What we do:

Chris Moir

Group Technical Director

Chris Moir is the Founder and Technical Director of the Group. His early career with the UK Ministry of Defence provided a sound engineering and physics background as a student apprentice, followed by a 1st Class Honours degree in Electrical Engineering at Bath. He finally left MoD as a Principal Scientific Officer to pursue a commercial career, working within the computer industry, with NASA via a space-based project on Columbia, with US DoD on naval projects, and as a founding Director of a UK company creating helicopter rotor analysis systems. Chris designed the Oilsearch Seepfinder system, holds a number of patents in laser remote sensing, and also designed the new Helitrack rotor monitor. Current work includes gravity sensing, a number of airborne sensing systems and associated mathematics and software.

Geoff Moir

Group Chairman

Geoffrey Moir qualified as an Architect in 1970 and joined the small but growing firm of Chapman Taylor. He became a partner in 1985 as the firm grew to be the largest in its sector in the UK. In the 90's Geoff spearheaded the firm’s growth to be the largest in its sector in Europe and second largest in the world. Geoff's main role was to create new project opportunities and develop new international offices. He undertook the role of Finance Partner and as one of three senior Partners became Chairman.

He retired early from the practice to join his brother Chris to expand the commercial opportunities that the newly formed Exact Group LLP had created.

Carolyn Nisbet

Group Operations Director

With an interest in new and emerging technologies, Carolyn has worked in the oil exploration industry and more recently at QinetiQ. Working with commercial, defence and Government clients, she has led bid and project teams on large technology focussed programmes often with demanding timescales and across multiple areas of organisations. Carolyn has 13 years experience in bid and programme management together with a background in the legal issues of information security.

Christian Cuhls

Business Development Director

Christian was born in Germany and studied law and architecture. In the late 1980s he moved to the UK and worked as an architect and executive manager for a number of international architectural firms in Europe and Asia, including CEE. Christian worked on large retail projects from start to finish with a particular interest in the commercial and realisation aspects. He has taught environmental design and business in architecture in the UK and Germany. He has presented a range of commercial development topics at major conferences in Europe.

Over the last 5 years Christian has moved to a wider consultancy role advising companies on strategic development of a range of projects including commercial development, C02-free heat generation, industry specific information & networking websites, IT projects related to virtual office intranets and communication.

John Kershaw

Technical Director (software)

John’s interest in computers goes back to the age of 17, when he wrote a 6th-form project on “Cybernetics”, while constructing a primitive analogue computer in his spare time. After a degree in physics, then a PhD in atmospheric chemistry, he returned to computing in the scientific civil service. His work has ranged from computer-controlled radar systems, through programming languages and operating systems to formally-specified microprocessor chips for safety-critical avionic systems.
Since 1992 he has been closely associated with the Exact Group and its predecessors, contributing to the design of Seepfinder, Helitrack, and many other products. He is a member of the IET and a Chartered Engineer.

Chris Matchette-Downes

Non-Executive Director, Oilsearch plc

Chris has ten years petroleum geological, geochemical and scientific / technical experience,

including five years at the well-site together with eighteen years global E&P business development, UK/Europe, Africa, Near, Middle and Far East, Australia and North & Central America. During this time he has set up & promoted Jamaica's 1st & 2nd oil & gas exploration rounds, promoted the 3rd Tanzanian round for TPDC and identified and secured acreage opportunities throughout East Africa.

He is the founder, owner and director of MDOIL ltd (2004), a founder member and shareholder of the Black Marlin Energy Group of Companies (BMEL) (2005)( now purchased by Afren) and the founder and originator of CaribX (2009). He joined Oilsearch plc as a non-executive Director in 2010.

Mike Dowding

Head of Aviation Projects, Exact Group

Mike’s 42 years in aviation commenced, in 1962, with a 5 year Royal Air Force enlistment. Then following 21 years in civilian Air Traffic Control, Mike took a private pilot's licence which led to 1,200 hours as a part time flying instructor. An Air Transport Pilot's licence was gained in 1989 which gave an opportunity to change career. Four years of commercial flying followed, mainly on twin engine piston aircraft such as the PA31. That work also encompassed the ownership of an air charter operation and significant testing and operating of the first Oilsearch Seepfinder activity. This was followed by a ten year airline career.

With close to 10,000 commercial flight hours logged on a range of aircraft from two seater single engine piston aircraft through to the 220 seater Airbus A321, Mike has now joined Exact Group as head of aviation projects.