Theme Leaders

The Asset Institute brings together a core team of research and industry experts to facilitate collaborative working relationships between researchers, asset owners and operators, government bodies and aid agencies amongst others in order to ensure state-of-the-art engineering asset management solutions and training. Comprising both engineering professionals and accomplished academics they bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our organisation.

Our research and projects are structured in themes and are led by the following:-

Professor Joseph Mathew, Chief Executive Officer

Joseph Mathew is the CEO of the Asset Institute and an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. He has been the key facilitator behind the Institute’s transition in 2013 from the Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM II) and its predecessor, the CRC for Integrated Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM I), a collaboration which he led from the outset. He was previously Queensland University of Technology’s Head of School in the School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Medical Engineering. Prior to arriving in Brisbane in 2000, Joe was Monash University’s Professor of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering and was Deputy Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Joe is a Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience in academia, academic administration, research and research management, and consulting. Joe specialises in asset management, integrated frameworks and systems for asset management, as well as condition monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics of machine systems. He is one of the two founders of the International Standards Organisation’s Committee on Condition Monitoring and Diagnostics of Machine Systems (ISO TC 108/SC5), which he chaired from 1996 – 2014. He also initiated the International Society of Engineering Asset Management (ISEAM) and the World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM) in 2006. He was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by ISEAM in 2017 for his exceptional dedication and contribution to advancing the field of Engineering Asset Management and a Pioneer award by ISEAM for his foundational contributions to ISEAM as its Founder and Chair of the Board in its first 11 years. He was invited to continue his service to ISEAM as its inaugural Patron in 2022.

Professor Robin Drogemuller, QUT, Theme Leader – Design and Construction

Robin is Professor of Digital Design at QUT and holds qualifications in architecture and mathematics & computing. Robin worked as an architect and then as a project manager in South Australia and the Northern Territory before joining academia. Robin’s research uses IT tools to support decision making in the design, construction, operation/management and demolition of buildings and infrastructure. He has also led projects in electrical distribution networks and aircraft design and maintenance. Robin has contributed actively to the development of international standards for the exchange of asset information for over 20 years and has won a number of awards for research projects while at QUT and in his previous position at CSIRO.

Professor Markus Stumptner, UniSA, Theme Leader – Integration and Interoperability

Markus has more than twenty years of experience in interoperability projects and standards-based interoperability activities, contributing to international asset-related interoperability standards such as ISO 18435, ISO 13374 and now ISO TS 18101 as part of the OIIE initiative. He is a member of TC184/WG6 (Oil and Gas Interoperability). He was chair of the OIIE related Joint Special Interest Group for Operations and Maintenance Standards supported by MIMOSA, PCA and FIATECH. Markus is currently Program Lead for Digital Technologies and Interoperability in the Future Energy Exports CRC.

Professor Kerry Brown, ECU, Theme Leader – Organisation and Planning

Kerry Brown is the Professor of Employment and Industry in the School of Business and Law at Edith Cowan University and Director of the Centre for Innovative Practice at the university. She was previously a Co-Program Leader, Sustainability and Organisational Performance Program with CIEAM and Professor of HRM at Curtin University. Professor Brown is a founding Executive Board Member of the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) (2006-2012) and Executive Board Member and Founding Fellow of the International Society for Engineering Asset Management (ISEAM) since 2007. She was awarded an Australia and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Research Fellow (2009-2018). Her international expertise in the area of asset management is demonstrated in being an invited member of the Standards Australia Mirror Committee MB019 Asset Management (since 2010) and a member of the International Standards Organisation ISO TC251, Asset Management.

Emeritus Professor Lin Ma, QUT, Theme Leader – Asset Health and Analytics

Lin is an accomplished academic and researcher in integrated asset management platforms, optimal decision support and condition-based asset health prediction. She led the Capability Optimisation research program in CIEAM and worked closely with industry partners to address their critical needs. Together with her team, a number of advanced asset management systems, modules and industry utilisation cases have been successfully developed and utilised. Her achievements have received commendation. She is a recipient of the Queensland’s Smart State – Smart Woman Award as well as the QUT Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research.

Professor Ashantha Goonetilleke, QUT, Theme Leader – Sustainability and Resilience

Ashantha is an Environmental Engineer with a track record for developing extensive industry collaborative links, producing research outcomes of relevance to industry and the community and the translation of research outcomes to practical application. He was the Director for Infrastructure Research, Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering, QUT and served for ten years in a technical advisory role in sustainability with Brisbane Airport Corporation and has also held the Professorial Chair in Airport Innovation. His areas of expertise include, infrastructure resilience, climate change adaptation and water supply security, conservation and sustainability.

Dr Steve Pudney, SCU, Theme Leader – Learning and Development

Steve is a Course Co-ordinator and Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University. A Mechanical Engineer with qualifications in Engineering Management, Steve has extensive international experience in the design and delivery of engineering technology projects to the minerals processing industry across five continents. More recently, Steve was part of an extensive engineering curricula renewal project at Southern Cross University. He has experience with design, development and delivery of vocational education programs, industry based short courses, undergraduate and post graduate programs as well as direct involvement in the initiation, design and delivery of engineering-oriented Work Integrated Learning  programs across multiple industry sectors.