At Velseis, our people are our most valuable resource, with a healthy mix of operational experience and technical qualifications in all our divisions. We have a flat management structure with senior staff heavily involved at the operational level. There are key people at all levels of the company – too many to list here. However, these are some of the people you might be dealing with.
Steve Hearn (Managing Director and Chief Geophysicist)
Steve received a B.Sc.App.(Hons) with a University Medal, and a Ph.D. in geophysics from University of Queensland. He has worked in the seismic industry since 1981, with major seismic contractors, as a consultant, and as an academic. Since joining Velseis as Chief Geophysicist in 2000, he has been responsible for overseeing the geophysical and R&D activities of the group. He serves as Managing Director of the company, encouraging a culture of technical rigour in all Velseis operations.
Tim Beale (Director and Field Operations Manager)
Tim has over 30 years of involvement with the seismic industry, having worked initially in technical roles in borehole seismology and subsequently in seismic reflection. Tim has overall responsibility for field operations, including surveying, drilling, preloading and seismic acquisition. Due to his strong technical background, Tim is heavily involved in the planning and implementation of new field systems and techniques.
Troy Peters (Geophysical Services Manager)
Troy graduated from the University of Queensland with a B.Sc.App.(Hons) in geophysics. He worked in Velseis’ field operations before moving into data processing, and was involved in the establishment of Velseis Processing in 1992. Troy played a major role in the industry acceptance of high-resolution seismic imagery as an essential tool for mine planning. Since 2015 Troy has assumed primary responsibility for client interactions regarding Velseis’ geophysical services.
He joined the Velseis board in 2024.
Shaun Strong (General Manager and Senior Geophysicist)
Shaun graduated from University of Queensland with a first-class honours degree in geophysics in 2003.
He has worked across the Velseis spectrum:
In field operations, data processing, R&D, and more recently in operational and general management.
In 2016 Shaun received a Ph.D. from UQ for research in multi-component seismology.
Shaun’s broad experience across our operation makes him well suited for his 2024 appointment as General Manager.
Stewart Fletcher (Geophysical Technologies Manager)
Stewart graduated from University of Queensland in 2013, with a First-Class Honours degree in geophysics, and received the Best Student Paper award at ASEG 2013.
He gained initial exposure to Velseis’ field operations, followed by several years in seismic-processing (onshore, 3D, broadband, time, unconventionals, high-fold, high-resolution, ultra-shallow). More recently Stewart has focussed increasingly on IT – research, development and management.
In 2024 Stewart was appointed as Geophysical Technologies Manager. In this role, he manages overall IT infrastructure and development, including the specialised technologies for nodal seismic acquisition and data processing.
Karel Driml (Manager, Velseis Processing)
After graduating from the University of Queensland with a B.Sc. in physics, Karel joined Petty-Ray Geophysical in 1981. Karel was the Land Processing Supervisor for Digicon Geophysical in Brisbane, and was then instrumental in the establishment of Velseis Processing in 1992. He has significant experience in all aspects of seismic data processing. Karel is responsible for the overall management of Velseis’ data-processing operations.
Mark Murphy (Business Development Manager, Velseis Processing)
With tertiary qualifications in physics and geophysics, Mark has worked in the industry since 1992. He has held international roles in several companies, including Veritas, CGG, MicroSeismic Inc, and DownUnder Geosolutions. Mark began at Velseis in 2017, where he is responsible for the Business Development of Velseis Processing.
