Speakers

With a decade of industry experience, a robust understanding of current and emerging consumer issues in the Australian energy market and a demonstrated passion for innovation and consumer-first strategies, Michael is the Head of Commercial & Strategy for renewable energy generator Meridian Energy Australia and energy retailer Powershop Australia.

Ranked by Greenpeace as Australia’s greenest energy company (2014 & 2015), Powershop is a 100% online energy retailer, driving a unique service that gives customers transparency like they’ve never had before over a key part of their household budget - their energy bill. Serving customers in Victoria, New South Wales, and South East Queensland, Powershop is Australia’s only electricity retailer to be certified 100% carbon neutral by the Australian Government, and now retails electricity to over 100,000 customers including homes and businesses around the country.

Michael was appointed Head of Commercial & Strategy for Powershop Australia in January 2016, having previously been the Financial Controller for Powershop Australia and its parent company Meridian Energy for five years. Prior to his work in the energy sector, Michael held various finance and analyst positions in both Australia and the UK, having qualified as a CPA in 2009 and completed a Commerce degree early in his career.

Michael’s domain expertise in the Australian energy market alongside his experience in data analysis, accounting and financial reporting have made him a leading voice in the Australian energy market. His speaking expertise includes consumer trends, renewable energy, community and peer-to-peer energy trading, industry disruption and innovation.

Since commencing work as an energy market regulatory analyst at Macquarie Generation almost 15 years ago, Simon has worked across the energy supply chain, from generation to retail and across a range of issues, from economic regulation to environmental sustainability.

In 2002, Simon was a member of the Parer Energy Market Review Secretariat where he led the development of the Review’s recommendation to implement an emissions trading scheme domestically.

More recently, Simon wrote the Energy Sections of the Victorian Government Climate Change Green and White Papers and was the Victorian Government representative on the Commonwealth Government’s National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Target Working Groups.

Simon also attended the COP15 Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen) on behalf of the Victorian Government.

Simon is currently responsible for managing relevant National Electricity Market regulatory issues on behalf of AGL and holds a Batchelor of Economics (Hons) and Master of Environmental Law.

On 21 July 2014, Ms Paula Conboy was appointed as the full time state/territory member and AER Chair for a five year period from 1 October 2014.

Paula has over 20 years’ experience in public utility regulation in Australia and Canada. Most recently she was a full time member of the Ontario Energy Board in Canada from March 2010.

Paula holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph and conducted her thesis research at LaTrobe University.

Andrew Dillon is an experienced energy sector executive, most recently as the General Manager Corporate Affairs at AusNet Services, owners of electricity transmission and both gas and electricity distribution networks in Victoria. Prior to AusNet, Andrew was General Manager Corporate Affairs at Energy Supply Association of Australia, worked in Corporate and Government Affairs at TRUenergy (now Energy Australia) and was a Senior Ministerial Adviser. He is also a Director of Goulburn Valley Water. Over two decades Andrew has worked in many parts of the energy industry as well as in government and consulting. He was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Energy Networks Australia on 20 November 2017.

Mr Dillon qualified as a chartered accountant and spent time in banking and energy roles in the United Kingdom.

As founding Chairman of the Energy Users Association Peter knows what is required to set an energy users organisation up on a good footing.

He understands the importance of stakeholder engagement, how to attract and keep members through regular newsletters and briefings to keep them up to date with energy market issues.

He is also involved with energy network reviews and discussions with Federal and State Government energy ministers and bureaucrats.

He has formed many valuable associations with key energy industry stakeholders and has presented papers and many of the EUAA Annual Conferences and Briefings on a range of energy market issues.

Greg is Managing Director of Sunset Power International which owns and operates Vales Point Power Station on the NSW Central Coast. Greg has over 30 years’ experience in the electricity industry, 20 of which have been in executive roles in the generation sector.

Greg is a member of the International Energy Agency’s Coal Industry Advisory Board as the Federal Government’s nominated generator, and a member of the NSW Coal Innovation Board.

