PEOPLE

Skyportz is focused on establishing the landing network for a new era in aviation where air taxis can operate on demand to take you direct to your destination, be it urban or regional.

Developing vertiport infrastructure is complex, which is why we have a team of experts in various fields who will be working with us to achieve this vision.

Clem Newton-Brown

Director
CEO

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Clem has been at the forefront of assembling the pieces of the emerging air taxi ecosystem for several years. He is chair of the Advanced Air Mobility working group of the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems, serves on the Federal Government's New and Emerging Aviation Technologies committee and the NASA Advanced Aerial Mobility working group in the United States. His background is in law, town planning and politics and he has served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne and as an elected Member of the Victorian Parliament. He runs a consultancy, Whitemark Property and Planning which specialises in strategy for complex projects.

Chris Wilson

Director

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Chris Wilson has a background as a commercial lawyer. In 1997 Chris co-founded a mobile telecommunications network infrastructure company which he ran for several years. Subsequently, Chris founded and continues to be a director of Beyo Group, a property development company operating in Melbourne. Chris also co-founded OC Energy, a national electricity retailer and energy management business which he built up to be one of Australia’s leading electrical embedded network operators and sold to Origin Energy.  Chris has been extensively involved in the technology sector and has co-founded and invested in several start-ups which he continues to be involved in. He also continues to be active in property development. Chris holds a Bachelor of Law (Commercial), a Bachelor of Economics (Accounting) and a Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law (Taxation) from Monash University.

Julieana Rocks

Safe Helidecks 

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Safe Helidecks specialises in all things relating to the safe, efficient and compliant operation of global helidecks, helipads, vertiports, skyports and helicopter refuelling systems - be they onshore, offshore or afloat. 

Safe Helidecks is a wholly owned Australian company head quartered in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia with field offices in Perth, Western Australia and Singapore. The working directors, Juliana and Bede Rocks provide their customers exceptional service based on a combined 70+ years experience in the helicopter and aviation industry.

They are providing practical and technical advice on Skyportz installations.

Ronan Delaney

Global Aviation Skills 
Leader Arup

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Ronan is the Global Aviation Skills Leader managing Arup skills offering to Aviation Industry Clients, and he is also the NSW / ACT Aviation Business leader for Arup Australia. He has over thirty years of experience in Engineering Management of large multi-disciplinary teams, across the full spectrum of building projects from high-rise commercial offices, shopping malls, aviation, rail and infrastructure projects in Australia and Asia, notable ones being Sydney Airport International Terminal (T1) Expansion Projects, Brisbane Airport Domestic Terminal Expansion Projects, Hong Kong Airport Terminal 2, Hong Kong Airport Sky Pier Project, and Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3 Project (built for the 2008 Olympic Games). At present he the Arup Technical Director on the Western Sydney International Airport Project (Airport Planning Services and Arup Engineering Panel Teams).

Rafael Contreras

Contreras Earl Architecture

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Rafael Contreras strongly believes that architecture should evolve with technology, designing daring, innovative buildings that are inspired by nature and challenge conventional methods and forms. 

As a lead architect at Zaha Hadid Architects, Rafael led international teams on major commissions and competition-winning bids, including the Grand Theatre of Rabat, Tokyo National Stadium and the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, the world’s largest airport terminal. 

 CEA works with a team of local and international collaborators to harness the latest technologies and create dynamic architecture driven by climate-resilient principles. The outcomes are unique and varied, with fluid, functional forms that bring beauty and joy to the public and private realm.

ANDREW DAVIES

Taz Drone Solutions 

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Andrew's focus is on empowering through drone technology and solving global problems on a local level. His operations cover training, custom solutions, production inspections, drone swarming, consulting, surveying and photogrammetry. He is renowned for inventing innovative solutions in Tasmania for weed spraying on hydro dam walls. Andrew has established a consortium working on drone delivery airframes and is advising Skyportz on drone freight applications.

Josh Portlock

CEO
Electro.Aero 

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The Electro.Aero design and provide high voltage chargers which are compact and portable, developed specifically for Advanced Air Mobility. They established the SAE International Committee for charging and battery standards, including the AS6968 standard for light conductive electric aircraft charging. For maximum international compatibility the chargers are designed to run off standard three-phase plugs without needing neutral and they have a wide full-power range from 304-485 V 304-485 V. 

Josh is advising Skyportz on charging requirements to be embedded into vertiport infrastructure.

Amin hamzavian


Aviation Consultant

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Amin is the Managing Director of Avlaw Aviation Consulting, an auditing and consultancy organisation headquartered in Sydney, Australia. An aviation management graduate from UNSW, Amin’s career began in policy development at the Tourism and Transport Forum before completing an internship at Qantas in Group Safety. At Avlaw Aviation Consulting, Amin primarily prepares aeronautical impact and aviation safeguarding assessments for property developers, architects and town planners seeking advice on airspace restrictions impacting development activities. He also assists in the delivery of projects relating to heliport planning and design as well as safety and compliance auditing. Amin is also a Remote Pilot Licence holder (UAVAir and an accredited Safety and Lead Auditor (Southpac Aerospace).

