Our leadership
Our Board, Leadership and General Managers are responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight of the company and for ensuring this is achieved in line with our vision and values.
Our Board
Cheryl Batagol
Chair
Cheryl Batagol was appointed a director and the Chair of the Alluvium Holdings Board in 2024.<br><br>Cheryl began her career in the waste management industry in 1970 in a family waste company. She worked in the waste management sector in both medium-sized private and large public companies for over 20 years. She has had a long involvement in government, not-for-profit and community organisations.<br><br>Between 2009 and 2020, Cheryl was the Chair of the <strong>Environment Protection Authority</strong> (EPA) Victoria and between 2004 and 2009, she was Chairman of <strong>Melbourne Water. </strong><br><br>She was a board member of <strong>EcoRecycle Victoria</strong> from 1996, its Chair from 2003-05 and was Deputy Chair of its successor, <strong>Sustainability Victoria </strong>until 2014<strong>. </strong>Cheryl also chaired <strong>the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities </strong>over its 9-year life.<br><br>In addition to her role within the Alluvium Group, Cheryl is the Chair of Aware Super’s <strong>Secure Electronic Registries Victoria</strong>, which is a State Regulated Asset managing the land titles register and chair of an engineering company <strong>Wastech Engineering</strong> that manufactures equipment in Victoria for the waste management sector.<br><br>Cheryl also chairs the <strong>Monash Sustainable Development Institute’s</strong> Advisory Council and sits on <strong>Monash University’s ESG and Estates Committee</strong><br><br>Cheryl was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2000 for her services to the water industry and sustainability and the Australian Waste Management Association John Guice Award for service to the waste management industry. She was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) in 2018 and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (Honoris Causa) by Monash University, in 2017.<br><br>Initially, it was a passion for environmental sustainability, in particular water and waterway management and protection of the natural environment that drew Cheryl to Alluvium however it was Alluvium’s people who hold a similar commitment that confirmed her interest in working with the Alluvium Team to make a positive difference to the world.
Kane Travis
Director
Kane is a co-founder and Director of Alluvium and has over 30 years of experience in the delivery of environmental programs and projects. With an Applied Science Degree and postgraduate MBA focused on corporate sustainability, Kane has developed a broad level of experience in policy, strategic planning and implementation projects in both urban and rural Australia.<br><br>Kane has a strong background in NRM policy, planning and environmental works through eight years of employment with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment, and a further four years with Melbourne Water delivering operational management of waterways, and negotiation of environmental and water quality outcomes with the land development industry.<br><br>Kane provides a key role in the integration between the Alluvium businesses, and leads the development of external business partnerships.
Dr Neil Byron
Director
Neil has provided independent, practical economics and policy advice on natural resources – biodiversity, water resources, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry – including 12 years as Productivity Commissioner, where he conducted 26 public Inquiries. Subsequently, he has been engaged in a succession of part-time assignments involving policy formulation and/or evaluation of natural resource management policies, in Australia and overseas. Neil has extensive experience in governance, and strategic and corporate planning that anticipates and identifies emerging trends, in both government and the private sector.<br><br>Previously, Neil was:<br>- Chair, Audit and Risk Committee, Productivity Commission, (2021-24)<br>Member, MDBA’s Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences (2018-23)<br>- Member Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee (2024)<br>- Trustee, NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (2017-19)<br>- Assistant Commissioner, then Commissioner, NSW Natural Resources Commission (2018-21)<br>- Non-executive director, Earthwatch Institute Australia, Melbourne (2010-16)<br>- Member of the Independent Science Panel for Great Barrier Reef (2009 – 14)<br>- Member of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas (2005-10) <br>Deputy Director General, Centre for International Forest Research (1993-98) based in Indonesia<br>- Director ANU Graduate Program in Environment and Development (1990-93)<br>- Deputy Director, Nepal Australia Community Forestry Project, Kathmandu, Nepal (1986-91) and<br>- Team Leader, UNDP/FAO Planning Team, Dhaka, Bangladesh (1982-84)<br> <br>Neil has over 100 peer reviewed articles and books, mainly in environmental economics and international development economics. He is a Fellow of the Aust Institute of Company Directors and of the Royal Society (NSW).<br>
Rohan Lucas
Director
Rohan is a geomorphologist and environmental engineer with 30 years experience largely focussed around driving continuous practice improvement in the management of our waterways through system understanding. This work has been across diverse climates, terrains and client sectors in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.<br><br>Rohan has extensive had extensive involvement in the planning and implementation of catchment and watercourse management programs for government and non-government agencies across much of Australia.<br>Rohan plays an industry leading role for Alluvium in the mining sector in managing surface water systems. This includes roles in practice and research, substantially in the design, construction oversite and rehabilitation of watercourse diversions. Rohan has also played industry leading roles in developing practice guidance around impacts of mining subsidence on waterways and management response. Much of this work has been included in government guidance to the mining industry in Queensland.<br><br>Rohan also plays an industry leading role in the geomorphic assessment of infrastructure projects such as gas pipelines and water resource developments. Assessing the impact the projects could have to the riverine environment and risks posed to the project by the riverine environment.<br><br>Rohan is a founder and director of the Alluvium Group.
