About

Adrian Makeham-Kirchner

Director, Strategy and Analytics

Adrian has extensive expertise developed across the government, political, consulting, and for-purpose sectors. He has held senior roles in applied economics, strategy, policy, and data and analytics. His unique career demonstrates an ability to operate at the intersection of strategy, policy, information, and governance.

Combining technical depth in economics, finance, analytics, system thinking, communication and collaboration Adrian specialises in informing high-stakes decisions that involve resourcing choices, starting from first principles.

He is known for translating complex ideas into actionable strategy, delivering outcomes under pressure, and working across political, leadership, technical, and stakeholder boundaries.

Adrian is highly effective at working with decision-makers navigating contested or uncertain choices, providing actionable insights, and generating outcomes that are strategic and measured

Pierre Huetter

Director, Operations and Partnerships

Pierre Huetter is a seasoned leader with over 20 years’ experience spanning property, policy, and community engagement. After a strong period growing Purdon, one of Canberra's most successful planning consultancies, and as Founding Director of Operations and Partnerships, he draws on a career that bridges government and private enterprise, bringing a collaborative and systems-thinking approach to every challenge.

Pierre’s background includes senior roles in the ACT Government, where he advised on planning reforms and facilitated major projects, and in the private sector as Chief Operating Officer at Purdon, overseeing operations, HR, finance, partnerships and advocacy. He also spent eight years as a project management consultant, guiding complex developments and building strong stakeholder relationships.

Active in the Canberra business community, Pierre serves on multiple boards and industry committees. With qualifications in project management, public policy, and company directorship, he continues to expand his expertise through emerging technologies and digital innovation.

Yiping Yuan

Data Analyst

Yiping is a Data Analyst at Urban Intelligence, specialising in data automation and web development using Python, and .NET. He builds and maintains analytical systems that turn complex urban and spatial data into meaningful insights for planning and policy. His work spans large-scale mobility analytics and the building activity sector, where he develops data pipelines and web-based tools to support evidence-based decision-making. With a strong focus on accuracy, performance, and usability, 

Yiping bridges data analytics and web development to deliver clear, practical intelligence for urban growth and development.

Tina Liu

Data Analyst

Tina is a Data Analyst and AI Engineer at Urban Intelligence, bringing a physical engineering background that informs her interdisciplinary approach to data and AI. She focuses on the practical application of generative AI, with hands-on experience in industry-specific language models and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. 

Her work explores building intelligent data systems that connect large language models with reliable, context-specific information sources.

Hakki Gokalp Ustun

Data Analyst

Hakki is a Data Analyst and AI engineer at Urban Intelligence. He focuses on transforming complex data into meaningful insights and building smart, automated solutions to improve efficiency and decision-making. With a background in artificial intelligence and robotics engineering, Hakki combines technical expertise with a practical approach to problem-solving. He’s passionate about innovation, data-driven analysis, and creating tools that make information more accessible and actionable across different projects and industries.

Amanda Tobler

Senior Associate

Amanda Tobler is the Managing Director and founder of ELM (ACT), a Canberra-based consultancy established in 2010. She continues a proud family tradition of enterprise in the Canberra region dating back nearly a century to 1927. With over 30 years of experience, Amanda brings a diverse and high-level understanding of the not-for-profit, Government, and corporate sectors across the ACT and NSW.

As a strategic leader, Amanda possesses high-level strategic thinking capabilities, extensive advocacy experience, and considerable commercial acumen. Her leadership approach is grounded in cultural safety, stakeholder trust, and evidence-based impact, allowing her to achieve exceptional results in complex and demanding environments. She is noted for her ability to build and foster strong relationships at all levels. ELM supports its clients—including not-for-profit organisations, government agencies, and corporate businesses—with evidence-based program development, strategic planning, and sector-wide advocacy.

Academically, Amanda holds a Degree in Community Education, an Advanced Diploma in Management, and a Diploma in Government, and is an accredited Change Manager and Emotional Intelligence coach. Beyond her executive role, Amanda demonstrates a deep commitment to public service. She is the inaugural Chair of the Child and Family Reform Ministerial Advisory Council, a member of the ACTCOSS Board, and the Deputy Chair of Roundabout Canberra. Amanda also serves as a Justice of the Peace. Her comprehensive expertise and dedication cement her reputation as a formidable leader in the Canberra region.

David Hughes

Senior Associate 

David Hughes is a highly experienced economist and policy advisor with a distinguished career spanning government, politics, academia, and private consulting. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Economics (with a Prize in Public Economics) from the Australian National University.

In the political arena, David served as a senior economic adviser from 2008 to 2011 to four members of the federal opposition, including the deputy leader, shadow treasurer, and two leaders. In this role, he provided daily analysis, developed major policies, and coordinated the opposition's economics and finance team. More recently, he was the Chief of Staff for the opposition leader in the ACT Legislative Assembly (2016 to 2018).

In the public service, David held senior roles within the ACT government. As head of the Economics Branch in ACT Treasury, he was responsible for economic forecasting, major projects, policy analysis, and microeconomic reform. He also served as director of Performance Audits and Professional Services in the ACT Audit Office, where he was responsible to the auditor-general for the performance audit program and quality assurance. His public sector experience includes briefing ministers and chief executives and negotiating cabinet submissions.

David’s background also includes substantial academic work (1988–1998) at the ANU, the Australian Defence Force Academy, and the University of Canberra. He taught economics, history, mathematics, and public policy; published widely; and was active in public debate. He was also the director of the Centre for Applied Economics (ANU) and was a member of the ACT Law Reform Commission (1996–1999). As a consultant, his contracts have included policy advice and financial analysis on public transport, public housing, greenhouse policy, and privatisation.