Prof. Darren Kriticos is a co-founder and Managing Director of Cervantes Agritech. He set up the company to develop real-time pest forecasting systems and to continue to develop the CLIMEX and DYMEX software packages. Darren was a Senior Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO, working in Health & Biosecurity and Agriculture Business Units, and is an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University and the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland. Darren is an ecologist whose research is centred on developing and applying ecological models to study invasion biology and pest management under current and future climates. His broad interests span a range of applied ecological questions in fields as diverse as biosecurity, climate adaptation, food security and food safety. Darren believes strongly in the value of developing and applying generic solutions to solving ecological modelling problems. This is reflected in his efforts to develop CLIMEX and DYMEX Version 4, and the collaborative CliMond climate data repository for bioclimatic modellers. His present efforts are focused on developing real-time pest forecasting systems. Darren was a founding member of the International Pest Risk Research Group (formerly IPRMW, www.pestrisk.org). This group of researchers strives to undertake and share research to improve pest risk methods. Darren is passionate about this group, and has attended every one of the annual meetings, albeit one by teleconference. He laid the foundations for the group's current website, and along with Frank Koch, maintains it. Darren continues to serve on the executive committee as Chairperson. Darren devotes a great deal of his energy to the scouting movement, leading Les Explorateurs Scout Group (www.explorateurs.org.au). This group is unique, delivering the Scouts Australia programme en francais. Most weekends you will find him helping with youth development - abseiling, bushwalking, camping, canoeing, caving, sailing, etc.