Valenza Engineering

At Valenza Engineering, people come first.

Our team is composed of highly skilled research fellows and members of internationally recognized professional organizations. With over 20 years of experience in Hydrogeology, Geothermal Engineering, and Environmental Chemistry, we pride ourselves on our expertise and dedication to excellence.

Our PhD experts have published more than 50 scientific papers, reflecting our commitment to advancing knowledge in our fields. We are diligent, experienced, and result-focused, and we actively support the next generation of experts through our internship and graduate programs.

Director

Alexis Valenza

Director / Principal Hydrogeologist

Alexis Valenza

Director / Principal Hydrogeologist

Alexis, a distinguished Principal Groundwater Engineer and the Managing Director at Valenza Engineering. Alexis brings a wealth of expertise to our team as a Chartered Engineer and also an esteemed member of various prestigious professional organisations, including IAH and AusIMM. Alexis possesses significant experience in addressing a variety of groundwater and surface water-related issues. His expertise covers the entire project lifecycle, including open pit, underground, and cave mines, from inception to closure. Alexis stands out for his unwavering enthusiasm in addressing complex challenges directly. He is dedicated to delivering innovative and practical solutions, combined with a meticulous focus on technical accuracy. Clients seeking comprehensive water management solutions consider Alexis a reliable and trusted partner in their ventures. Founding Valenza Engineering in 2011, Alexis and team have confirmed their place as industry leaders. Demonstrating Valenza Engineering's visionary outlook and unwavering commitment to delivering industry excellence.

Phone:+61 423 305 420

Process Team

Alireza Azabdaftari

Project Manager

Alireza Azabdaftari

Project Manager

Alireza is passionate about architecture and brings a wealth of expertise on construction project management to Valenza Engineering. Ali seamlessly navigates both the design and construction aspects of projects, including a comprehensive understanding of the architectural process from concept to realisation. Alireza excels in architectural design, crafting innovative and visually stunning designs that merge aesthetics with functionality. With years of experience in construction management, Alireza has a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in bringing architectural concepts to life. Specializing in residential architecture, Alireza prioritizes practicality and creates spaces that enhance the lives of residents. With strong technical proficiency, Alireza ensures structurally sound and efficient designs, adhering to construction details, systems, and industry standards. Thriving in collaborative environments, Alireza effectively communicates and works with clients, contractors, and project stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes. Alireza's dedication to bridging the gap between design and construction fosters effective collaboration and ensures the successful completion of projects at Valenza Engineering.

Andrea Yarce

Agile Practice Manager

Andrea Yarce

Agile Practice Manager

Andrea, a Civil Engineering graduate from the National University of Colombia, brings a wealth of experience to our team. With a background in soil investigation, and laboratory soil classification for foundation design, Andrea leverages this experience to support project efficiency. As a Project Process Engineer and Scrum Master at Valenza Engineering, Andrea plays a crucial role in project management, diligently supporting our team to ensure projects are completed on time and meet client expectations. Andrea's dedication and enthusiasm consistently drive innovation and efficiency in every project she undertake.

Anamaria Ardila

Process and Procedure Engineer

Anamaria Ardila

Process and Procedure Engineer

Anamaria holds an Industrial & Process Engineering Degree from the University of Antioquia, and certification in Project Management, Leadership, Management, and statistical research. Annamarie expertise covers control charts, process optimization through simulation, project management, process design and enhancement, quality assurance and control, data analysis, coding, statistics, finance, analytical thinking, and forecasting. Anamaria drives efficiency through optimizing processes and leveraging statistics, finance control, and project management each Valenza engineering project. Anamaria has helped develop and enhance project control systems while proficiently managing and processing financial information to optimize resource allocation across our projects. Anamaria's integrity and expertise support best practice, offering high-level advice to ensure projects are executed efficiently within budget constraints.

