23 Young Geospatial Professionals to Watch in 2023 – 3 of 23
Name: Claire Buxton
Company: Underhill Geomatics Ltd.
Current Position: Project Manager
Age: 33
Education: Bachelor of Surveying and Surveying Technology, University of Otago
Biography: Buxton has a passion for land rights and sustainable community development. She has professional experience in land development in New Zealand and Canada. Her infectious enthusiasm, passion, and drive inspires her peers.
Now living in British Columbia, Canada, she is gaining work experience from a different perspective and hopes to combine her surveying and development experience with her academic studies into a future in sustainable land development with community at the center, incorporating secure tenure, and sustainable design.
Buxton has been surveying since 2008 at various firms across New Zealand. She was heavily involved in the Christchurch rebuild post-earthquake in the infrastructure, residential, and geodetic sectors.
She made the move to Wellington in 2016 to further her career and became a licensed cadastral surveyor in 2017. In Wellington, she developed her technical skills in land development by working on large infrastructure projects and honed her project management skills through managing residential developments.
She currently manages engineering surveying projects, which include high-precision technical advice, client liaising, and bidding and winning work. Aside from her project management role, she also coordinates a CAD team of six, empowers less-experienced staff through coaching, and continually seeks out streamlining opportunities for Underhill using new technology and productivity tools.
Buxton is an active member of FIG Young Surveyors Network and is the past core team lead of the Volunteer Community Surveyor Program.
Before moving to Canada, she volunteered for the Survey and Spatial New Zealand Young Professionals and Pacific Advisory Group. She volunteers time supporting young surveyors internationally. She is driven to give young surveyors the opportunity to use their skills for humanitarian and environmental causes.