Our people

Leadership Team

Damian Bryant

Managing Director

Joining Acoem Australasia in 2024, Damian brings over 30 years of executive management and business leadership experience to his role as Managing Director. Throughout his extensive career, he has developed significant expertise in monitoring solutions across a wide range of sectors, including transportation and industrial air quality, in both Australia and the United States.

Damian’s skills encompass managing large teams of professional engineers, technical staff and administrative personnel, as well as implementing dynamic market entry strategies and cultivating new business relationships to drive domestic and international growth. With a strong focus on safety, innovation, reliability and compliance, Damian is tasked with leading a period of expansion and diversification for Acoem Australasia and its industry-leading environmental and reliability monitoring solutions.

Paul How

National Delivery Manager

Paul brings over 10 years of extensive experience in environmental monitoring programs, encompassing both major and minor projects. His diverse expertise spans water, soil, dust monitoring, remote work coordination, reporting, and comprehensive team and project management.

Joining Acoem in 2014, Paul previously honed his skills at environmental consultancies. He became a Team Manager for an Environmental Management group in 2009, leading a team of over 15 staff responsible for designing and implementing environmental management plans, specifically focused on water monitoring.

Paul possesses a profound understanding of licence compliance monitoring, a strong safety culture, and the criticality of deadlines, gained from working with major mining companies like BHP, Worsley, Alcoa, Rio Tinto, and Alcan. His environmental monitoring experience includes contaminated sites monitoring and reporting, spill investigations, and monitoring of groundwater, surface, waste, and potable water. In his role as National Delivery Manager, Paul is directly responsible for the safety, budgeting, and successful delivery of a wide range of environmental monitoring requirements, from simple to complex, for projects across all of Australia.

Contact: paul.how@acoem.com

Grant Kassell

Acting Country Manager

Grant Kassell is Acoem Australasia’s Engineering, Research & Development Manager & Acting Country Manager. During his 25+ year tenure at the company, he has taken the lead in designing, developing and enhancing Acoem’s innovative range of environmental technologies and solutions. He has worked extensively with gas, aerosol, and particulate monitors, as well as data logging, auditing and reporting software, always ensuring that Acoem monitoring systems integrate seamlessly within complex communication and reporting requirements.

Grant oversaw the development of the Serinus series of gas analysers and their subsequent US EPA and EN testing and approval processes. He was also responsible for developing the Aurora range of nephelometers, the ACS 1000 aerosol conditioning system, and the commercialisation of the Spectronus trace greenhouse gas analyser.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Computer Science & Engineering (Hons) from Monash University and a Graduate Certificate in Technology Management from Latrobe University & APESMA.

Contact: grant.kassell@acoem.com

Bernard Van Zyl

Engineering Support Manager

Bernard van Zyl joined Acoem Australasia in 2001. He brings exceptional knowledge of environmental monitoring to his current role as Engineering Support Manager.

Bernard began his career as a construction engineer at sugar industry steam generation plants in Zambia and Mauritius. He then worked as a project engineer on coal research projects, gaining exposure to isokinetic stack emission sampling, and was part-owner of a consulting engineering firm specialising in CEMS and AQMS products and services.

Bernard efficiently grew Acoem’s Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS) and Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) markets in and around Sydney-based infrastructure projects and then moved to Brisbane to establish the Northern branch. He thrives on the specific challenges of CEMS installations and has installed, commissioned and maintained a number of open path and dilution extractive CEMS systems around South Africa and Australia.

Bernard holds a Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering).

Contact: bernard.vanzyl@acoem.com

Kumar Koujalgi

Group Quality Manager

Kumar brings 16+ years of quality and operational leadership to his role as Group Quality Manager at Acoem Australasia. Having worked in a variety of challenging organisations within the aerospace, defence, and automotive industries, Kumar joined Acoem in 2018 and is a dynamic and results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance in high-paced businesses.

Kumar is a proactive manager with comprehensive knowledge of quality systems, government regulations, product development, procurement, manufacturing, and obsolescence management.

Extensive experience in technical engineering, coupled with organisational auditing for AS9100, ISO9001, TS16949, ISO14001, NATA ISO17025, and NADCAP, both for local and international suppliers, makes him an invaluable addition to the Acoem team.

Contact: kumar.koujalgi@acoem.com

Liz Edwards

Southern Branch Sales Manager

Liz joined Acoem in 2006, bringing extensive experience across various critical functions. Over her 17-year tenure, she has held diverse leadership roles, including International Business Development Manager, International Sales Executive, Calibrations Group Manager, Customer Service Coordinator, and Key Accounts Manager.

As the Southern Branch Sales Manager, Liz is responsible for driving sales growth across Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Her expertise lies in cultivating robust customer relationships and keenly monitoring industry trends. Liz holds a Bachelor of Business & Commerce.

Contact: liz.edwards@acoem.com

Mark Neaves

Eastern Branch Sales Manager

Mark began his career as a systems engineer, involved in the integration and servicing of a wide variety of environmental and general monitoring systems. These included automatic weather stations, water monitoring stations, custom instrumentation systems, and their seamless integration into pre-existing client networks.

Mark also has extensive experience in the design and implementation of data acquisition, remote telemetry systems, as well as the design and management of reporting systems. He holds a Diploma in Information Technology and a Diploma in Business Management. In his role as Eastern Branch Sales Manager, Mark utilises this deep technical background and business acumen to provide effective solutions and support to clients.

Contact: mark.neaves@acoem.com

Lara Nicholas

VIC and SA Operations Manager

Lara joined Acoem in 2002 and is an expert in the installation, maintenance, and monitoring of a wide range of Acoem instruments and applications. She holds a Telecommunication and Electronics Diploma.

Lara’s core expertise lies in the maintenance of Ambient Monitoring Stations and Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS). She also plays a key role in planning and delivering customer training courses and mentoring future maintenance technicians. Her extensive travel, both locally and internationally, has honed her skills and precision. Lara has received comprehensive training in both CEMS and Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS).

Contact: lara.nicholas@acoem.com