Victor Pantano BE (Systems), BSc (Chem), PhD
Interim Chief Executive Officer

Victor Pantano holds BE, BSc and PhD degrees from the Australian National University. Responsible for the foundation of the company, Victor has over 8 years experience in the development of early stage technologies and venture capital. Prior to this, Victor worked in the automotive industry firstly with Ford Australia and then with Jaguar and Land Rover in the UK. He joined the company full time in 2010 and is currently acting as interim Chief Executive Officer.

 

Mark Knackstedt BS (Chem. Eng.) Columbia, PhD (Chem. Eng.) Rice, SPE, SPWLA, SEG, AAPG
Chief Technology Officer

Mark Knackstedt was awarded a BSc in 1985 from Columbia University and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Rice University in 1990. He is Professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics at the Australian National University and a Visiting Professor at the School of Petroleum Engineering at the University of NSW.

Mark Knackstedt has received numerous awards for this ground breaking work on the development of digital core analysis since his first presentation on this work "Digital Core Laboratory" was awarded the Best Paper at the 2004 SPWLA Annual Symposium. Since then he has been awarded Best Poster, 2005 SPWLA Annual Symposium; SPWLA Society Distinguished Speaker 2007-2008 and 2009-2010; Best Paper 2008 International Symposium of the Society of Core Analysts, and the 2009 George C. Matson Award of the AAPG (Awarded to the Best Paper at the 2008 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition).

Mark is recognised as one of the world's foremost experts in the area of digital core analysis and in 2010 received the prestigious ENI Award in recognition of his efforts in pioneering the development of digital core analysis technology.

 

Val Pinczewski BE (Chem.Eng) PhD
Chief Reservoir Engineer

Val Pinczewski holds BE and PhD degrees from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He is Foundation Professor and Head of the School of Petroleum Engineering at UNSW. His areas of focus include improved oil recovery, multi-phase flow and transport properties in porous media and network modelling. Val leads both the multi-phase flow laboratory and the multi-phase modelling group which focuses on the development of advanced pore network modelling tools with predictive capabilities.

 

Bruce G McKay BSc (Hons), FAICD, FIEAust
Chairman

Bruce McKay joined Esso Australia in 1968 after graduating from Sydney University with Honours in Geology, and worked for more than 23 years in exploration, operations and executive management in Australia and worldwide. At the culmination of his international career with Esso and Exxon affiliates, he held the positions of General Manager Production for Esso Australia, responsible for the largest oil and gas production operations in the country, and Chief Executive Officer of Delhi Petroleum. Subsequently he was Director of Personnel at Telstra, and then was appointed Chief Executive and Head of School of the Australian Graduate School of Engineering Innovation in 1994.

 

Mark F. Bethwaite BE (Civil), MBSc, MBA
Director

Mark Bethwaite has qualifications of BE (Civil), Master of Building Science and Master of Business Administration. He has served on a number of Boards in both Executive and Non-Executive roles. His mining career spans some 23 years including periods living and working in Mount Isa and Broken Hill. Mark worked for North Limited from 1978 to 1987, including five years as Managing Director. He worked for Renison Goldfields Consolidated Limited from 1987 to 1998, including six years as Managing Director. From 1998 to 2001, Mark worked with Deutsche Bank, principally in the financing of mining projects.

 

Barry Westlake BE PhD
Director

Barry Westlake has a successful track record of over 25 years in managing both early stage and mature technology-oriented businesses in a number of different industry sectors.  During the past 13 years he has been involved in the financial services industry, firstly in venture capital and then with the Australian Securities Exchange where he was instrumental in expanding Australia’s private equity industry.
Barry Westlake holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney.