Meet The Team
Executive Team
Dr Mark Davies
CEO
Mark is the founder of Metatek.
He has over 20 years’ experience in the mining and hydrocarbon industries and previously, was Chief Scientist at a high-end technology driven airborne data acquisition company.
Before that he acted as a senior consultant for a wide range of oil and gas and mining companies, advising them on their geophysical exploration challenges. Mark has also published extensively and written and presented geoscience topics for the BBC, National Geographic and Discovery TV channels.
Mark has a degree in Geology from the University of Wales, a D.E.A. in Volcanology, magmatolgy and Atmospheric Physics from the University Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France and a PhD in Volcano Geophysics.
Nick Morgan
CFO
Nick has spent over 20 years providing strategic and corporate finance advice to public and private companies focused on the Natural Resources and Energy sectors.
Nick’s previous role was as the CFO of a private power generation business, where he worked closely with the private equity owners to realise a successful restructuring and sale of the business. Before this, he was the CFO of a publicly listed oil and gas E&P company for six years.
Prior to his role as a CFO, Nick spent 13 years in investment banking, advising on mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets transactions, mainly in the global resources sector. Nick is a chartered accountant by profession having qualified with Price Waterhouse.
Sarah Lucas
CAO
Sarah is responsible for corporate matters and human resources and is a highly experienced Company Secretary.
She has over 20 years’ experience working within the oil and gas industry, starting her career with a geophysical consultancy. Sarah has experience in company mergers and acquisitions, through the sale of consultancy service companies to an airborne acquisition company.
Sarah is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Rob Adams
COO
Rob has over 25 years’ experience in seismic exploration, primarily for offshore hydrocarbons.
Rob’s career has included roles onshore and offshore spanning processing, sales and operations. Most recently Rob was EVP, Operations at a seismic exploration company with responsibility for HSEQ, assets, project delivery and technology development across all global operations including wind farm development, environmental monitoring, hydrocarbons and CCS. From 2020-2025 Rob served on the board of OGF, a Japanese seismic company.
Rob holds a BSc in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Durham and a leadership diploma from IMD in Lausanne.
Philip Briandet
CSO
Philip is a seasoned professional in consulting and energy transition with over 35 years’ experience in this sector.
He spent 13 years working for Petroleum Geo-Services where he held several senior roles in geophysical operations through to executive positions such as President for PGS Asia Pacific. Before joining Metatek, Philip worked independently as a consultant and served as the Director of Pact Services Pte Ltd. In this role, he offered strategic management and business expansion advice to clients in the APAC markets.
Dr Philip Jones
CTO
With over 20 years’ experience, Phil brings a wealth of experience in airborne and marine operations and non-seismic geophysical data acquisition, QC and processing techniques.
He led nine field seasons in Antarctica, acquiring a variety of geophysical datasets including magnetics and radio echo-sounding data as well as gravity as part of the British Antarctica Survey’s programme of exploration on the Antarctic Peninsula and Ronne Ice Shelf.
Phil has a degree and PhD in Geophysics (EM Induction) from the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Gary Barnes
Chief Scientist
Gary has over 18 years’ experience within the potential fields industry specialising in gravity and gravity gradiometry instrumentation, processing and analysis.
At Metatek he collaboratively develops techniques that enhance the quality and use of potential field data to improve the understanding of sub-surface geology. Previously, he was a founding member of a technology driven airborne data acquisition company and headed geophysical software development. Prior to that, he worked as a senior project engineer for Oxford Instruments, modelling the magnetic fields around superconducting components.
Gary has a degree in Physics from the University of Birmingham, a D.Phil in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, and graduate certificates in Geology from the University of London.
Key Staff
Christian Richards
Sales Manager
Christian has over 20 years’ geoscience industry experience in technical, management and sales roles with geophysical service companies.
He has spent the last 14 years in senior commercial roles focusing on the application of high-end geophysical technology to natural resource exploration sectors worldwide.
Christian has a BSc in Applied Geology.
Dr Guillermo Caravantes
Technical Manager Latin America
Guillermo has over 10 years’ experience in the mining and hydrocarbon industries and is responsible for all technical aspects of projects in the Latin American region. He has also led ground survey projects in three continents using magnetotellurics, gravity, magnetics, GPR and other methods.
Guillermo has previously worked as a key advisor to the Nicaraguan Government in monitoring and mitigation of volcano hazards, published on structural geology, geophysics, and volcanology topics, and organised scientific expeditions to volcanoes around the world.
Guillermo has a degree in Geology from the Complutense University of Madrid, an undergraduate certificate in Arctic Geology from UNIS (Svalbard, Norway), and a PhD in Volcano Geophysics from the Open University (UK).
Jonathan Watson
Head of Interpretation and General Manager
Jonathan has over 20 years’ experience in both the mining and hydrocarbon industries.
Starting work with the acquisition and processing of potential field data, then moving onto interpretation, Jonathan has expertise in the integration of potential field data, with complimentary datasets and particularly seismic data, to produce combined geological and geophysical solutions.
