We bring panel of experts from industry and academia. Number of our graduates have also established themselves as self-employed consultants. Each speaker talked about his/her career path and what their current role is like. The full biographies of our speakers is provided in the reports.

Viv Russell (Lafarge Tarmac)

Lafarge Tarmac is the UK’s leading sustainable construction solutions company, providing a diverse range of products and services to the construction sector.

Viv completed his BSc in Geology/Earth Sciences at UCL in 1983.

Natalie Van Eck (Willis Group)

Willis Group Holdings plc is a leading global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker. With roots dating to 1828, Willis operates today on every continent with more than 18,000 employees in over 400 offices. Willis offers its clients  expertise, teamwork, innovation and market-leading products and professional services in risk management and transfer. Their experts rank among the world’s leading authorities on analytics, modelling and mitigation strategies at the intersection of global commerce and extreme events.

Natalie is our former student on the MSc in Geophysical Hazards, class of 2011.

James Scotchman (NEFTEX)

Founded in 2001, Neftex has rapidly grown to become one of the largest geoscience consultancies in the world; becoming industry leaders in the provision of delivering sequence stratigraphic products and consultancy. They have a strong research and innovation ethos and specialise in the collation, integration, and interpretation of large geoscience datasets and deliver these as integrated digital subsurface models and databases. Their integrated global geological database - the Neftex Earth Model - delivers data, knowledge and insight to help clients gain essential geological insight and minimise subsurface exploration risk.

After completing his MSci in Geology in Earth Sciences, UCL, James continued on and obtained his PhD in Geology in 2012.  His supervisor was Prof Kevin Pickering

Harriet Jarlett (NERC)

Natural Environment Research Council

NERC was created in 1965 when a number of environmental research organisations and surveys were brought together by Royal Charter. The Charter sets out their responsibilities:

  • to promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and applied research, survey, long-term environmental observation and monitoring and related post-graduate training in environmental and related sciences;
  • to advance knowledge and technology … and to provide services and trained scientists and engineers which meet the needs of users and beneficiaries … thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the UK, the effectiveness of public services and policy and the quality of life, and
  • and to generate public awareness, communicate research outcomes, encourage public engagement and dialogue, disseminate knowledge and provide advice in relation to those activities.

Harriet graduated from UCL with MSci Geology/Earth Sciences degree in 2010.

Karen Finter (Pinsent Masons)

Full service law firm with offices across the UK and Asia, offering services in the areas of construction, corporate law, insurance and pensions.

Karen successfully completed her undergraduate degree in Earth Sciences,UCL in 2009.