Kristen Podagiel
Director
Kristen has advised and worked with a wide range of boards on the delivery of major projects, governance, legislative changes and in negotiating significant agreements and joint ventures for over 20 years. She has extensive senior executive-level experience, most recently as CEO of Women’s Legal Service Queensland, which provides free legal and social work services to over 5000 Queensland women every year.<br><br>She was previously the CEO and Managing Partner of McCullough Robertson – one of Queensland’s largest law firms – successfully leading 52 direct reports and a broader team across four states during a period of rapid growth and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was shortlisted for the Executive of the Year at the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards in 2019.<br>Kristen has a passion for supporting girls to pursue careers in industries where women are underrepresented, and is a founding director of charity UNIQ YOU which runs pilot programs in Queensland to achieve that aim.<br><br>Kristen has a strong interest in innovation and making businesses more efficient, more effective and more enjoyable to be involved with. She is also accredited as one of Australia’s first practitioners in the area of Smart Collaboration – how to harness the unique skills and experience of a group of specialists to solve problems that are volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.
Ross Hardie
Director
Ross is a founder, Director and Past Chair of the Alluvium Group. Ross is a chartered professional engineer and a certified practicing geomorphologist with over 30 years of experience in the environmental water resource and waterway management sectors. Ross’s work has included delivery of environmental water assessments, stream geomorphic investigations, the development and review of waterway management programs and the design of waterway management works across Australia and into south-east Asia. Ross has been called upon to lead stakeholder engagement exercises and provide expert witness statements in these fields.<br><br>Ross is regarded by his peers as a national leader in stream management science and has an innate ability to communicate complex water and waterway processes in layman’s terms.<br><br>Ross is the author of “Technical Guidelines for Waterway Management”, a technical manual on the design and implementation of stream management works for the State Government of Victoria and the author or co-author of the over 25 peer reviewed professional papers in the field of stream and floodplain assessment and design. Papers include the outcomes of industry leading research in areas such as the role of vegetation in reducing flood related channel change, environmental water policy and practice, and stream geomorphic processes.<br><br>Ross has conducted training courses in Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland on the application and implementation of the principles of geomorphic channel design. Ross founded and continues to lecture at Wise Waterways an annual five day stream restoration workshop held in Beechworth Victoria. In the post workshop feedback from one stream management course, one participant described the training as ‘the best course I have ever attended’.<br><br>Ross is an inaugural fellow of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust Leadership Program and was Chair of the organising committee for the 6th and 7th Australian Stream Management Conferences.
Diane Tarte
Director
Diane Tarte is Director of Marine Ecosystem Policy Advisors providing advice on policy and programs addressing research and management of marine, coastal and catchment areas with a particular focus on ecosystem based management of catchments, waterways and fisheries. Over the past 40 years she has been involved in the protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef and Australian tidal wetland areas, the development of government planning and management policies and legislation focusing on natural resource management, integrated coastal zone management and Oceans Policy, and the involvement of the community in the management of marine protected areas, coastal wetland reserves and rehabilitation of riparian zones.