As well as presenting numerous papers at international conferences, Jonathan has also been heavily involved in academic work, acting as an external project supervisor to the Imperial College Petroleum Engineering MSc course for several years.
Jonathan has a Physical Geography/Geology degree from Manchester and a MRes in Earth Sciences from University of London.
Matt Croft
Senior Processing Geophysicist
Matt has extensive experience in processing and managing potential field data within the oil and gas industry.
Matt has worked for over 20 years within the industry, starting as a data loader, then moving onto processing geophysicist and then team leader of processing at an airborne acquisition company. Matt has worked predominantly in marine and airborne gravity and magnetics worldwide, but more recently with FTG and LIDAR, and has worked on data from all over the globe.
Matt has a HNC in Land Surveying and Cartography from the De Havilland College, UK
Kevan Bliss
Senior Processing Geophysicist
Kev has over 16 years of industry experience of archiving and processing marine potential field data for several major energy companies.
Over the last 10 years, he has incorporated airborne and land derived gravity, FTG, magnetic, radiometrics, and more recently LiDAR into his data processing capabilities. Kev also has extensive experience of GIS software packages, using them to increase the value of traditional datasets.
Kev has a BSc in Geophysical Earth Science from the University of East Anglia.
Dr James Whitehouse
Head of HSE
Jim is responsible for the administration of the Company Health, Safety and Environmental management system and its conformance to industry and client requirements across all operations.
With 14 years’ experience in the geophysical exploration industry, as well as his HSE role, he has Crew Chief experience for both ground and airborne surveys conducted at numerous worldwide locations. Remote site experience in challenging conditions has added applied operational knowledge to the HSE role.
Jim has a NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, a degree in Earth Science from Kingston University, an MSc in Marine Geotechnics from the University College of North Wales, Bangor and a PhD in Laser Doppler Vibrometry and Acoustics from the Open University.
Board Members
Dr Mark Davies
Dr. Mark Davies is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Metatek. He has led the Company from inception through its growth into a small-to-medium enterprise, with responsibility for corporate strategy, intellectual property oversight, capital raising, strategic partnerships, and international operations. Dr. Davies has over 30 years of experience in academia and the geoscience industries, including hydrocarbons, mining, and natural hazards. Prior to founding Metatek, he served as Chief Scientist at a technology-driven data acquisition company, where he led the development of proprietary exploration interpretation and data integration workflows and managed strategic relationships with major energy companies, government and sovereign entities, defence-related organisations, and key technology suppliers, including Lockheed Martin. Dr. Davies has advised hydrocarbon and mining companies on geophysical exploration strategy and technology adoption and has overseen the development and protection of proprietary platforms and intellectual property. He has published extensively in the geosciences and has contributed expert content (writing and presenting) to international media outlets including the BBC, National Geographic, Channel 4 (UK) and Discovery Channel. Dr. Davies holds a Bachelor’s degree with honours in Geology from the University of Wales, Cardiff; a D.E.A. in Volcanology, Magmatology and Atmospheric Physics from Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, France; and a PhD in Volcano Geophysics from the School of Earth Sciences at The Open University.
Paul Colucci
Mr. Colucci is Co-Founder, Managing Partner and Director of PillarFour Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on technology investments that enhance sustainability and reduce carbon intensity in oilfield operations. Mr. Colucci co-founded PillarFour Capital in 2016 and has over 25 years of experience investing and advising in the global natural resource and technology sectors in North America and Europe. Mr. Colucci sits on the board and various committees of a number of private and public companies within the portfolio of funds managed by PillarFour Capital Partners. Mr. Colucci holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Finance) from the University of Calgary and is also a CFA Charter holder.
Hirofumi Katase
Mr. Katase has served as Executive Vice Chairman, Director General of Industrial Science and Technology, Executive Vice Chairman, a member of the Board of Directors of I-Pulse Inc. and President of I-Pulse Japan Co., Ltd., I-Pulse’s operating subsidiary in Japan since December 2017. Mr. Katase has been the Chief Executive Officer of G-Pulse Inc., a subsidiary of I-Pulse developing a drilling technology based on high pulsed power, since February 2022 and has served as Chairman of Geo Dream Inc. since January 2022. Mr. Katase served as a Director of VRB Energy Inc. since February 2022; a Director of Ivanhoe Electric since January 2022; a Director of Geo Power Innovations since September 2019; a Director of MinebeaMitsumi, a manufacturing company, since July 2021; and as Present Representative Director of Ibis Inc. since June 2021. Prior to these roles, he most recently served as Japan’s Vice Minister for International Affairs at the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry (“METI”) from June 2016 to July 2017. He held numerous management positions in trade, energy and industrial policy at METI since joining in 1982. During his time at METI, Mr. Katase served in multiple Director General positions, including for the Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau and Trade Policy Bureau, where he led efforts that contributed to the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, among other international agreements. He also was previously Deputy Secretary-General of the Secretariat of Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy at the Cabinet Office, where he helped establish the Office of National Space Policy, the headquarters responsible for Japan’s development of space policy and deployment of space infrastructure. He was also a Director of the Oil and Natural Gas division at METI, where he led Japan’s upstream hydrocarbon policy for four years. At METI, he also served as a Director of the Aerospace and Defense Industry division where he worked on launching the Mitsubishi Regional Jet program and cultivated international partnerships for the development of aircraft and aircraft engines. Mr. Katase earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Tokyo and a Master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Michigan.