Prior to her appointment this year as a Senior Director, Suzanne worked as a Senior Lawyer in the AEMC’s Legal team for three years and was involved in a broad range of rule change requests and reviews involving electricity, gas, networks and retail issues. Before joining the AEMC Suzanne worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for the Australian Capital Territory Government on implementing the National Energy Customer Framework and local renewable energy schemes. Prior to that, Suzanne specialised in competition, consumer protection, administrative law and commercial litigation for Minter Ellison, and worked as corporate counsel for a renewable start-up on intellectual property and energy regulatory issues. She has a Degree in Economics, an Honours Degree in Law and a Masters in International Law from the Australian National University.

Rick Francis commenced as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Spark Infrastructure in 2012.  He originally joined Spark Infrastructure in 2009 as the Chief Financial Officer and served in that role for three and a half years prior to his appointment as Managing Director. 

Rick has 20 years' experience in the Australian energy and energy infrastructure industries. Prior to Spark Infrastructure he was employed by the ASX listed gas transmission and energy infrastructure business APA Group, where he was Chief Financial Officer for four years and by Origin Energy Limited for over eight years in a number of senior management roles in the corporate and operational areas. Rick is also a Chartered Accountant.

Rick has been a Non-Executive Director of SA Power Networks and Victoria Power Networks since 2009. He was appointed as Chairman of NSW Electricity Networks Operations (TransGrid) in December 2015 and has served as Deputy Chair since June 2016. He also sits on a number of Board Sub-Committees for Spark’s investments, including Audit, Risk Management, Regulatory, HS&E and Remuneration committees.

Jim has an established history in Australia’s energy markets, with more than 25 years’ experience in retail, commercial, sales, marketing and customer operations roles.

Prior to joining Alinta Energy, Jim was General Manager Retail Markets at Origin where he was responsible for the growth and financial performance of the retail business servicing four million customers. This built on 20 years with AGL, where he had responsibility for retail sales and marketing, customer operations, strategic positioning and transformational change across a variety of senior roles.

Jim is responsible for Alinta Energy’s retail business, with a primary focus on profitably growing the retail segment focused on developing innovative products, delivered through exceptional customer service to its ~800,000 customers. Jim joined Alinta Energy in mid-2014.

As the campaigns & content director for Australia's largest consumer network - with more than 900,000 member households - I look for ways to use the People Power of our Club to cut members' household bills and make their voices heard in consumer policy debates. Responsibilities include content for traditional media, digital & social medial; market research; policy and product campaigning; commentary & media presentation; and developing innovative digital tools for consumers.

James Harman was appointed CEO of EDL in October 2016. He is keenly focused on safety, growth, and diversification into new markets as EDL strives to be the leading global producer of sustainable distributed energy.

For nearly two decades before joining EDL, James held senior executive positions with top tier mining companies in Europe and Australia. Most recently he was Group Head of Business Development at Anglo American in London where he was responsible for leading global growth and strategic relationships, with a focus on China and Japan.

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Laws degree.

Hannah has significant executive experience across energy infrastructure, power generation and energy retail markets. She joins Ausgrid from Centrica (UK FTSE 30 energy company), where she managed P&Ls, led large capital projects, M&A transactions and multi-year strategy and business transformation programmes. She has a track record of successfully delivering attractive business outcomes in a rapidly changing policy environment.

In the last 18 months, Hannah was Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy to the CEO of British Gas (UK) and Bord Gais (Ireland) which have over 13 million customers and 28,000 employees.

Regarded nationally as a thought leader and innovator, Ian is passionate about creating value for customers, employees and shareholders. Ian was the Chief Executive Officer of Ergon Energy from 2007 to 2016, leading the transformation of Queensland’s (Australia) regional poles and wires business, Ergon Energy, from a monopoly transporter of electricity to an open access platform that enables the efficient integration of distributed energy resources and user applications within an effective market construct.

Ian has led key innovations including the development of a spatial intelligence and situational awareness capability, ROAMES (2015 Edison Award International Finalist), and the development and delivery of Townsville Energy Smart Community Smart Grid Program which was a(An Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Smart Grid demonstration project and Queensland Premiers Award Finalist, as well as receiving the EPRI Technology Transfer Award.

Chief Executive of Ergon Energy Corporation Limited from 2007 to 2016, Ian has more than 30 years’ experience in the energy industry in a broad range of roles and functions. Ian also holds the positions of Chairman of Ergon Energy Queensland Pty (Retail), Ergon Energy Telecommunications, SPARQ Solutions Pty Ltd (ICT) and Queensland Futures Institute Energy Committee, and was Deputy Chairman of Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA).

