Dr David Shelmerdine AO
Dr David Shelmerdine AO is a passionate advocate for recognising nature in agricultural land use, and has built a distinguished career focussed on sustainability and environmental progress. He is a global expert on nature-based solutions to mitigate climate change and is an industry advisor on climate change, agricultural supply chains, sustainable development and land use systems.
Dr Shelmerdine is the Managing Director of Laradoc Pty Ltd, an investment company spanning nature markets, agricultural and food technology solutions, and pathways to a decarbonised global economy. He is also the Co-Founder and Chair of Nature Signal Pty Ltd, a company developing the nature intelligence infrastructure which enables nature-related risk pricing and nature-positive outcome rewards.
Dr Shelmerdine holds a Bachelor of Agriculture and Graduate Diploma (Honours) in Agriculture from Adelaide University’s Roseworthy College. He has more than 50 years of farming including businesses in the meat and animal feed industries, and has held senior leadership and governance roles across a range of agribusinesses and private-market investment ventures.
Dr Shelmerdine is a Director of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (Australia), a global, independent think tank providing non-partisan, evidence-based analysis of energy markets, trends, and policies. He is Councillor of the Melbourne Biodiversity Institute, an interdisciplinary collective within The University of Melbourne dedicated to addressing Earth’s biodiversity crisis.
Dr Shelmerdine serves on The Myer Foundation’s Sustainability and Environment Committee, supporting an equitable net-zero-aligned transition in Australia. Dr Shelmerdine was a founding director and former deputy chairman of the Climateworks Centre, a partnership between Monash University and The Myer Foundation founded in 2009. Climateworks is recognised for its leadership in climate action, sustainable development, and nature-based solutions to accelerate ambitious, evidence-based climate action for net zero in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Dr Shelmerdine is the former Chair of Australian Desert Expeditions, a not-for-profit conducting ecological research in Australian deserts. He is also a former director of Accounting for Nature, a world leading standard for measuring the state of nature. Dr Shelmerdine has served as a Director and Past President of The Gold Standard Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, a globally recognised standard that certifies and maximises the impact of global sustainability projects. He was also Deputy Chairman of The Myer Family Investment Company, contributing to its investment, remuneration, nominations, and audit and governance committees.
Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2025 for distinguished service to conservation and environmental sustainability, Dr Shelmerdine continues to bridge philanthropy, business, and policy. His work focuses on evidence-based, market-ready solutions that accelerate climate and nature outcomes while supporting resilient food and land use systems.