Our staff
Chairman: John Barber
John founded AOC Archaeology in 1991. In his role as Chairman he ensures the effectiveness of the Board, and offers mentoring and leadership to all staff. He has a strong role in consultancy projects, particularly complex mitigation strategies and public enquiries. He is well-respected for his research and publications and is a leading expert in Neolithic and Medieval studies.
Managing Director: Dr Andrew Heald
Andy joined AOC Archaeology in 2008, having previously worked for Historic Scotland and National Museums Scotland. Andy is responsible for overall management of the Group and has a leading role in Strategic and Business Development. He has a strong interest in community involvement in heritage.
Operations Director North: John Gooder
John has worked in commercial archaeology since 1994. He joined AOC as a Fieldwork Project Officer in 1999 and is now responsible for the delivery and performance of all AOC’s services in our Northern Offices. John and has been responsible for the field direction and management of numerous excavation and evaluation projects ranging from Victorian industrial remains to the excavation of one of Britain’s earliest recorded houses at East Barns, near Dunbar. A key area of his expertise is in rendering mitigation advice to clients and in the formulation of solutions to often complex problems arising from dealing with very large, multi-phase developments, or where a rapid response is necessary.
Operations Director South: Melissa Melikian
Melissa has worked in commercial archaeology for 10 years. She is responsible for the performance of all services in our Southern Offices and has a very strong commercial background in all aspects of heritage planning and delivery. She has specialised in the analysis of Human Remains, and has completed reports on major assemblages, such as that from Auldhame.
Post Excavation Director: Dr Ciara Clarke
Ciara has over a decade’s experience working in commercial archaeology, particularly in the management of post-excavation programmes. She is responsible for the performance of all post excavation services within the north. Ciara continues to nurture an interest in the archaeology of the Scottish wetlands on which she has undertaken several field
projects and palynological work.
HR Director: Lynda Stoddart
Lynda is responsible for our key resource: our staff. She ensures that Human Resources provide effective support to the functioning of the company, ensuring that every member of staff understands their role in the company and have the right skills for theirs and the company’s development. Lynda is also responsible for Training and Development.