Engineering Team

Dr. Attila Kovacs

Modelling

Dr. Attila Kovacs

Modelling

Dr Kovacs is a specialist in groundwater modelling and an internationally regarded and widely published expert in the field of karst and fractured rock hydrogeology. Awarded a PhD from the Hydrogeology Centre, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, Dr Kovacs has worked at the Water Resources Research Institute of Hungary and the Geothermal Institute of Auckland University, New Zealand. With over 16 years of experience as a practicing geologist, hydrogeologist and project manager, Attila specializes in physical and contaminant hydrogeology. Including groundwater modeling, water resource protection, nuclear waste disposal, contaminated site assessment and remediation, mining, climate change, Coal Seam Gas, geothermal, and geotechnical projects. Attila significantly contributes to Valenza Engineering projects by applying a large variety of modelling software, including Feflow, Visual Modflow, Groundwater Vistas, GMS, TOUGH2 and compflow for modelling porous, fractured, and karstic groundwater and multiphase systems. This includes regional and local scale models, including simulations assessing the impacts of climate change on regional aquifers.

Peter Gribbin

Technical Advisor

Peter Gribbin

Technical Advisor

Peter is an accomplished Senior Principal Hydrogeologist with a steadfast commitment to groundwater management, particularly in the face of challenging geological conditions prevalent in the mining, environmental, and civil infrastructure sectors. His reputation is built on a track record of consistently delivering practical, tailored solutions that precisely align with the unique needs of our clients. What sets Peter apart is his exceptional ability to synthesize the intricate web of geoscientific variables inherent in complex projects. This aptitude not only underpins his approach but also contributes significantly to the successful outcomes he has achieved throughout his career. Peter's areas of specialization encompass a wide range of critical domains, including water resource evaluation, construction and mine groundwater control, groundwater instrumentation and testing, modeling and analysis, water supply optimization studies, groundwater protection, radioactive waste management, landfill engineering, and contaminated land assessment. His comprehensive skill set makes him an invaluable asset to our team, and his expertise continues to drive excellence in our projects.

Jonathan Goddard

Head of Commercial Delivery

Jonathan Goddard

Head of Commercial Delivery

Jonathan is a highly accomplished Environmental Engineer, boasting a proven track record within the environmental industry. His extensive expertise encompasses a wide array of project sites, ranging from mining and landfills to commercial developments, petrol stations, quarries, and industrial facilities, catering to both government and private sectors. Jonathan's profound understanding of environmental guidelines and regulatory frameworks, particularly concerning contaminated land and approvals, underscores his value as an indispensable asset for projects requiring environmental expertise and management. Jonathan excels in critical areas such as environmental monitoring, hydrogeological assessments, risk evaluations, and the formulation of comprehensive rehabilitation strategies. With adept project management skills, he ensures the successful execution of each project, consistently delivering thorough and insightful reports.

Devmi Kurukulasuriya

Senior Hydrochemist

Devmi Kurukulasuriya

Senior Hydrochemist

Devmi, in her capacity as an environmental scientist and hydrogeologist for Valenza Engineering, excels in managing and reporting on surface and groundwater impact assessments within the quarry and mining sectors. Furthermore, as a geochemist, she offers specialized expertise in water quality assessments and hydrogeochemical conceptualization of groundwater systems using environmental water tracers and geochemical modeling. Devmi actively conducts hydrogeological assessments, hydraulic testing, spatial data analysis, and routine groundwater sampling. Her dedication extends to monitoring activities and producing timely, insightful reports. Additionally, she adeptly employs qualitative tools, and leverages desktop analysis skills in QGIS, ArcGIS, and geochemical modeling software to consistently deliver valuable support to the team and projects.

