Our co-founders
GuiDING neumann space into the future
Neumann Space’s Board includes Co-Founders: Peter Schultz, Dr Patrick “Paddy” Neumann and James Schultz.
THE BOARD
Executive Chairman
Ph: +61 411 112 946
Peter Schultz — Executive Chairman
Born in Adelaide, Peter Schultz began his own engineering company in 1972 while still studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Australia. In 1976 he sold his engineering business to SOLA International, a very successful lens manufacturing company based at Lonsdale. At the age of 29, in 1978 he was appointed as Executive Director. In 1981 he left SOLA to join Safcol as President and CEO of their businesses in the Philippines. He then moved to Singapore as CEO of Wattie Industries, Southeast Asia.
In 1987 Peter moved back to Australia as Managing Director of a high tech start up, Laser Dynamics Ltd a small laser company commercialising the IP from the University of Queensland. Concurrently (1987 to 1992) Peter was a Foundation Director and Councillor of Bond University.
In 1998, Peter moved to Newcastle to establish and grow a large Medical Imaging company, Hunter Imaging Group. The group acquired and merged with many other practices to form Pacific Medical Imaging with the view to take the company public. Instead the company was sold to Australia’s largest medical diagnostic company, Sonic Healthcare, where Peter remained until his retirement in 2015.
In May 2018 Peter joined the board of Neumann Space as Executive Chairman.
Co-Founder and Director
James Schultz — Co-Founder and Director
James joined Neumann Space in 2016 as co-founder and lead investor.
James is the serial entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of GreenCollar, Australia’s largest environmental markets investor and project developer, a profit-for-purpose initiative dedicated to achieving lasting environmental benefits by partnering with landholders to create a value for environmental services by allowing markets to provide incentives and repayment for sustainable practice and repair. He is also founder and director of Earth Space Robotics, which focuses on propulsions systems and remote connectivity and monitoring solutions for a variety of applications.
James has also worked as a sustainable land management specialist for the World Bank in Washington D.C., an advisor on environment and agriculture for the African Union and New Partnership for African Development and has consulted on food security for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome.
James holds a Master of International Studies, Economics and International Relations from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology from the University of Queensland.
Chief Scientist
Dr Patrick ‘Paddy’ Neumann — Chief Scientist
Dr Patrick “Paddy” Neumann is an internationally-recognised expert in plasma physics and propulsion. Paddy founded Neumann Space in 2015 to develop and commercialise his research in pulsed cathodic arc spacecraft propulsion systems at the University of Sydney.
Paddy holds Bachelor’s degrees in Science (Physics Major) and Engineering (with Honours in Aerospace Engineering), a Master’s degree in Science and is a Doctor of Philosophy. He is also an active senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a member of the AIAA Electric Propulsion Technical Committee.
In 2020, Paddy received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics coveted Lawrence Sperry Award “for continued development of miniature electric spacecraft propulsion systems and ceaseless advocacy for the development of Australian space capabilities”. In 2022, Paddy was named Australian Scientist of the Year at the Australian Space Awards.