Executive team
Dr Matt Francey
Group CEO
Matt is a prominent figure in urban water and natural resource management. As the CEO of Alluvium Group and a Director of EcoFutures, Alluvium International, Mosaic Insights and Natural Capital & Climate. Matt brings extensive experience from a government, scientific and community perspective to leading the Alluvium Group.<br> <br>Under Matt's leadership, the Alluvium Group has become a thought leader in the industry. His innovative approach to policy development and management has significantly advanced environmental practices. Matt's commitment to integrating scientific research with practical solutions, including the development of Alluviums internal research program and NfP foundation has enabled the Alluvium Group to deliver impactful projects that address critical environmental challenges.<br> <br>Matt's vision for the Alluvium Group focuses on collaboration and innovation. He believes in harnessing the collective expertise of scientists, economists, engineers, and natural resource managers to develop solutions that benefit both the environment and the community. This collaborative ethos is reflected in the Alluvium Group's diverse team and their multidisciplinary approach to project delivery.<br> <br>As a leading thinker in the field, Matt continues to drive the Alluvium Group's principles and vision. His dedication to excellence and his ability to inspire and lead his team have made the Alluvium Group a trusted partner for clients and the wider industry seeking innovative and effective environmental solutions.
Riaz Janif
Group CFO
Riaz joined Alluvium in June 2023 as CFO for the group. Responsible for our financial management, his 20-year career showcases a consistent drive for growth. Before becoming part of the Alluvium team, Riaz proudly served as the CFO of a not-for-profit organisation. Here, he steered growth through a blend of innovation and strategic leadership. He has also held senior positions in corporate finance, corporate governance and planning, experiences that have granted him a well-rounded grasp of the financial landscape. This comprehensive perspective equips him to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities with a grounded sensibility. Riaz's leadership fosters collaboration and mentorship, nurturing inclusive team empowerment. His values harmonize with Alluvium's, a natural progression driven by his commitment to excellence. Holding a Bachelor in Accounting and Financial Management, a Fellow of CPA Australia, and an AICD graduation, Riaz brings extensive expertise both from Australia and internationally. Beyond achievements, Riaz champions financial awareness, reflecting dedication to personal and societal well-being. As CFO, he's dedicated to propelling Alluvium to financial success, and nurturing a culture of innovation.
Gennevieve Stokes
Group COO
Gennevieve joined Alluvium as COO for the group in July 2019. She developed her career in professional services over 20 years, both as a client-facing consultant and also as a leader within business operations at the executive level. She has deep experience in operations strategy and performance, implementing initiatives that drive business growth and increase client and employee engagement. Prior to joining Alluvium, Gennevieve worked at KPMG, spending a number of years as a supply chain operations and business performance consultant and project manager, prior to transitioning into leadership roles in the operations and enablement side of the business, including COO of the Advisory division. She then went on to lead firmwide programs and collaboration, focused on progressing the digital workplace agenda to improve employee and client experience. At Alluvium Gennevieve is motivated by the opportunity to combine her professional services skills with her personal interests in sustainable resource management and healthy ecosystems, and provide the operational systems needed to support the Alluvium business to deliver on its purpose.
Amanda Shipp
General Manager – Research and Insights
Amanda has been working in environmental management and water policy since 2011 and is the General Manager of Research for the Alluvium Group.<br><br>Amanda enjoys engaging with complexity, bringing together expertise across water policy, ecology, hydrology, hydraulics, traditional knowledge, social science and waterway management to inform robust decision making in water policy and environmental management.<br><br>Amanda has led teams working on complex and transformational projects across the Murray-Darling Basin, including the Enhanced Environmental Water Delivery (EEWD) project, the Knowledge Exchange and First Nations components of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder’s Science program – Flow Monitoring Evaluation and Reporting (Flow-MER), developing the Constraints Roadmap, and aspects of the Basin Plan Review. Amanda is passionate about how First Nations people care for Country and exploring frameworks and policies that better respect and promote this role.<br><br>As General Manager of our Research program, Amanda supports technical leaders across the organisation to collaborate with research partners, explore new concepts and innovative tools to better support our clients, and share their insights with the industry.
Simon Tilleard
General Manager – International
Simon has extensive experience in the application of water resource management technical knowledge and skills, focussing on the Asia-Pacific region. His experience covers a broad range of water resources-related technical functions including innovative research, analysis, policy development and capacity building. He has worked in more than 11 countries across Asia and the Pacific.<br><br>Simon heads up our international team spanning South Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific. He has been responsible for managing large multi-disciplinary teams to deliver multi-million dollar water resources and climate change related projects for donors including the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, USAID and the Mekong River Commission.<br><br>Simon has been actively engaged in the improvement of approaches to water resources management in Australia and internationally. He has also been actively involved in building capacity in water management, including leading training for government and academic staff in Vietnam, Nepal and Thailand, and developing modelling guides for the Vietnamese Government, Royal Thai Government and the Mekong River Commission.
