Roxane Bandini-Maeder is a geoscien­tist originally from Switzerland. With her husband Alex, she runs Geoneon, a company using geospatial data to assess disaster risk.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in a little village in Switzerland and I now live in Hobart.

How was the move from Switzerland to Tasmania? We first moved from Switzerland to Perth and spent seven years there before heading to Tassie. Moving from Perth with two kids under three, while pregnant with the third, and starting a business—that was rock and roll!

What inspired you and Alex to start Geoneon? Alex and I had been thinking for several years about how we could better leverage geospatial data to assess risk quicker, more reliably, and with more frequent updates. That drive to improve how we understand and manage risks led us to start Geoneon.

Briefly explain what Geoneon does. Geoneon uses satellite data, artificial intel­ligence, and data fusion to map climate risk and monitor vegetation. We have been supporting government agencies, utilities, and international organisations across Australia, Asia, and Europe.

How can AI technologies and geospa­tial data help predict climate risks? Our approach focuses on susceptibility mapping, which means mapping where pre-existing conditions make a disaster more likely or severe. These conditions are often landscape-based, so we train our AI models to map them accurately. By combining this with advanced geospatial algorithms, we can assess exposure and risk to communities and infrastructure. This approach allows us to update our models quickly, at large scale, high resolution and consistently, providing critical insights for long-term prepar­edness. We also validate our models with past events to ensure reliability.

How does your new Wildfire Severity Index work? Geoneon’s Wildfire Severity Index uses AI and satellite imagery to predict where wildfires will be most severe. Our AI model can now even predict the height of trees from satellite data, which is a very advanced capability globally. First, we map high and low vegetation accurately, then combine data on vegetation density, type, topography, and climate to assess fire severity. We can do this at a large scale with 10-metre resolution, like we did for the entire country of Bhutan, or at a finer scale with 50-centimetre resolution like we did in Greater Hobart. Our model has shown high reliability when validated against past fires, and it’s designed to support long-term preparedness, rather than early warning or immediate response.

Who do you admire? I admire women leaders who balance strength and empathy like Christine Lagarde, Jacinda Ardern, or Angela Merkel. They all exemplify firm yet compassionate, striving for fairness, competence and calm.

Favourite podcast or tv show? Ally McBeal and Parks and Recreation will never fail to make me laugh out loud! They always brighten my day with their quirky humour.

Secret vice? A cup of monk tea from a shop in Lausanne that my lovely mother-in-law sends me regularly, while snuggling with a book and my boys on the couch.

What are you reading now? The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.

Do you have any pets? We don’t have any pets, but the boys made a bee hospital, so we occasionally have some rescue bees they have found around!

What was your first job? Cashier in a garden centre when I was a student.

What are your daily news/social media habits? I usually start my day with The Guardian and some Swiss news, and I probably check LinkedIn way too often during the day.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Machine Laundry with my buddy Nikki.

Lunch: Pigeon Whole Bakers for a quick sandwich between meetings.

Dinner: La Sardina Loca on Elizabeth Street without a doubt!

Favourite team? As my five-year-old son would say, I always go with all the teams—so I’m sure I win!

Dream holiday destination? Right now, I would love a family week in Thailand with amazing food to unwind and escape Tasmanian winter, but I have to admit, I am also missing the Swiss Alps—and of course, a good cheese fondue.

Favourite Tasmanian secret? Crescent Bay. It is probably not much of a secret, but I love the beach there. We go every year with friends, and the kids (and parents) have so much fun! The walk is worth it—unless Alex suggests the ‘shortcut,’ which doesn’t exist!

Parting words? Having a business is hard work, and success doesn’t come over­night. Be consistent, surround yourself with the right people, believe in what you do, and don’t overlook what you don’t know. Growth comes from persistence and learning along the way.