I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Murcott to the role of Geospatial Standards Leader within the New Zealand Geospatial Office (NZGO). Richard joined Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and assumed his new role on 18 October. Representing a new position within the NZGO, the Geospatial Standards Leader administers the standards stream of work within the Geospatial Office work programme and is responsible for facilitating the development and implementation of geospatial standards in New Zealand.
As Standards Leader, Richard will partner with members of standards bodies, government, industry, academia, and Non-Government Organisations to build and maintain a collaborative community of people and institutions working to develop geospatial interoperability through applying appropriate geospatial standards.
This partnership will involve managing national input into geospatial standards development processes, providing coordination and support for the implementation of geospatial standards, and supporting activities to increase awareness of the benefits of applying geospatial standards to business processes.
Richard joins us with an extensive portfolio of geospatial experience and a long history of direct involvement with geospatial standards development in New Zealand. While working previously at LINZ/DOSLI and the State Services Commission, he served in senior advisory roles for Standards NZ, the NZ e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) and development of the New Zealand Geospatial Strategy. Most recently Richard served as a member of the Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA) NZ Executive Committee, helping shape commercial sector contributions to the strategic growth of the geospatial sector in New Zealand.
With a proven focus on strategic standardisation, Richard brings a unique perspective to this leadership role and is well positioned to oversee standards work within the NZGO and promote improved interoperability throughout New Zealand. Richard is a both a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and GIS Professional (GISP-AP).
Please join me in welcoming Richard to this exciting new role.
Kevin Sweeney
Geospatial Custodian
New Zealand Geospatial Office