Steven Abdelshahid

Hydrogeologist

Riefqy Usman

Hydrogeologist

Rama Herawan

Hydrogeologist

Rama Herawan

Hydrogeologist

Rama is a highly motivated hydrogeologist based in Indonesia, known for his dedication and proficiency in managing water resources. His academic background in geology and hydrogeology specializes in various facets, showcasing expertise in aquifer testing and hydraulic analysis. Rama has extensive experience across diverse water research projects spanning industries such as mining, industrial water supply, constructions, oil and gas, amdal. Moreover, his proficiency extends to monitoring installation, encompassing planning, design, and supervision, along with meticulous data QAQC and processing ensuring accurate data collection for comprehensive analysis. Environmental monitoring and compliance underscores his versatility and adaptability in addressing complex challenges. Certified as a First Operational Supervisor (POP) in mining industries by BNSP Indonesia, Rama's professional affiliations with organizations like the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Indonesian Geologists Association (IAGI), and Indonesian Groundwater Experts Association (PAAI) reflect his commitment to advancing the field.

Christian Ignacio

Gradulate Hydrogeologist

Christian Ignacio

Gradulate Hydrogeologist

Christian graduated with a double degree in Environmental Science and Engineering in 2023 at RMIT. In his studies he covered a variety of projects such as groundwater modelling, site investigations, landfill management, urban studies, organic chemistry, and GIS mapping. Christian's proficiency in groundwater modelling utilising numerical predictive models using MODFLOW and the creation of conceptual site models, supports Valenza Engineering as we tackle new projects and push the boundaries of sustainable water resource management.

Anna Lofthouse

Intern - Environmental Engineer

Anna Lofthouse

Intern - Environmental Engineer

Anna is currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering with a specialisation in Chemical engineering at Monash University. Working with Valenza, Anna has the opportunity to apply her theoretical knowledge in a practical context, as well as a variety of development opportunities while working closely with our engineering team on various projects. We look forward to Anna contributing fresh ideas and gaining hands-on experience in environmental engineering.

Julian Russell

Data Analyst

Julian Russell

Data Analyst

Julian is an Intern Data Analyst who develops innovative and creative dashboards to observe the data collected in meaningful and intriguing ways. His expertise in manipulating and transforming data into something useful and developing and maintaining a database for the data. Currently, he is working toward his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical and Electrical Mechatronics at Swinburne University of Technology. His expertise lies in developing creative and impactful data visualizations, as well as manipulating and transforming data to extract valuable insights. His versatile skill set allows for tailored approaches to meet the specific needs of our clients, ensuring a customized and effective outcome.

Operations Team

Silvia Serra

Marketing Executive

Silvia Serra

Marketing Executive

Silvia earned multiple educations certification including a Masters of Hospitality Management from Brighton University and a Diploma of Project Management from Australian Pacific College. Originally Silvia joined the team as a Project Management Coordinator to ensure seamless team operations. Silvia is now Valenza Engineering's Marketing Executive, blending her creativity and strategic management skills to ensure the company's long term success. Her commitment, adaptability and knowledge create meaningful contributions to our success.

Leniece Mannisto

Office and Culture Manager

Leniece Mannisto

Office and Culture Manager

Leniece is an experienced people and office manager with an extensive background in sales, team leadership, customer experience, facilities management and HR. Leniece’s expertise lies in stakeholder management and business practices, including business analysis and development, policy writing, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leniece is currently completing a Bachelor of Business at La Trobe University. In her role as Office Manager Leniece supports the team and business by handling operational and administration tasks, including coordinating relocation projects, developing culture and team engagement programs, and managing systems while continuously improving processes and procedures. Leniece's proactive approach and versatile skill set contribute significantly to the smooth operation and development of Valenza Engineering.

Dina Christianti

Administration Assistant

Dina Christianti

Administration Assistant

Dina is a professional administrative assistant specializing in office and project management, executive support, and secretariat services. She has experience working in busy, multi-faceted work environments at the executive level, and possesses a working knowledge of the Indonesian mining and energy sectors. Dina is a skilled office all-rounder, supporting the Indonesian PT VEA team as well our broader international team members. Dina also contributes to Valenza Engineering project with through strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and teamwork.

Carly Coote

Bookkeeper