Our People

Our people are innovative, skilled and well-respected.  The Thompson Clarke team is comprised of marine veterans drawn from a diverse range of international business operational backgrounds.  Our unique combination of knowledge and passion to address the challenges and opportunities that face our clients has built the Thompson Clarke reputation for quality, integrity and the highest attainable professional standards.  

To view the skills that Thompson Clarke can bring you, click here.

Thompson Clarke’s core management team operates out of Sydney and Melbourne and is comprised of:

Some of our skilled consultants are:

Alistair Logan

Marine Industry Experience: over 45 years.

Alistair is presently a Facilitator at Port Ash Australia Ship Handling Training and Research Centre and has many years' experience, both at sea and ashore, in the international maritime industry.  Alistair's maritime experience comprises of a mix of operational, education and administrative expertise gained through roles in the United Kingdom, Fiji and Australian port operations, educational institutions and sea-going position.

During his career Alistair has had ship management experience, served as a Pilot in the ports of Darwin and Albany, held the positions of marine consultant, ship Master and also maritime Head of School and lecturer.  Alistair has had extensive involvement with, and represented, government departments both in Australia and abroad.  This experience has equipped him to identify practical operational and training requirements, and interpret and implement policies and guidelines which supplements the capabilities of Thompson Clarke.

Cameron McDermid

Marine Industry Experience: 40 years.

Cameron’s experience in the international shipping and transport industry in London, Tilbury, Felixstowe Bristol and Southampton spans both operational and marketing roles.  His involvement with cargo sectors includes experience across the conventional, break bulk, liner container, Ro-Ro and ferry, road freight, European trailer and general forwarding, airfreight and groupage/full container load services sectors.  He has worked within the Northern European markets of Holland, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Denmark.  In Australia, Cameron has held the position of Victorian Marketing Manager & Branch Manager of Bridge Line (Blue Star Line Asia) and subsequently, 11 years of positive market share in the Australian market was achieved.

Through the past decade, Cameron’s involvement in the automotive sector has developed specialist expertise and national management experience involving P.C.C. vessel operations, cargo handling procedures, sales and contract negotiation, damage prevention systems and cargo lay down facilities, tariffs, marketing materials, overview of stevedoring activities nationally.

Derek Low

Marine Industry Experience: over 35 years.

Derek has serviced the marine industry in environmental approvals, marine environment protection and pollution control.  He has successfully delivered over 200 projects for clients in Australia and internationally, including a wide range of environmental impact assessments, environmental management plans, audits and reviews.  Derek was the principal author of the ANZECC publication Best Practice Guidelines for Waste Reception Facilities at Ports, Marinas and Boat Harbours in Australia and New Zealand and developed environmental management strategies and plans based on National and International conventions and legislation, including MARPOL.  Derek has comprehensive experience in the management of wastes from shipping and the environmental management of dredging projects.

Geoff Pitcher

Marine Industry Experience: over 25 years.

Geoff’s professional experience spans the provision of professional consulting services to a range of different clients, primarily relating to the planning, systems engineering, implementation management and operational support of advanced technology systems in the transport environment (Intelligent Transport Systems) and associated mission critical command, control and operations centres in all transport modes (maritime, road, rail, and aviation).

With notable education and expertise, Geoff’s consulting experience includes technology systems engineering and project management, through to strategic planning, business planning, financial analysis, due diligence and other forms of management consulting. The majority of Geoff’s experience is within the maritime sector, particularly in relation to the strategic planning, specification development and implementation management of shore-based maritime command and control facilities and related technologies around Australia (Vessel Traffic Services or VTS systems and related technology).

John Ellyett

Marine Industry Experience: over 45 years.

John offers extensive maritime experience in many fields of the industry, particularly in pilotage and operations management across both the private and public sectors.  He has gained expertise through shore based roles in four States/Territories in Australia and consultancy work in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Adding to a 16 year seagoing career, John has 21 years’ experience as a Harbour Pilot across 11 ports in Australia and in Harbour Master roles for 11 years in three  states/territories.  He has also managed a local shipping company, managed his own ship surveying partnership, established VTS stations, managed Reefcentre and has been instrumental in the introduction of numerous safe practices, SMS, fatigue management policies, pilot training manuals and port procedure manuals across the many Ports in which he has worked.

Les Kelly

Marine Industry Experience: over 30 years.

Les has professional experience in the defence, transportation (primarily air traffic control) and telecommunications industries in a wide range of engineering and management positions, through an international career spanning professional consultancy and major projects. He is an experienced Project Manager and Systems Engineer and has been involved in various capacities on complex mission critical systems engineering projects.

Les has developed a sound knowledge and understanding of international systems engineering processes, standards and practices; and the application of systems engineering principles to the planning, design, integration, verification, commissioning, operation and maintenance of real-time, safety critical technology systems. He has spent much of his career in utilising best practice systems engineering principles for undertaking and overseeing specification development, design, installation, testing and commissioning on a range of complex transport related monitoring and control systems, including all related plant, traffic control devices, and emergency and control room facilities, including emergency response systems.

Peter Wickham

Marine Industry Experience: over 40 years.

Peter's maritime career includes an extensive period serving in the Royal Australian Navy, chiefly as a specialist Submariner and Marine Engineer Officer and achieving the rank of Captain.  On coming ashore, Peter accepted an appointment as General Manager with P&O Maritime Services, a position that would lead him to becoming a founding director of Defence Maritime Services.  He has also held Chairman and Director roles at Carpentaria Shipping Services.

Peter brings a wealth of experience to a variety of project management and consultancy roles which will considerably benefit Thompson Clarke’s clients.

Richard Lorraine

Marine Industry Experience: over 45 years.

Richard has experience in the maritime and ports industry, in seagoing, ship management, maritime administration, vessel traffic service and Harbour Master positions.

His seagoing career (1970 - 1997) included experience in the UK and New Zealand on container, crude, product, chemical, Ro-Ro, and survey vessels culminating in command of 240m Australian tankers. Richard represented Australia at international conferences as a Principal Officer at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (1998 - 1999) and has held positions as Harbour Control Supervisor, Interim Harbour Master, VTS Manager and Deputy Harbour Master at Sydney Ports Corporation (now known as Port Authority of New South Wales).

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Thompson Clarke can be contacted on +61 (0)2 4385 8752 or via email.