Our People

Simon French-Bluhm

Chief Executive Officer

Meet Simon, a seasoned veteran with a quarter-century of expertise in the construction and consulting industry, with a special focus on Environmental and Sustainability Management.

With a robust background in civil engineering and construction, Simon effortlessly integrates environmental aspects into the projects of our company, thereby instilling them into our clients’ culture.

After a near-decade long successful stint at Laing O’Rourke in Western Australia, Simon embarked on a new journey. He founded Enveng Group, with a vision to disseminate his vast knowledge and experience across the industry.

Adding to his impressive credentials, Simon earned his Infrastructure Sustainability Council ISAP accreditation in 2014. A true pioneer in his field, Simon is the driving force behind our mission for a sustainable future.

Senior Staff

Vitor Marques

General Manager

Vitor was promoted to General Manager of Bennelongia in February 2026. He has a BSc degree (Biological Sciences) with major in Animal Biology from São Paulo State University in Brazil. Before joining Bennelongia, Vitor worked in marine conservation acquiring extensive experience in fieldwork and data collection in remote areas. Since working with Bennelongia Vitor has been a pivotal member of Bennelongia’s field and report writing teams, as well as GIS analysis, database and project management.

Kevin Sagastume Espinoza

SRE Manager

Kevin is Bennelongia’s Technical Manager for SREs and leads the company’s SRE invertebrate assessment program. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the National Autonomous University of Honduras and a Master of Science in Zoology from The University of Western Australia. His career combines academic research, university teaching, taxonomic expertise and environmental consulting, providing a strong foundation for the delivery of high-quality fauna surveys, impact assessments and regulatory approvals. Prior to joining Bennelongia, Kevin served as Zoology Laboratory Coordinator at the National Autonomous University of Honduras, where he collaborated with national and international researchers across a range of taxonomic groups, with a particular focus on arachnids. His postgraduate research examined…

Jim Cocking

Senior Biologist. S26 Survey Supervisor

Jim Cocking holds a Bachelor and Graduate Diploma of Science from Curtin University and brings over 30 years of experience in environmental science and field-based research. A former member of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Science Division (1994–2007) and a founding member of Bennelongia Environmental, Jim has developed deep expertise in ecological monitoring and survey design. He is a highly experienced field survey supervisor, leading complex programs across subterranean fauna (stygofauna and troglofauna), SRE invertebrates, aquatic systems, river health, and vertebrate fauna, including feral predator studies and translocations, with experience spanning all regions of Western Australia across mining, pastoral, and conservation tenures. Renowned for innovation and applied research, Jim…

Jane McRae

Senior Taxonomist

Jane is a founding member of Bennelongia and has been with the company since 2007. She worked at the Australian Museum and volunteering at the British Museum of Natural History prior to joining the Department of Parks and Wildlife from 1995 to 2007. Jane has specialized in the identification of aquatic invertebrates for the past 30 years working on the taxonomy of polychaete worms, isopods, copepods, ostracods, scorpions, beetles, silverfish, cockroaches and hemipterans. She has extensive knowledge of the invertebrate fauna of Western Australia having done most of the identifications for DBCA’s regional surveys of aquatic invertebrates of wetlands and rivers across the state. For the past nineteen years has…

Daniel White

Principal Biologist

Dan White joined Bennelongia in November 2021 after 14 years of research and lecturing and at Australian and New Zealand universities and institutes. Immediately before joining Bennelongia, Dan was in the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub at the University of Western Australia, working in collaboration with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and Australian Wildlife Conservancy on conservation genetics of various marsupial mammals, including population modelling and the detection of genetic inbreeding. Previous work at Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua in New Zealand includes studying genetic diversity of translocated wētā giant crickets to aid conservation efforts, examining genetic diversity and population connectivity of the migratory freshwater fish…