Iain Stewart
Director, Plymouth University Sustainable Earth Institute

Selling Planet Earth: Communicating Geoscience to the Public

Iain is professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth and Director of its Sustainable Earth Institute. His long-standing research interests are in geological hazards, geology for sustainable development, and geoscience communication. His geo-communication work has built on a 15 year partnership with BBC television presenting Earth science programmes, including Earth: The Power of the Planet; How Earth Made Us, How To Grow A Planet, The Rise of the Continents and Planet Oil. His public geoscience work has received awards from numerous international geoscience organisations, including from the AAPG, AGI, EFG, and GSA and he holds a UNESCO Chair in Geoscience and Society.

Anne Strømmen Lycke
CEO, Norsar

Anne is CEO of NORSAR, an independent research foundation within earthquake, nuclear test ban treaty monitoring and geophysics performing research, services and software. In her career, she created strong profile in establishing strategies, recruiting management teams and project development including renewable energies, CO2 capture and storage and new technologies.

Gareth Burns
VP and Managing Director, Equinor Energy Ventures

Gareth Burns is the VP and Managing Director of Equinor Energy Ventures, Equinor’s renewable energy focused venture capital fund. Prior to establishing the new VC initiative in 2016, Gareth was senior vice president for business development and has over 20 years’ experience within the energy industry. He has held various management positions since 2006, and has worked in all areas of the oil and gas value chain. Gareth holds a board observer role at ChargePoint, the leading electric vehicle charging infrastructure company in North America and is chair of the Equinor UK Limited Employee Benefits Plan. Gareth is a trustee (“director”) of Stewardship Services (UKET) Limited, Stewardship American Donor Fund UK Limited and his local church. Gareth is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics from Heriot-Watt University in the UK. He is an Irish citizen and is lives with his family in London, UK.

Ted UrbanCic
Strategic Advisor, Meta Innovation Technologies

Ted is a pioneer in the development of passive seismic monitoring techniques, and in examining and interpreting seismicity associated with mining and petroleum applications. Ted, as a Founder of ESG Solutions, spearheaded ESG’s Innovation and Technology Group as CTO, which oversaw all R&D related to passive seismic analysis, integration of new technologies, enhancement of geomechanical and reservoir/mine management systems. He has authored over 150 publications on the fundamental aspects of passive seismicity to characterizing rock and reservoir behavior by integrating passive seismic data with numerical modeling, engineering and geomechanical data.  As a Founding Board Member of Round13 Capital, Ted is assisting in the enhancement of opportunities in the digital space by providing strategic advice. Ted holds a Ph.D. in seismology from Queen’s University and has held adjunct professorship’s in the Department of Geological Sciences at Queen’s University and at the University of Calgary. He is a member of numerous professional societies, including AAPG, AGU, CSEG, EAGE, SEG, SPE, SSA, and is on the organizing committees from 2014 to 2020 EAGE Passive Seismic Workshops.