GRoup COmpany Leads
Dr Steve Skull
General Manager – Alluvium Consulting
Steve is the General Manager for Alluvium Consulting and draws on a 30 year career in natural resource management complemented by formal management and leadership qualifications. Steve’s passion is leading people through close collaboration.<br><br>Steve’s work for state agencies spans water resource management and planning, environmental regulation, nature conservation and working with a wide range of industries including mining and major infrastructure and service providers. In the local government context, Steve has been responsible for the development, delivery and evaluation of environmental policies and programs covering disaster recovery, waterway management, climate change, biodiversity and sustainability.<br>More recently Steve has been involved in Alluvium’s work to develop innovative approaches to investment priotisation for water quality improvements across the Great Barrier Reef catchments, as well as a broad range of waterway restoration, disaster recovery, climate risk assessment and coastal management projects.
Jan Orton
General Manager – Mosaic Insights
Jan is the General Manager of Mosaic Insights, she is a well-respected and recognised champion, leader and strategist for liveability, sustainability and natural resource management.<br><br>Over her 30 year career in local government and consulting, Jan has worked alongside communities, elected representatives, state and federal government agencies, researchers and private interests on urban greening including open space and recreation, urban forestry, canopy analysis, and adaptation and resilience; water and catchments, public domain design and management, market research, evaluation, community led resilience planning. institutional capacity and evaluation, policy and strategy, and developing the evidence base for science-led decision making.<br><br>Jan has led change in numerous areas of sustainability and land management and been recognised through many awards. In 2008 Jan was named the public sector manager of the year by the Institute of Public Administration Australia for her leadership and impact in applying research around integrated urban water management to the local government sector. <br><br>Jan has extensive experience in engaging communities and other stakeholders in public land / public interest plans. Jan has expanded the craft of collaborative planning across recreation, rivers, open space, infrastructure and services. Her strengths lay in using available evidence from a wide range of sources, sectors and experiences bringing together diverse groups, interests and disciplines to address what are often complex NRM and urban management issues. <br><br>Jan has held senior management positions in local government and in consulting, she has managed and led large and diverse teams across environment and sustainability, parks and recreation, waste and recycling, works and infrastructure. <br><br>Jan has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors course which has expended her knowledge and application of best practice governance and reinforced the importance of stakeholders’ involvement in good decision making.
Dr Paul Maxwell
General Manager – EcoFutures
Paul is a coastal ecologist and natural resource management specialist with 20 years experience working for state government, universities and not-for-profit organisations. He has had extensive experience in developing and implementing environmental, social and economic monitoring and research programs across Australia for local councils, natural resource management organisations and water utilities. He is an experienced project manager in the fields of coastal habitat management and assessment; water quality and river health management; water resource management; monitoring and evaluation; science translation and communication and stakeholder and community engagement.<br><br>Paul is the Research and Development lead for Alluvium. Throughout his career he has focused on developing better links between the best science and practitioners and has maintained an active research profile by partnering with university and industry researchers nationally and internationally. He has been involved in a diverse range of research projects which has led to extensive publications in top-tier journals in the fields of environmental management, ecological resilience, biodiversity conservation, environmental chemistry and marine and freshwater ecology. His research and monitoring outputs have directly influenced state and local government policies.
Tim Fisher
General Manager – Natural Capital & Climate
Tim is an experienced water, conservation, and natural resource management professional with over three decades of expertise. He joined Alluvium in 2020 and brings a wealth of knowledge in water policy and program management. Prior to joining Alluvium, Tim held various influential roles, including Assistant Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, where he contributed to the development of the Future Drought Fund, the National Landcare Program, and emergency assistance for farmers affected by natural disasters. He also led the Murray-Darling Basin Policy branch, playing a key role in the Basin Plan's development and implementation. <br><br>Tim’s career includes significant contributions to Australian water policy, such as serving as Senior Adviser to the Minister for Climate Change and Water during the Rudd-Gillard government, where he helped secure key agreements and reforms in the Murray-Darling Basin. His earlier roles involved consulting and leadership positions at the EPA Victoria and the Australian Conservation Foundation. Tim was recognized with the Centennial Medal in 2001 for his service in water conservation and salinity management.