SRM principal consultants are internationally recognised for their excellence in managing multidisciplinary marine businesses and/or projects. Our consulting team members specialise in marine business planning; marine project design and management; public marine environmental law and law of the sea; maritime policy and institutional analysis; and integrated coastal zone management. We also assist customers in sourcing cutting-edge, proven maritime technology.

Max Herriman has been the Chief Executive Officer of SRM since its inception in 1998. Before moving to Malaysia in 1998, Max served 23 years as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy in the fields of management, maritime air operations, anti-submarine warfare and signals intelligence. He has also consulted and taught internationally on oceans policy and Law of the Sea. His specialist fields include marine project design and management, maritime policy and strategy, international law of the sea, international marine project consulting, corporate strategic planning and defence maritime aviation. Max’s professional credentials are focused on strategic planning and strategy development for the marine sector. His academic qualifications include a B.A. in Chinese Studies from University of Adelaide, PSC from the RAN Staff College and an M.A. (Maritime Policy) from University of Wollongong, Australia. Max is also a qualified Mandarin Instructor.

Juita Ramli is SRM Executive Director responsible for execution of marine consulting projects. Juita’s responsibilities include project design and budget preparation, consultant selection and management, coordination and management of company in-house project input, business and project reporting, contract drafting and review. Juita assists with business development and corporate strategic planning for SRM. Her main areas of study and work experience have focused on development of ocean policy with emphasis on legal regimes; identification of a range of national and international laws relevant to Malaysia’s major marine sectors; and examination of marine environmental laws and their relevance to national pollution concerns. Juita has published in these areas of studies and, in recent years, has been involved in studies reviewing legal and institutional arrangements in coastal zone and marine natural resources management in Malaysia. She has degrees in Law from the University of Nottingham, UK and a MA in Maritime Policy from University of Wollongong, Australia.

Rayburn Azhar Ali joined SRM as the Chief Operating Officer. Rayburn received his degree in Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) from University of Notre Dame, USA. He started his career as an auditor in a CPA firm in Chicago, Illinois. Subsequent to that, he undertook responsibilities as a Budget Analyst at the University of Chicago. Upon coming back to Malaysia in 1998, Rayburn became involved in Business Development and Planning with the Darul Karisma Group. At Darul Karisma, he was directly responsible for setting up of several joint-venture companies, one of which was DK Kurita Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian-Japanese joint venture water treatment company, where he was later appointed as the CEO/Managing Director. Rayburn has several years of experience in dealing with exploring new business opportunities; business negotiations and restructuring of companies. Drawing from his years of experience working on various projects in the oil & gas industry, Rayburn’s involvement with SRM is focused in the areas of business development, planning and management.

Norhajizi Yahya has more than 10 years of experience providing finance and accounting consulting services. Jizi received her degree in Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences Business Administration majoring in Accounting from San Diego State University, USA. Her working period in Chicago involved audit, analytical and risk assessment of large corporations. In recent years, she worked with Petronas and other private companies involved in marine business. Jizi is currently the Manager for Accounting & Corporate Services at SRM. Her area of expertise involves complex project budget preparations and auditing of project financials.

Betty Chan is SRM Office Manager. Betty is responsible for all office-related requirements particularly in providing the invaluable administrative support to the consulting team. Her wealth of experience in office administration, logistics arrangements, documentation and filing company documents, document editing, and generally keeping the office ‘together’, neat and tidy provides the rest of SRM members a comfortable and secure working environment. Betty has been in the work force for more than 30 years and brings that level of sensibility, maturity and level-headedness required in any office environment. She has excellent communications and correspondence skills, which helps us to strengthen or cement better relationships with clients and business associates.


Sharif Zainal Aziz joined SRM in early 2007 as the Senior Executive Marine Consulting. Before settling in Malaysia and joining SRM, Sharif lived and worked in New Zealand, most recently (for two years) as a Water and Soil – Policy Analyst for the Northland Regional Council (Local Government in New Zealand). Sharif undertook tertiary studies up to the Masters and Post Graduate levels in the fields of Geography, Environmental Planning and Tourism Development Studies. Prior to university, Sharif had extensive experience in the Horticultural Industry in various capacities, in sales, nursery and retail management. This past background has been of benefit in the form of being able to practically apply theoretical models and concepts on the ground, i.e., a pragmatic and practical outlook in the field of management. His specialist fields include: social sciences and more specifically socio-economic impacts; geography; tourism studies; natural resources and environmental planning; environmental policy development; and coastal geography. Sharif’s professional credentials and memberships focus upon natural resource management and integrated coastal planning. His academic qualifications include a MScoSc in Geography and Tourism Studies, a MScoSc (Hons 1st Class) in Geography, a MScoSc in Geography and a PGDipREP in Resource and Environmental Planning from the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Kamala Mariappan is Executive Marine Consulting at SRM. Upon graduating from Universiti Malaysia Sabah with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Aquaculture in 2005, Kamala joined SRM in January 2006. Her specialist area focuses specifically on aquaculture development and management with a particular emphasis on site selection appropriateness criteria. Her exposure, thus far, in SRM has seen her contribute appreciably to three major SRM projects: The Malaysian Continental Shelf Survey Secondary Data Legal Review, Tuna Aquaculture Business Plan, and the Terengganu Coastal and Islands Study.