Our Team

Our talented and passionate team are here to help you build a low carbon, climate resilient, biodiverse future

Sean Weaver
Chief Executive Officer

  • Sean is the Chief Executive and founder of Ekos. He is an international expert in market-based mechanisms for environmental and climate financing specialising in restorative & environmental forestry. He is a consultant to governments (NZ and the Pacific Islands), multilateral banks (World Bank, African Development Bank), international agencies (UNDP, SPREP), small medium and large businesses/corporations. Sean is a founding member of the Climate Forestry Association and the (international) Biodiversity Credits Alliance. He is a registered forestry consultant, has a PhD in Forestry from the University of Canterbury, and is based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Ian Challenger
Operations Manager

  • Ian is Operations Manager at Ekos with 38 years’ experience in carbon analytics, and sustainable development. Ian’s career is driven by a desire to “leave the place better than we found it”. Ian began his working life in local government, before working for an environmental charity in the UK. Later he gained a Masters in Environmental Management from Lincoln University and worked for a research institute and then in self-employment until starting with Ekos in 2019. His primary areas of expertise are measuring and reducing carbon emissions, developing indicators of environmental sustainability, and developing sustainability and carbon reduction strategies.

May Chang
Chief Technical Officer

  • May has worked in the environmental industry for over 10 years, her experience includes GHG measurement for organisations, products and events. May also has qualification in conducting GHG verification. As a Lead auditor, she conducted audits across New Zealand and Australia. May has a Bachelor in Recreation Management Degree from Lincoln University.

Narendra Chand
Carbon Forestry Consultant

  • Narendra has more than 15 years of experience in forestry. He has worked in REDD+ project funded by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (The World Bank) in Nepal and Fiji. Other than professional forestry work, he has been involved in ecosystem service modelling research. Holds expertise in carbon accounting, NZ Emission Trading Scheme, forest inventory, and developing allometric biomass equations. He is also trained in Ecosystem Service Modelling, Geographical Information System, Remote Sensing and Data Science from different institutes.  He holds PhD degree in forestry from Lincoln University.

Gui Berringer
Team Leader & Senior Carbon Analyst

  • Gui Berringer is an accomplished Environmental Engineer with over 13 years of experience in sustainability, carbon accounting, and environmental management. He has led teams and projects at various organizations, achieving positive results and targets within his field . Gui holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering and a postgraduate specialization in Occupational Health and Safety. Known for his expertise in developing sustainable practices and strategies, Gui is committed to helping organizations achieve their environmental goals efficiently. His passion for sustainability drives his innovative approach to problem-solving and team collaboration.

Aimee Hyland
Nature-Based Solutions Officer

  • Before joining Ekos, Aimee completed her Bachelor of Forestry Science at the University of Canterbury. During her studies she had an array of internships which involved, native restoration, weed management, research and data acquisition, tree assessment, and timber re-manufacturing. At Ekos Aimee is at the heart of helping landowners develop and manage native forest carbon projects. Aimee has 2 years’ experience working in the space of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme. In addition to this Aimee is a mapping wiz and holds a certification in advanced QGIS through Spatial Thoughts.

Josh Leenhouwers
Carbon Analyst

  • Initially studying Environmental Studies and Ecology, Josh completed a Bachelor’s in Horticulture Science through Massey University, to pursue a career in sustainable farming and he worked in horticultural consultancy in the Tasman District. With a passion for the great outdoors, Josh subsequently trained and was employed as an outdoor instructor and operations supervisor in the Abel Tasman National Park. Following teacher’s college he taught science and outdoor education, alongside numerous other subjects. During the Covid pandemic he supervised the main nation-wide telehealth and contact tracing team at Reach-Aotearoa. Most recently Josh completed his Greenhouse Gas Accounting Diploma to join Ekos as a carbon analyst in 2023.

Cristina Barraclough
Carbon Analyst

  • With over 2.5 years’ direct experience working in sustainability, Cristina has a keen interest in fostering collaborations and driving environmental progress. Prior to Ekos, Cristina worked at Alborn Enterprises which are part of the Marahau Sustainability Pledge and New Zealand's first net-zero carbon itinerary. Recently, her work is with small-to-medium enterprises through to large manufacturing firms and councils working on their sustainability journey. Cristina has a first-class honours in Management from the University of Exeter, a Distinction Post-Graduate from NMIT and is now pursuing a Masters in Environmental Management. Passionate about nature, she engages in hiking, climbing, and kayaking, which fuel her dedication to protecting the environment.

Emma Crane
Carbon Analyst

  • Before moving to New Zealand, Emma completed her Bachelors at the University of Colorado, Boulder in Environmental Science. She is interested in marine and freshwater ecology. During University, she spent a lot of time doing river monitoring in Colorado. Additionally, she worked in Mexico on the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef as a research diver for diseased corals. With her passion for the outdoors and keeping the water and lands native, she worked as a raft guide in the North Island and in Queenstown. In the winter seasons, she worked as a snowboard instructor at Rainbow Ski Field. Few years later in New Zealand she joined Ekos as a carbon analyst in 2023.

Hanna Beatriz de Moura
Carbon Footprint Administrator

  • Hanna Beatriz is an Environmental Scientist with over 3 years of experience in environmental projects and management support. At Ekos, she is a Carbon Footprint Administrator, managing client enquiries, administering data, and calculating carbon footprints. Hanna also contributed to environmental projects in Brazil and interned at the Ministry of Environment, where she supported environmental monitoring and public policy projects. She holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Sciences from the University of Brasília and is currently pursuing a Postgraduate in Environmental Management from Lincoln University.

Felicia Whiu
Senior Financial Administrator

  • Felicia prides herself on giving 100% and holding true to her values, ethics and professionalism. Felicia is a qualified quantity surveyor with 20 years working in the construction industry.  During her career Felicia was able to gain experience in different areas of business including finances, operations, governance, HR & management. Five years ago Felicia founded Fe & T Consultancy Limited and has spent this time focusing on supporting amazing kaupapa such as Ekos.  Fe & T is Accredited with ICNZB, IRD, Xero GovernanceNZ and the Chamber of Commerce. Felicia is proud and grateful to be part of the Ekos whanau.

Tracey Waho Blayney
Financial Administrator

  • Tracey Waho-Blayney has 40+ years or experience in business and financial administration working for high profile organisations such as Ericsson Australia, Massey University, Lincoln University, Ngāi Tahu, and Christchurch City Council.  Working in the areas of governance, project management, financial administration, and general administration. Tracey holds a Diploma in Business Computing but feels her life experience has been the catalyst for her success. Being passionate about whānau and helping others to achieve their aspirations, Tracey feels grateful to be part of a Ekos, a company that cares so passionately for the environment.

Casey Benson
Financial Administrator

  • Casey has been supporting Ekos for the last 5 years as part of the Fe & T team.  As a service consultant Casey provides Ekos with financial and administration support. Relocating from Christchurch back to her hometown on the Kapiti Coast, Casey spends her spare time running Group Fitness classes for City Fitness. Casey's qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Human Geography and Environmental Studies that was completed at Victoria University of Wellington.