Our Team
Matt Lythe, Managing Director
Matt has a background in environmental science, geospatial data, technology and analytics. He has managed multinational data, technology and analytics projects. He is a member of the NZ AI Forum Executive Council and the AI for Good Council. Matt holds a MSc. (Hons) from the University of Auckland and has ten publications in peer reviewed journals.
Jonno Ingerson, Principal, Research
Jonno is a natural communicator who strives to connect with people across organisations to build linkages and break down siloes. Jonno provides strategic guidance for research at Lynker Analytics along with business development and visualisation expertise. He has a MSc in Marine Biology from Victoria University.
David Ingerson, Geospatial Technician
David provides expert spatial data management, processing, analysis and visualisation services within the geospatial analytics team. He is skilled at using environmental data in GIS software and has a strong interest in physical geography and the natural world. He has a BSc in Ecology, Biodiversity and Physical Geography from Victoria University of Wellington.
Damian Young, Technical Director - Environmental Infrastructure
Damian is an environmental engineer with a background in Environmental Science and Infrastructure Management. He has specialised in developing and implementing bespoke engineering and geospatial solutions to meet environmental, social and economic outcomes, for clients and communities.
Dr Francesca Baldacchino, Earth Observation Scientist
Fran is a remote sensing specialist with specialist expertise in using Synthetic Aperture Radar for change detection. Fran completed her PhD in geophysics at Victoria University of Wellington, Antarctic Research Centre. Additionally, she has a MSc in Earth Observation and GIS from the University of Edinburgh.
David Knox, Principal Data Science
David oversees our AI team and is responsible for developing and implementing machine learning solutions with a focus on deep learning neural networks. David has worked in the data and analytics field for over 20 years and he has led multiple deep learning projects. He has a degree in Mathematics and Physics from Victoria University.
Mārie Emily Chapman, Geospatial Technician
Based in Hawke’s Bay, Mārie provides quality assurance and post processing to the geospatial and datasets produced by our models, bringing an intelligent and critical eye to the work. She has strong customer relationship skills, an ability to use innovation to drive efficiency, and a lifelong interest in natural and built environmental projects.
Dr Achim Gädke, Data Scientist
Achim is an expert in optimisation methods, data science, and numerical software engineering. Originally trained as an experimental physicist Achim has a keen interest in numerical modelling and computational methods. After a PostDoc at Victoria University in 2009-2012 he started working for startups in Wellington and enjoying the outdoors in NZ.
Joe Linza, Director
Director and chairman of Lynker Analytics, Joe has launched, grown and operated multiple diverse organisations in the environmental consulting industry. Results oriented, he is focused on delivering innovation and having a positive impact on people and creating value for all stakeholders. Based in Leesburg, Virginia, Joe is a strategic thinker and planner. He is also President and CEO of Lynker Technologies.
John Gibson, Senior Geospatial Analyst
John has over 25 years experience in the geospatial industry spanning multiple industries including geology, environmental science, natural hazards, transport and local government. He is skilled in GIS, SQL, Javascript and Python. John holds an MSc and specializes in climate change analytics and agriculture.
Josh Jones, Principal, Data Infrastructure
Josh is a Senior Database Consultant with 25 years experience, having worked in multiple sectors including telco, health, and financial services. He has expertise in data security, performance tuning, and governance. Josh specializes in tuning platforms to be highly available and highly performant, using industry standard methods.
Dan Bull, Senior Data Scientist
An experienced Machine Learning practitioner, Dan leads the design and delivery of key AI projects in the natural and built environment. Dan has a background in plant science and horticulture, and has previously worked with Eagle Technology as a GIS Consultant. Dan is based in Raglan and has an MSc in Data Science from Waikato University.
Justin Larking, ML Ops and Data Engineer
Justin is responsible for the deployment of Machine Learning (ML) workflows into production environments as well as delivering infrastructure, database and other IT services to our clients. An ML Engineer with a BEng from Massey University, Justin is passionate about all things Artificial Intelligence and has a strong background in deep learning and robotics.
Maia Waipara, Geospatial Technician
Maia provides training inputs and quality assurance for our machine learning models. This involves data capture, editing, and management of model data in desktop or web GIS applications. He has a strong interest and passion in Māori land development and using technology to make a difference in Māori projects.
Sam Brown, Principal, Geospatial Analytics
Sam leads the Geospatial Analytics team. He brings technology architecture, ArcGIS, cartography and graphical design skills to the team. He has led the design and delivery of multiple technology change, geospatial analytics and web mapping projects. Outside of Lynker Analytics, Sam also provides specialist consulting services to the Forestry and retail sectors.
Michael Stanley, Researcher Data Science
Michael focuses on developing neural network models for object detection and classification with a specialisation in the fisheries domain. He has completed his Masters of Artificial Intelligence at Victoria University in Wellington and he also has a BSc. from The University of Sussex and Grad Diploma in Software Dev. (NMIT).
Kate Lythe, HR and Finance
Kate looks after HR and Finance. She previously worked as a Financial Controller for Morgan Stanley in the United Kingdom helping prepare for the Euro conversion and Y2K. Kate also worked for Exxon Mobil NZ in Fuels Pricing and Contracts and overseeing retail franchises in NZ & Australia. She has a Bachelor of Commerce and a BA from Otago University.
Dr Graeme Aggett, Director
Dr Graeme Aggett has 25+ years experience in Hydrology, Hazard and Risk and Climate Change Impact Assessment. As Lynker Chief Scientist he has been principal investigator on multiple research projects (NASA, NOAA and USDA). He has a PhD. from the University of Southern California and MSc from the University of Auckland.