Team

“It’s simple—our strength lies in our people. Their experience and dedication set us apart every single time.”

Deane Ellwood, Managing Director, Dartmouth Consulting

Meet our leadership team: driving sustainable impact and delivering project excellence with vision and expertise.

Deane Ellwood

Managing Director

Deane’s career has been dedicated to optimising sustainable commercial, engineering and environmental outcomes, with core expertise in environmental infrastructure. For over 25 years, he has served on Australian boards as a director for both local and global infrastructure and environmental consultancies.

Deane’s extensive experience spans Australia,
New Zealand, Asia, the Middle East and the UK, across multiple sectors including sustainability, energy, water, waste, resources, transport, property and advisory. His demonstrated expertise in project and business management has made him a trusted advisor, consistently delivering sustainable solutions that add value for clients and stakeholders.

Jo Regel

Senior Associate Director - Sustainability & Circular Economy

Jo has over 25 years of experience delivering sustainable solutions across complex, multi-disciplinary projects and leads Dartmouth’s Sustainability and Circular Economy team. She specialises in integrating sustainable initiatives within organisational strategy and operations, applying circular economy principles and ensuring environmental compliance.

Her expertise is grounded in overseeing partnership programs between regulators and industry across all levels of government, aligning environmental standards with business practices to drive impactful outcomes. Jo’s commitment to sustainable transformation has made her a trusted advisor in the field, delivering measurable value for both clients and communities alike.

Ben Hawkins

Senior Associate Director - Planning

As the leader of Dartmouth Consulting’s Planning Team, Ben provides strategic direction, technical oversight and project leadership. He has extensive experience guiding multidisciplinary teams, resolving complex regulatory issues, and collaborating with clients, authorities and stakeholders to achieve practical, commercially grounded and outcome-focused solutions. Ben has a strong track record in securing planning approvals, shaping strategic planning frameworks and supporting clients across diverse sectors with clear, informed and strategic planning advice.

Ben is a senior planning professional with over 20 years’ experience delivering major city-shaping and regional development projects across the public and private sectors in Australia and the UK. His expertise spans environmental and statutory planning, strategic planning, structure planning, policy development, development feasibility assessment and complex project approvals. He has managed approvals for renewable energy facilities, waste and resource recovery infrastructure, extractive industry operations, mixed-use development and large-scale residential communities, ensuring planning outcomes align with both policy intent and practical delivery requirements.

Jay Coy

Senior Associate Director - Environmental Infrastructure Civil

Jay Coy, a Civil Engineer registered with the National Engineering Register (NER), has over 20 years’ consulting experience specialising in environmental infrastructure. His expertise spans site rehabilitation, renewable energy infrastructure and comprehensive waste management systems, including landfills, transfer stations, material recovery facilities and energy-from-waste sites.

Recognised as a leader in landfill infrastructure, Jay has designed and overseen critical components—cells, capping systems, and leachate ponds—that meet the highest standards of safety and sustainability. His experience also includes roles such as GITA and Third-Party CQA Supervisor and as Clerk of Works on landfill construction projects. Jay’s guidance on landfill master planning and regulatory approvals is trusted by clients to ensure smooth project delivery, from initial planning through to detailed design.

Kathy Mac Innes

Technical Director

Kathy is a senior hydrogeologist and environmental specialist with more than 25 years’ experience in consulting and government, delivering environmental, regulatory and approvals work across hydrogeology and waste management. She has led risk assessments, Work Plans, landfill and quarry approvals and environmental monitoring programs, supporting councils and industry across diverse settings.

As Technical Director, Kathy provides senior technical leadership across Dartmouth Consulting’s multidisciplinary services, ensuring high quality project delivery, strong governance and best practice outcomes. She contributes to project strategy, technical review, capability development and mentoring, while strengthening client relationships and supporting sustainable, compliant and solutions focused outcomes across the business.

Paul Sheehan

Associate Director

Paul is a senior environmental practitioner and business leader with more than 20 years’ experience across environmental assessment, contaminated land, risk management, and regulatory compliance. A Certified Environmental Practitioner, he has delivered strategic advisory services and approvals for government, property, energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure clients, with strong capability in EPA licensing, remediation, and stakeholder engagement.

He has held executive and operational leadership roles, guiding multidisciplinary teams and driving organisational performance, governance, and culture. Paul is known for balancing technical depth with commercial awareness, providing clear, practical advice that supports robust environmental outcomes and strong project delivery.

Phillip Rygl

Senior Principal – Planning

Phillip is an experienced urban planner with more than 25 years in local government and private consulting, specialising in statutory and strategic planning, VCAT and Planning Panels advocacy, and complex development approvals. He has delivered planning outcomes across residential, industrial, commercial, mixed use, health, education, and environmental projects throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria.

He has led multidisciplinary teams on major rezoning, development plans, master planned communities, and urban renewal projects, often involving detailed environmental approvals and stakeholder engagement. Phillip regularly represents clients at VCAT and Planning Panels and is recognised for his strategic insight, technical rigour, and collaborative approach to navigating complex planning pathways.

David Di Lisio

Operations Manager

David Di Lisio is an experienced Operations Manager with over 30 years in the consulting industry. He brings robust expertise in quality management systems, environmental safety, contractor management and business continuity planning. David’s skill set includes auditing, safety in design, training and development and management reporting, supported by a strong foundation in human resources, IT and finance systems.

With an Associate Diploma in Civil Engineering and a background in civil design and project management, David is known for his ability to streamline operations and implement  high-impact systems that enhance efficiency and compliance, consistently delivering  value-driven results. 