Lauren Bagshaw-Flanagan

Flame Developments 

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Lauren has more than 25 years of experience in senior management roles, over half of that being spent in the aviation industry in companies such as Babcock and Qantas, leading both manned and unmanned operational programs. Lauren is currently Managing Director of consultancy Flame Developments working with predominantly aviation clients on their business development and strategy.  She holds CASA remote, aeroplane and helicopter pilot licences and is passionate about safety management and emerging technologies and innovation in the aviation industry.

Mitchell Price

Micro mobility lead

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Mitchell Price stands at the forefront of the micro-mobility revolution. As the former Policy Head for Lime in Asia Pacific, he pioneered the introduction and expansion of electric scooters and bikes across Australia and New Zealand in 2018. 

Mitchell cemented Lime's global presence when he helmed its expansion into the dynamic markets of Korea and Japan in 2019. 

Beyond Lime, Mitchell's expertise has been sought by industry - he has provided executive consultancy for global companies in the transport space. With a reputation built on innovation and strategic growth, Mitchell continues to shape the future of urban transportation.

Michael J. Dyment

Managing Partner 
NEXA Capital Partners, LLC

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Michael is the Managing Partner of NEXA Capital Partners, a Washington DC based investment banking and corporate finance advisory firm, with a focus on aerospace sector clients and programs. NEXA has a record of successful project finance in aerospace, having completed securitizations for major programs such as FAA ADS-B and Iridium Aireon. 

NEXA Advisors, a NEXA subsidiary, recently completed a business intelligence study called Urban Air Mobility—Infrastructure and Global Markets, which provides 25 year market and economic forecasts for 84 of the world’s largest metropolitan areas. NEXA has established UAM Geomatics, Inc. in response to the overwhelming success of the study, providing global geo-coded information and big data analytics to accelerate city-by-city UAM development and investment. 

Prior to NEXA, Mr. Dyment was a partner/national director with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Arthur Andersen LLP, AT Kearney and Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.Sc.Eng. in Geomatics Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. 

Michael is advising Skyportz on the establishment of our Advanced Air Mobility infrastructure ecosystem to prepare us for major investment once the eVTOL/eSTOL aircraft are certified.

Mike Day

Partner and co-founder 
HATCH | Roberts Day

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Mike has moderated design forums and led the firm’s design teams responsible for an array of urban renewal projects and new townships throughout Australia, New Zealand, UAE and Asia. 

Mike is a Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and a recipient of the Russell Taylor Award for Design Excellence for Ellenbrook New Town - the most awarded contemporary urban settlement in Australia and recipient  of the FIABCI 2015 World Prix d’Excellence Award as the world’s best master-planned community. 

Consecutive WA Planning Ministers appointed Mike Deputy Chairman of the Subiaco Redevelopment Authority and Board member of the East Perth Redevelopment Authority from 2002 - 2010. He has also held the positions of Chair EPRA Planning Committee, Chair SRA Planning Committee and Chair of the HIA WA Planning + Development Committee. 

The Victorian Government appointed Mike to the independent property industry panel that nominated the 900-hectare Werribee East landholdings, within the City of Wyndham, as the site for a model 21st century city for metropolitan Melbourne. In 2018 Mike led the master planning of the Federal Government and Consolidated Land + Rail jointly funded $16 million strategic business case for the Sydney to Melbourne high speed rail and eight contemporary liveable, sustainable and connected cities serviced by the HSR. 

Mike was the recipient of the Place Leaders Centrepiece Award for Leadership Excellence in Promoting Walkable Urbanism in 2018. Based in Melbourne since 2005, Mike is now leading the practice’s design teams, implementing new towns and urban renewal projects in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.

Jonathan Parrott

 Aviation specialist

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Jono has 11 years experience in aviation, across analyst roles and air traffic flow management at Airservices Australia. He has been involved with drone technology since 2012 including completing an MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management. Jono has formed relationships with key stakeholders in software, ATC, regulators, Government and service providers. 

Jono has developed a core set of MBA skill-sets including leadership and strategy, alongside a  passion for this rapidly expanding industry. He is helping Skyportz to explore the beneficial application of Advanced Aerial Mobility to society by leading, fostering and delivering positive use case analyses.

Dr Mirjam Wiedemann

Infrastructure Integration

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WiedemannConsultants GmbH specialises in the integration of aviation and urban infrastructure for regional economic development with a focus on sustainable transport, tourism and loveable places. WiedemannConsultants has experience around the world with former clients from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. 

Dr. Mirjam Wiedemann, PhD is the founder and managing director and holds a licence as a commercial drone pilot. She has also been an advisory board member of an EU project in mobility research and a member of the Parafield Airport Consultative Committee. Mirjam has helped numerous international airports and regions with their strategy towards economic development and revenue enhancement. Mirjam also collaborates with the Urban Turbine in the UK, is an academic at UNSW, an adjunct senior research fellow at UniSA as well as being a member of the National Community of Practice in UAS and AAM research in Australia.

Professor Justin Leontini

Research and development
Swinburne University of Technology

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 Professor Leontini has over 20 years experience in applying fundamental flow physics to the modelling and simulation of fluid and aerodynamics. He has furthered the understanding of fluid-structure interaction, the development and transition of flows to turbulence, the transport of matter in oscillatory flows, and the simulation and analysis of flow systems. He has applied his expertise in fields including medical ventilation, energy harvesting, ship hydrodynamics, and small-wing aerodynamics. He is currently a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology, and the elected vice-president of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society.  

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