Professional Profile

One of the first 66 successful CEnvP applicants, Francis Crome obtained his certification in February 2005. An independent consultant and researcher, Francis has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of biodiversity assessment and management, tropical and wetland ecology, and strategic analysis. After receiving an Associate Diploma in Applied Biology (RMIT) and then a Batchelor of Science in Zoology and Ecology (Hons, Monash), he began a long and distinguished career working in CSIRO, first as an Experimental Scientist in 1971, working up to eventually become a Principal Research Scientist. Since 1994, Francis has practiced as an environmental consultant and director of Francis Crome Consulting Pty Ltd. Truly an international environmental specialist, Francis has consulted around the world, in areas including Africa, the Americas, and extensively in the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the projects he has worked on include Total`s Yadana gas project in Burma, the PNG-Queensland Gas project, developing indicators for the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage area, Oxiana`s Sepon gold project in Laos and The Nature Conservancy`s Yunnan Great Rivers conservation project in China.

Welcoming the push towards ethics and competency in his industry, Francis was attracted to the CEnvP Program not for any tangible benefits, but to be part of this potential coming of age. `It was more a matter of stand up and be counted,` explains Francis. `I think the emphasis on ethics is the key. It`s something we have to be aware of all the time.` Like many other CEnvPs, Francis has since taken on a more active role in the Program, taking up the invitation to sit on several CEnvP Assessment Panels.