Vice Admiral (Ret.) Robert (Bob) Harward
Robert (Bob) Harward is Shield AI’s Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy. Prior to joining Shield AI, Bob served as the Chief Executive for Lockheed Martin Middle East and was recognized by Forbes as one of the fifty (#10) most influential CEOs in the Middle East while serving in this position. A National Security Expert in both theory and application, he served on the National Security Council for the Bush administration, commissioned the National Counter Terrorism Center, and has extensive combat experience as a U.S. Navy SEAL, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen and Bosnia, as well as the rest of the Middle East. Bob is a U.S. Naval Academy alum; he holds a Master’s Degree in International Security Affairs from the Naval War College and is a graduate of MIT’s Foreign Policy Program. He also served as an executive fellow at RAND. Prior to joining Shield AI, he was a Chief Executive at Lockheed Martin for eight years and a Vice Admiral (SEAL) in the United States Navy, with his last assignment as Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). He was asked by President Trump to serve as his National Security Advisor. Bob served on the Secretary of Defense’s Threat Reduction Advisory Committee (TRAC) as chair of the Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Task Force, is an advisor to Draper Labs, is an adjunct, and sits on several commercial boards, to include Channel and USAA REALCO.
Dr. Jim Archibald
Dr. Archibald has 37 years of experience in the development, manufacture and delivery of gravity gradiometer and navigation systems and was the former Business and General Manager for Lockheed Martin’s Gravity Gradiometer Systems division. Prior to this he was the engineering manager leading the development of gravity gradiometer systems and the evaluation of new gravity focused technologies for Lockheed Martin’s navigation systems business.
Avjit Kamboj
Avjit Kamboj is an experienced financial professional with over 17 years of leadership experience in capital markets, strategic acquisitions, and international markets. Mr. Kamboj previously served as CFO of Converge Technology Solutions Corp. until its acquisition by H.I.G Capital for consideration of approximately C$1.3 billion. Mr. Kamboj was also instrumental in Converge Technology Solutions Corp.’s public listing process. Previously, Mr. Kamboj served as the CFO of Dye & Durham Limited and CarbonCure Technologies Inc. Mr. Kamboj currently serves as an advisor of KAM Consulting Services Inc., helping many publicly listed technology companies in implementing public company policies, process, systems and controls. Mr. Kamboj holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and a U.S. Certified Public Accountant.
Lionel Conacher
Lionel F. Conacher has been a director of Destination XL Group, Inc. since June 2018 and became Chairman of the Board on August 12, 2020. Between September 2021 and October 2025, Mr. Conacher has served as a member of the board of directors for SRX Health Solutions (formerly Better Choice Company Inc.), a publicly-traded company. He also served as a member of the audit committee from November 2021 until September 2022. From September 2022 until May 2023, he served as its interim chief executive officer. Mr. Conacher was a managing partner of Next Ventures, GP from August 2018 until February 2021. From January 2011 to June 2018, Mr. Conacher was a senior advisor for Altamont Capital Partners LLC (“ACP”), a private equity firm. Prior to joining ACP, from April 2008 until July 2010, Mr. Conacher was the president and chief operating officer of Thomas Weisel Partners, an investment bank. Additionally, Mr. Conacher served as the chairman of Wunderlich Securities, an investee company of ACP, from December 2013 until July 2017. Mr. Conacher previously served as a member of the board of directors for AmpHP Inc., a venture-backed human performance company. He formerly served as a member of the board of directors of Mervin Manufacturing, a leading designer and manufacturer of snow boards and other board sports equipment, and PowerDot, Inc., a consumer electronics company that markets a muscle recovery and performance tool. Mr. Conacher brings extensive financial and operational experience to the Board.
Amy Freedman
Amy is a corporate governance and public capital markets expert with over 25 years of experience. Amy is currently a Partner and Head of Canada at Longacre Square Partners, a strategic advisory firm. She was previously an advisor to Ewing Morris and Co. Investment Partners, an alternative asset manager with both equity and credit strategies, where she spearheaded the fund’s engagement investment opportunities. Prior to that, Amy was CEO of Kingsdale Advisors, a leading shareholder services and advisory firm specializing in strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory, proxy and voting analytics, and investor communications. Ms. Freedman has spent over 15 years in capital markets as an investment banker with global firms including Stifel Financial Corp. and Morgan Stanley. She is currently a director of Irish Residential Properties REIT plc, American Hotel Income Properties REIT, and Bitfarms Ltd. She was previously a director at Mandalay Resources Corporation (sold to Alkane), Canaccord Genuity Group Inc., and Park Lawn Corporation. She also serves on the Investment Committee for Children’s Aid Foundation. She holds an MBA and a JD from the University of Toronto.
