I studied Geography and Economics at the University of Cape Town in South Africa culminating in a two year Masters Degree with a thesis on the development of the office component of the Cape Town Central Business District. I moved to Edinburgh in December 1984 to undertake doctoral research in the Geography Department at the University of Edinburgh. I started using the ArcInfo GIS system in 1986 in order to create the maps in my dissertation. From 1988 I assisted with and later ran the Nature Conservancy Council/Scottish Natural Heritage Islay GIS project. In 1991 I moved to Bartholomew and ran the Map Data Sales and Electronic Publishing technical department until August 1998. Despite considerable success at Bartholomew, Mark and I decided that it was time to move on. The XYZ Digital Map Company was established on our intention to utilise our many years of experience and skill to demonstrate what technology now permits in terms of well structured, cost effective cartography. Nearly eight years later things are pretty much on track, but with lots of new areas being developed. These include air photography, our SkyView poster range, training in MapInfo and ArcView, distributing ER Mapper, and loads of new databases. With Alan Smith at Global Mapping now dealing with a lot of the sales tasks, I can get on with rejecting everyone else's spending requests and ripping up the begging letters!
In addition I am a Council member of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Secretary of the British Cartographic Society, and a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Other interests include South African flora (especially the Fynbos), hiking, Scottish Country Dancing, railways and malt whisky (and getting in the newspapers! - Mark). |
