AMERIN Associates

Each member of the AMERIN team has completed extensive training in Open Systems Theory and has widespread experience in applying OST tools and concepts in many different organisations and communities.

Also, all team members have been actively involved in OST action research, producing published and unpublished papers, and teaching leaders to be able to apply OST processes to develop sustainable futures for their own organisations and communities.

Peter Aughton

Peter is Managing Director of Amerin Pty Ltd and founding member of the Sustainable Future Planning & Design program.

Amerin is a social systems science research and consulting group offering holistic planning and organisational design solutions for a sustainable future. Peter has worked with managers and employees from the private and public sectors to plan and design sustainable organisations that significantly increase employee engagement, innovation and organisational performance.

The socio-ecological planning and design processes used by Peter are now being used by many successful organisations, including corporate giants such as Microsoft and Hewlett Packard. Since 1993 Peter has applied these processes with local and overseas corporations, SMEs and all levels of government. Some of his projects have involved working with large complex businesses such as Telstra, Westpac and Cisco, through to smaller enterprises like Sydney-based J Robins & Sons Pty Ltd (the only remaining large footwear manufacturer in Australia). Peter has also applied socio-ecological principles to develop strategies for the Victorian, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmanian and Western Australian State Governments about the future of IT and Education.

Peter's other professional experience includes research and management positions with the Exxon and Mars Corporations. Peter holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry) and Post Graduate qualifications in Education and Business Science (Operations Research) from the RMIT, Melbourne and Victoria Universities.


Professor Merrelyn Emery

Merrelyn is a founding member of the Sustainable Future Planning & Design program. She obtained her first class honours degree in psychology from the University of New England in 1964 and her PhD in marketing from the University of New South Wales in 1986. Merrelyn has worked in Psychology, Education Research and Continuing Education, mainly at the Australian National University. Since 1970 she has worked specifically to develop open systems theory as a practical conceptual framework and is currently an adjunct professor in Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University.

Merrelyn has published numerous articles together with a host of institutional research reports and 15 books, the latest of which is The Future of Schools. She is currently working on two research projects, the first of which will result in practical strategies for organisations and communities to more effectively address the causes and effects of climate change. The second will result in a book documenting the need for science in general to move from closed systems and reductionism to the reality of phenomena as open systems.


Dr John Barton

John Barton is Melbourne-based strategy consultant and educator and an Adjunct Reader in the School of Integrative Systems at the University of Queensland. His work emphasises the role of systemic thinking and system dynamics simulation modelling in business.

He has previously held senior management positions in the water industry, management consultancies and in education. Current and recent teaching assignments include the presentation of graduate programs in systems thinking, knowledge management, and strategy at the University of Palermo, Sicily, the Norwegian School of Management (in conjunction with the AIM), The Australian National University (ANU), RMIT University, and Monash University where he also supervises a number of PhD students in the Department of Management.

John graduated in mathematics from The University of Melbourne, subsequently studied graduate economics and econometrics at La Trobe University, and received executive education in management at the Sloan School of Management. His PhD (Monash University) was on the history and philosophy of systemic thought, with an emphasis on importance of open-systems thinking within the philosophy of science. John regularly publishes in the area of systems thinking and management.


Rod Sarah

Rod Sarah is an OD professional with an extensive background in strategic and operational management in the public sector, which he has successfully combined with a teaching and consulting role. Based in Melbourne, he currently lectures in systems thinking and theory as it relates to strategic foresight, organisation and business dynamics, knowledge management and sustainability at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He also delivers corporate and public education programs in this field.

With qualifications in Economics, Business Management and Organisational Systems, Rod is due to complete his PhD later in 2010. His research draws on open systems theory and explores leveraging systems thinking and action research principles for organisational development as a part of a corporate strategic renewal program.

His passion is in helping people improve their own practice whether in organisational or community settings by increasing self-awareness and becoming more self-reflective practitioners. His recent work includes working with disadvantaged and unemployed teenagers and young adults to help them re-engage with the formal educational system.