State University. Peter has worked in the environmental consulting industry and has been involved in a large range of extractive industry projects in Asia, the Middle East , North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. He is the ERM Liaison Delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He has lectured at The Judge Institute of Management at Cambridge University in the UK on sustainability in the global mining industry and gave the keynote address at the Zurich Global Risk Managers Conference on emerging mega risks for the industry.

Dr Selina Ward is a senior lecturer at The University of Queensland. For the past ten years, Selina has concentrated on the effects of climate change on corals, including the effects of bleaching on coral reproduction and the sub-bleaching effects of small changes in temperature. Currently Selina is examining the effects of ocean acidification. Selina has also worked on the uptake of symbiotic dinoflagellates and endolithic algae by newly settled corals.

Born in Washington, D.C., John McCarthy is a barrister-at-law and practised in London from 1965 to 1966. He worked with the New York Law Firm of Shearman & Sterling from 1966 to 1967 and joined the then-Australian Foreign Service in 1968. McCarthy has served as Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam (1981–83), Ambassador to Mexico (1985–87), Ambassador to Thailand (1992–94), Ambassador to the United States from 1995 to 1997, Ambassador to Indonesia (1997-2001), Ambassador to Japan (2001 – 2004), and High Commissioner to India (2004-2009). He has also served in diplomatic posts in Damascus, Baghdad and Vientiane. McCarthy was appointed an Officer of the Order for Australia in 1999 for service to the enhancement of Australia’s international reputation and to the development of Australian regional policy.

Martin was the inaugural Chair of the International RiverFoundation in 2003 and retired from the position in December 2010. He now remains involved as a Director. Martin was CEO of Thiess for over 15 years from 1985 and Chair of the Thiess Board and a Director of Leighton Holdings from 2001 – 2008. He maintains an active interest in a wide range of government, community, and cultural activities. He is a former member of the Board of Governors for CEDA and recently retired as Chairman of Wesley Research Institute. He was awarded Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) in 2002, and also the Centenary Medal in 2003. Martin is also a recipient of Honorary Doctorates from University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, University of South Australia and Griffith University.

Philip Weller is an environmental planner, consultant in Canada and Austria, and the Danube Water Program Coordinator for the International Association of Danube Water Companies (IAWD). He was previously Director irector of Great Lakes United, Executive Secretary of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), and Programme Director of WWF International (Danube Carpathian Programme, 1995-2002), driving the ‘Lower Danube Green Corridor’, an agreement between Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine for the largest wetland protection and restoration initiative in Europe. Philip has considerable experience in the restoration of natural ecosystems and public involvement in environmental decision-making, and is the author of three books on environmental topics including ‘Freshwater Seas’, an environmental history of the Great Lakes of North America.

Bill leads the Integration and Application Network, a collection of scientists interested in solving, not just studying, environmental problems. He is actively involved in the Chesapeake Bay Program, USA and had an active role in the Healthy Waterways Campaign of South-East Queensland, Australia. Bill has a marine science background, and has published books and papers on a wide range of marine topics. In his current role as Vice-President for Science Application at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, his focus is on developing ways to effectively communicate science and to create credible and rigorous environmental report cards.

Founder and CEO of TransformationFirst.Asia Pte Ltd in Singapore, Coach Wouter as he is fondly known, is a brilliant leadership coach and trainer who brings out the best in people, breaks down barriers, and builds trust with all levels of the business. A former monk and banker who bridges East and West, he is called The Unlearning Coach because of how he helps executives and Millennial leaders to collaborate for innovation. An international thought leader, author, speaker, facilitator, trainer and mentor, Wouter has worked with local communities, professionals, entrepreneurs, bureaucrats, journalists, ministers, executives, and royalty. Working at the Asian Development Bank for two decades, he led many change initiatives in Asia, including a doubling of the bank’s water investments to $2 billion annually. Wouter is an engineer and scientist by training with a master’s degree from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Brian is the General Manager -Conservation lands at Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) (Canada). Brian joined LSRCA in 1989 and has held positions in forestry and stewardship, public awareness/community relations, park management planning, conservation area development and maintenance, land securement and outdoor education. Brian is also LSRCA’s lead for the international twinning program with colleagues from the Ayuquila-Armeria Watershed in central Mexico. Outside of work Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, exploring the great outdoors, and taking part in a variety of sports.