Our Team
Guy Webb
CoFounder & Managing director
Guy has over a decade of experience designing functional and practical microbial packages within dryland broadacre systems for semi-arid environments. Guy draws on a strong background in agronomy, and a deep understanding of soil health, microbiology and sustainable land management. He has been the driving force behind the organisation for a number of years and has brought together a cohesive and committed team to work towards SoilCQuest’s vision.
Mick Wettenhall
CoFounder & Director
Mick is an experienced grazier and grains and cotton farmer on the Macquarie River near Trangie. A skilled farming practitioner and an early adopter of innovative farming techniques. He is a passionate believer that agriculture has a major role to play not only in food security but also in sustainable environmental management and climate change mitigation. Michael brings invaluable practical on-the-ground experience and a common sense perspective to the project.
Frank Oly
CoFounder & Director
Originally from Amsterdam, Frank has over twenty years of business experience in media production and advertising. He combines a creative eye with a practical business sense and is dedicated to growing the organisation. Since moving to Australia, he has developed a passion for agriculture and cattle breeding in particular. Together with his partner, he runs a small Angus stud. Frank has degrees in marketing and business law.
Erika Van Schellebeck
Community Education & Stakeholder Engagement
Erika has 20+ years of experience in community & stakeholder engagement, sustainability education and strategic planning in state and local government and the not-for-profit sector across NSW. A city kid who loved school holidays on her grandparents’ cattle & wheat farms, she believes that ecological agriculture holds the key to the resilience of farming communities and is passionate about agriculture as a climate solution. Erika holds a BA in Resource and Environmental Management and is completing postgraduate studies in Regenerative Agriculture.
Sophie Lountain
Communications Officer
Sophie is a Communications Officer with SoilCQuest. Sophie holds a Masters by Research (Applied Economics) from the University of South Australia, where she received an ACIAR grant to study groundwater markets in West Bengal, India, focusing on sustainable livelihoods. Sophie also has a Bachelor of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security from Western Sydney University and a Diploma in Nutrition. Sophie received an International Agricultural Student Award in 2020 and 1st prize in the 3 Minute Thesis competition in 2021.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Peter Mcgee
Mycologist and Soil Carbon Specialist
Associate Professor Peter McGee holds an honorary appointment to the School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney. He retired at the end of 2013 after completing more than 30 years studying soil biology. He and his team researched mechanisms underpinning the sustainable use of soil, and their importance in restoration of soil function.
Tendo Musaka
Microbiologist
Dr Tendo Mukasa PhD, has over ten years experience conducting research on various projects investigating the benefits of applying microbial inoculums to soils and has done so at a number of leading institutions including Rhodes University, The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and The University of Sydney. Tendo completed his PhD at The University of Sydney, investigating the ability of a wide-variety of fungal isolates to enhance levels of soil carbon.
Ash Martin
Director
Dr Martin PhD, BSc(For)Hons is currently the Business Manager and Senior Partner of Creation Innovation Agriculture & Forestry (CIAAF) & Microbiological Laboratories Australia (Microbe Labs), and sometimes Research Fellow at Monash University, Melbourne depending on major project funding. CIAAF has current links to The University Adelaide, Central Queensland University and government departments in various States.
Maria Manjarrez Martines
Microbiologist
Dr Manjarrez-Martinez PhD, MSc, BSc is currently the Research and Analytical Services Manager and Senior Partner of CIAAF and a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.
Maria is committed to bringing proven, scientific, research-based technology in a clear, concise, no-nonsense manner.
Guy Webb
Agronomist
Guy has worked to develop microbial inoculums and bio-fertilisers throughout his career with the focus on improving soil health and soil carbon levels in broad-acre cropping programs. He has also been involved in horticultural agronomy predominantly in grapes and citrus. Guy brings an on-the-ground practical problem solving perspective to the SoilCQuest Scientific Advisory committee’.