Darren Miller commenced as ARENA’s CEO on 27 August 2018. He has more than 25 years’ experience across a range of sectors including renewable energy, electricity retail, technology, finance, media and entertainment.

Darren was co-founder and CEO of Mojo Power, an innovative electricity retailer, from 2015 until July 2018. He was previously the Director of Asset Finance at Sungevity Australia in 2014, and co-founder and CEO of Sumwise, a technology and services company from 2007 to 2013.

Darren’s previous experience includes a position as investment manager for Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) and Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) and roles at New Zealand Natural and Ernst & Young.

Darren is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of New South Wales.

Elysse Morgan is an award winning journalist with a specialist business and finance background. She has been at the ABC for almost a decade, and before that in the Sky News Parliament house bureau. After joining the ABC her specialist knowledge saw her appointed as ABC News’ national finance reporter. After 2 years of co-hosting, Elysse is now the host of the ABC’s business programs on ABC1, ABC News channel and radio current affairs program Business PM.

Tim is the Chief Economist at AGL Energy Ltd. At AGL, Tim leads the company's public policy advocacy and AGL’s sustainability strategy. He is a Director of the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF) and a member of the Westpac Stakeholder Advisory Council and the Grattan Institute Energy Reference Group.

Tim is an Associate Professor at Griffith University and has had around thirty papers published in Australian and international peer-reviewed journals. He has presented at conferences in Australia and throughout Asia and Europe. He holds a PhD in economics for which he earned a Chancellors Doctoral Research Medal and a first class honours degree in economics. Tim is also a qualified Chartered Secretary (AGIA and ACIS) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Keith has been involved in Australian resources and industry policy issues management and communications for 37 years. He has been a communicator for 58 years, starting as a journalist in South Africa in 1959 and emigrating to Australia in 1970.

He served for four years in the 1970s as public affairs manager of Associated Pulp & Paper Mills Limited and for three years as head of public relations at La Trobe University, Melbourne.

He was chief executive of what is now APPEA for 11 years and of the Electricity Supply Association of Australia for 12 years.

From 2003 to 2007 he chaired the energy committee of the Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council for the Howard government.

He has also been chairman of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network and of the CSIRO Energy Technology Advisory Committee.

Today he runs his own energy advisory business as Coolibah Pty Ltd and is publisher of the blog “This is Power” and of the Coolibah monthly newsletter.

Keith is also engaged in the organisation and chairing of a series of energy outlook conferences.

He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 and in 2012 was recipient of AusIMM’s Sir Willis Connolly Memorial Medal for outstanding communication about the mining and resources sectors.

Alistair Parker leads the Regulated Business for AusNet Services, including their three regulated energy networks and metering. Over the next few years, AusNet Services will ready the Regulated Business to meet the rapidly changing needs of its customers. Alistair draws on more than 30 years’ experience in the energy industry in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, both in industry and consulting.

Commissioner Pierce was appointed AEMC Chairman in June 2010. His commitment to industry and regulatory reform has underpinned his contribution to national energy reform through a number of senior roles including his tenure as Secretary of the Federal Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism which followed 12 years of service as Secretary of the New South Wales (NSW) Treasury. He was a key adviser to Government and Chairman of the NSW Treasury Corporation.

Prior to his time at NSW Treasury he was Pacific Power Chief Economist. John holds a BCom (Hons) (UNSW). He was a Visiting Scholar at Boston University during 2004-2005 working on public sector performance management.

Shane was previously Speaker of the Assembly, and in 2012, became the first ACT Greens Minister and holds the portfolios of Territory and Municipal Services, Corrective Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, and Sport and Recreation.

Shane has lived in Canberra for more than twenty years, in Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Belconnen, and currently resides in Braddon. Shane loves what Canberra has to offer, both the increasingly vibrant city life and getting out to enjoy our natural environment. He is a keen triathlete and photographer.

Shane grew up on the South Coast and came to Canberra with his family after securing a scholarship to attend Canberra Grammar School. He studied economics and law at the ANU, and then, after a short stint in the federal public service, followed his passion for the environment working for Greenpeace, both in Canberra and overseas. He campaigned to protect global oceans and headed up Greenpeace’s expedition to Antarctica to protest against Japanese whaling.

