Mike Pownall

Mike Pownall currently holds the position of Lead Geophysicist at Ørsted since August 2020, previously serving as Senior Geophysicist. Prior to Ørsted, Mike worked at the Nekton Foundation from October 2019 to March 2023 as Head of Marine Operations, where responsibilities included planning and implementing significant scientific expeditions focused on ocean exploration and conservation in the Indian Ocean, notably leading expeditions to the Seychelles in 2020 and Maldives in 2022. Mike's earlier experience includes various roles at Bibby HydroMap between January 2014 and April 2020, including Technical Operations Lead and Senior Hydrographic Surveyor, and a brief tenure as Lead Surveyor for the Nekton First Descent: Seychelles Expedition. Additionally, Mike contributed as Assistant Operations Manager at Creativevents from June 2011 to January 2014, managing teams and operations for event setup. Mike holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Oceanography from the University of Southampton.