Our team
Our people have a broad diversity of professional backgrounds – consulting and research, business and academia, communications and professional services, regional and community development. Our experience is drawn from working with organisations from across multiple industries and on projects both regional and urban. This breadth of experience is what makes our contribution to projects unique.
The Keston Technologies team is led by Dr. Richard Ball. who has many years experience in both senior industry and consulting roles across strategy, operational improvement, physical sciences, project management and international business development. Richard launched Keston Technologies in 2004. Since then the Keston team of staff and associates, in both Keston Technologies and Keston Economics, has grown to incorporate highly skilled and dedicated professionals.
Richard Ball
Principal, Keston Technologies
Director, Keston Economics
Richard has had many years of experience in developing international business in high technology areas. His early career was spent with AEA Technology where he had a number of posts developing business in several areas – the food and drink industry, nuclear programmes, forensic science, materials and technical software. During his time with AEA Technology, he spent time living and working in North America developing business for materials software and services, before returning to the UK as Director of Marketing and Sales for AEA Technology’s nuclear services business, followed by a period of time in the Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions area.
In 2000, he left AEA Technology to join a small US technical software company, UES Software, Inc. as Vice President of Business Development. In this role, he was responsible for business development teams in the USA and Japan. In 2002, he was appointed the founding Chief Executive Officer of the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) in the UK. In this role, he successfully built the company and its services to deliver against a range of objectives, including inward investment into South Yorkshire, regional development and support for the metals industry. In 2004, Richard left NAMTEC to set up Keston Technologies in the UK and Australia.
Career Current
• Managing Director, Keston Technologies Ltd.
• Managing Director, MCPA Software Ltd.
• Director, Keston Economics Pty Ltd.
Previous
• Chief Executive, National Metals Technology Centre Ltd.
• Vice President, Business Development, UES Software, Inc.
• Director, Marketing and Sales, AEA Technology Nuclear Science
• Executive and non-executive Director, Forensic Alliance Ltd.
• North America Market Manager, AEA Technology, Inc.
Qualifications
• MBA, Warwick Business School (with distinction)
• DPhil, Computational Chemistry, University of Oxford
• MA, University of Oxford, BA (Hons) (First Class), Chemistry, University of Oxford
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
Rod Shephard
Associate Consultant, Keston Economics
Rod joined BOC Australia in 1989, and worked in a variety of engineering and operational roles before transferring to the BOC Group Head office in the UK in 1996, where he led a number of global projects to improve productivity and effectiveness by identifying and implementing global Best Practices in Operational, Sales and Commercial disciplines. In 1999, Rod joined the UK Healthcare business as Operations Manager, where he established a quality system for a new business division and developed the first overarching Healthcare Operations Quality strategy to better align internal functions to deliver business objectives.
In 2002, Rod accepted his first general management role, transferring to Singapore to manage BOC’s East Asian healthcare businesses. The role gave Rod first-hand understanding of leading teams and running businesses in the great diversity of Asia. After returning to Sydney in 2005 to run BOC’s South Pacific Healthcare business, BOC was acquired by The Linde Group and Rod was appointed head of Linde’s first Asia Pacific Healthcare business. The region is extremely diverse, composed of more than a dozen businesses in countries representing half the world’s population, and including some of the wealthiest and poorest nations.
After six years in the Asia Pacific role Rod left Linde to establish his own business offering strategy consultancy services, and joined Keston Technologies as an associate at the same time. Rod has been involved in a range of feasibility study and business case work with Keston Technologies.
Career Current
• Managing Director, Cogence Pty Ltd.
• Associate, Keston Technologies.
Previous
• Head of Healthcare, Asia Pacific, The Linde Group.
• General Manager, Medical, South Pacific, The BOC Group
• Business Manager, Medical, BC East Asia
• Operations Manager, Medical, BOC UK
• Commercial & Operations Best Practice, BOC Group
• Programme Manager, Best Operating Practice, BOC Group
• Engineering and Operations roles
Qualifications
• MBA (with distinction), Warwick Business School
• Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours), Sydney University
Michael Keeler
Senior Consultant, Keston Technologies
Director, Keston Economics
Michael undertakes a range of grant consultancy, proposal development and research activities for Keston Economics’ clients and has a range of key competencies, including:
- Over ten years of experience researching and writing feasibility studies, business cases and various grant applications with the Great Southern, Peel, South West and Mid West regions of Western Australia.
- Experience in quickly comprehending advanced or novel concepts and to successfully compile expert documents with in-depth research to support strategic analyses and applications for funding.
- High proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research.
- High proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office tools.
- Current and recent projects include business case, business plan and feasibility study development, economic analyses and economic modelling for diverse projects across Western Australia.
Career Current
- Senior Consultant, Keston Technologies Pty. Ltd.
- Director, Keston Economics Pty. Ltd.
Previous
- Environmental remediation and employee management at Landscape Revolution
- Equipment technician for Fuji Xerox
- Various management and leadership roles in hospitality and tourism sectors
Angie Fryer-Smith
Company Secretary, Keston Technologies
Angie is Company Secretary and Director of Keston Technologies and also the company’s Quality Manager.
With an extensive background in design and marketing, Angie brings highly regarded expertise to the company and our clients. Angie has a diploma in graphic design from CMC, Perth and several years experience in running small businesses, in Australia and overseas. These skills have been leveraged to good effect for many clients in implementing business development activities. Angie also forms part of the overall governance mechanisms in Keston Technologies, in her role as Company Secretary, and frequently works on client projects and reports. As Quality Manager, Angie oversees the implementation of Keston Technologies’ Quality Assurance Policy and procedures.
Kylie Cutten
Associate Consultant, Keston Economics
Kylie is an Associate Consultant at Keston Economics and has over a decade experience in strategic planning, facilitation, community development, and community consultation.
Kylie’s career began as a teacher working and living in remote Indigenous communities. In the 15 years to follow Kylie has been Deputy Principal of Roebourne District High School, worked with the Education Department of Western Australia advising schools on the development of strategic partnerships between communities and industries, and with Woodside developing and implementing a community education based program. Nowadays, Kylie is Founder and Principal of the Australian Facilitation Company.
Kylie holds a Bachelor in Biochemistry and Nutrition from Curtin University, a Graduate Diploma in Education from Edith Cowan University and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from Studio West.
Kylie works with Keston Economics on project development involving professional facilitation services, community engagement, community consultation and strategic planning.
Andrew Bremner
Associate Consultant, Keston Economics
Andrew is a qualified accountant with broad financial services industry experience. He has recently worked on assignments preparing feasibility studies and operational reviews for ASX listed companies, private companies and Government Departments in a variety of industries including hospitality and leisure, transport, resources, engineering, property and training and education.
More specifically, Andrew’s most recent role prior to working with Keston was with Transocean, a Boutique Investment Banking Firm, undertaking investment analysis and preparing recommendations for a small team of highly skilled professionals focused on Asset Development, Capital Raising and Corporate Finance.
Andrew has a Bachelor of Business and is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Australia.
Keston Technologies is based in Oxford, UK and Albany & Sydney, Australia
