We have a great management team representing diverse disciplines and skills. Their combined years of leading teams to solve STEM related problems for industry add up to over 100 years, providing a wealth of experience to draw from in tackling the most complex of challenges.
About
Management Team
Our experienced leadership team
Larry Platt
Emergent Group – Executive Chairman
Larry Platt is Executive Chairman and founder of Emergent Group. He is a professional chemical engineer with a long history in the manufacturing and chemical processing sectors, and specialist skills in risk and dangerous goods. He founded Advitech in 1987 in response to major restructuring in the manufacturing sector.
The business grew from engineering and environmental consulting to become a group of complementary entrepreneurial companies in the science and technology space. Emergent Group expanded beyond consulting to offer broader technical solutions, including the manufacture of niche products and technologies, servicing sectors such as mining, manufacturing, agriculture, defence, construction, government and more.
Larry believes that the future for Australia depends on knowledge intensive smart manufacturing and services, and aligned Emergent Group with this future. He is heavily involved in the Hunter business community in various capacities, including the City of Newcastle Strategy & Innovation Advisory Committee and Hunter Angels.
Steven Smith
Emergent Group – Managing Director
Advitech – Managing Director
Steven brings a wealth of manufacturing, engineering and project management experience across all sectors to Emergent Group. As Managing Director, he provides oversight of Emergent Group’s companies Advitech, Novecom and Acubis.
Steven also has overall responsibility for Advitech’s consulting services in engineering design, project management, risk management, functional safety, sustainability and environmental management.
With a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical – First-Class Honours), Steven’s specific areas of expertise include problem analysis, feasibility investigations, engineering assessments, risk management, project development and project management.
Steven is actively involved in the support of engineering-based manufacturing in the Hunter Region. He is currently a Director of Hunter Manufacturing Awards and was Chairman from 2017 to 2022. He has had a long-standing involvement with HunterNet, having been a Director (1998-2006) and Chairman (2001-2003). He was also a long-term member of the Industry Advisory Committee for the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Newcastle.
Glenn Platt
Emergent Group – Executive Director - Strategy and Innovation
Glenn is an influential leader with an international reputation in the energy, clean technology and R&D sectors. As Executive Director – Strategy and Innovation, Glenn is tasked with identifying how Emergent Group’s world-class engineering and science expertise can be brought to solve the biggest challenges of Australia’s industries.
He has 20 years in the renewable energy and clean-technology sectors, on topics ranging from grid operations, to energy storage, energy efficiency, microgrids and solar energy. He has held executive positions and advisory roles for several technology and engineering firms, and has founded multiple start-up companies involved in the development of new energy technologies.
Glenn has led project teams from engineers to economists and provided a broad range of advice and technology solutions, leading many Australian clean technology firsts – including first virtual power station, first flow battery deployment, and first vehicle-to-grid project.
Through his leadership, advisory roles and development of new energy technologies, Glenn has made significant contributions to governments and businesses around the world. Throughout his career, Glenn has received multiple awards including Australia’s Mission Innovation Champion, Australian Financial Review Young Executive of the Year as well as medals for Entrepreneurship and Environmental Achievement.
Jeremy Pola
Novecom – Managing Director
Jeremy, an environmental scientist, has brought extensive experience in the areas of environmental monitoring, assessment and planning within the mining and heavy industry sectors to Novecom. He has been instrumental in the development of Novecom’s SentineX remote monitoring and reporting platform, an industry-leading real-time environmental monitoring system for mining, manufacturing, construction and transport applications.
Jeremy has more than 20 years’ experience in environmental management across the mining, minerals processing, transport, construction and consulting sectors. His knowledge has developed through industry, corporate and consulting roles, giving him a unique perspective on the business imperatives of technology development and application. He fosters a culture of customer focused innovation and continuous improvement.
Jeremy drives the Novecom team of specialist developers and system integrators to aspire to be leaders in advanced technology. He is responsible for all aspects of Novecom’s operations, including the management of the company’s development, production and maintenance teams. He also works closely with Novecom’s clients to recommend and implement the best solutions for their remote environmental data acquisition and reporting needs.
With a Bachelor of Science (First-Class Honours) and Advanced Diploma in Management, Jeremy’s specific strengths and expertise are in ideation and technology application, problem solving and data analytics.