In 2008, Shane was elected to the Legislative Assembly as one of four Green MLAs, and became the first Greens Speaker of a parliament anywhere in the world. As the Greens Spokesperson on Climate Change and Environment, and Attorney-General and Emergency Services, he worked to secure the ACT Government’s climate change target and campaigned for equal marriage rights.

Shane was re-elected to the Assembly in 2012 and appointed as the first ACT Greens Minister by the Chief Minister, taking on the portfolios of Territory and Municipal Services, Corrective Services, Housing and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.

Charles is responsible for leading the Energy Services team at Yurika.  In this role, Charles and his team will be accountable for the delivery of energy services to customers, businesses and networks.  Charles has significant experience with distributed energy assets such as: solar, wind, batteries and smart meters, which will assist Energy Queensland in providing new services to market. Charles joins Energy Queensland from Beon Energy Services (formerly Powercor) in Victoria where he was a key driver of launching new businesses and service offerings to customers.  Charles has a diverse background and proven record in delivering significant projects and business outcomes.  He started his career with the Australian Defence Force before moving into banking with a focus on energy, infrastructure and mining.  Charles has also worked in a number of emerging markets such as Mongolia and enjoyed the challenge of working in remote areas.

Jon joined ERM Power as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) on 2 February 2015. Jon also plays an advocacy role in the broader energy industry speaking at various events, such as the Australian Energy Week.

Jon is an experienced chief executive with broad international experience in the information technology (IT), telecommunications and industrial sectors. His background in systems and process engineering, and business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales and marketing has enabled him to lead business transformation and growth in Australia and internationally.

Prior to joining ERM Power, Jon was the Executive Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Landis+Gyr, the leading provider of smart metering and energy management solutions globally. Jon joined Landis+Gyr as Executive Vice President Asia Pacific in January 2008 and in April 2010 moved to Switzerland to take up the EMEA position.

Prior to joining Landis+Gyr, Jon was CEO of AAPT, an Australian based telecommunications company, wholly owned by Telecom New Zealand and was based in Sydney. He has had extensive experience in Asia and Europe in IT and telecommunications, starting his career with IBM in Australia in 1986. He spent six years in Hong Kong with IBM and AT&T running substantial cross regional telecommunications services businesses, and several years running AT&T’s business across Europe, Middle East and Africa, based in Paris.

Mike is the Group Manager - Customer Advocate at Energex. As well as carrying responsibility for the stakeholder and industry relationship management team for Energex, the team is focused on ‘stepping outside the company’ and fostering a healthy and productive community and customer focus.

In 2009, Mike’s team took responsibility for the integration of the emerging (?) technology of customer solar PV into Energex.

Mike is a power systems engineer of 25 years experience in technical, regulatory, public affairs and strategic management positions across utilities in three states.

Before joining Energex, Mike was Senior Network Manager for Powercor Australia.

Jason has served as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Synergy since January 2014 and prior to that he was the CEO of Verve Energy for two years.

Synergy is Western Australia’s largest electricity generator and retailer with a diverse range of power generating assets located throughout the South West Interconnected System and has in excess of one million residential and business customers.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Engineering and a Graduate Diploma of Business from Curtin University and has a background in engineering, power system planning, energy trading and fuel contract negotiation and management with 27 years’ experience in the energy sector.

Rachel is the Interim Chief Executive Officer, Australia for Pacific Hydro, with responsibility for the company’s Australian renewable energy project development pipeline, construction projects, operating assets and commercial team.

Rachel Watson joined Pacific Hydro in April 2006 as Corporate Lawyer. She has held a range of roles within Pacific Hydro, including Executive Manager Finance and Legal, Head of Commercial and GM Group Services.

Prior to joining Pacific Hydro, Rachel worked as in-house counsel in Sydney and Melbourne for Orica Ltd, and spent three years in Japan working for a major turbine supplier. She has over 20 years’ experience in major contracting transactions and other general commercial law issues.

Rachel has been a director of the Clean Energy Council since 2014 and she currently chairs the Board of the CEC.

Tony Wood has led the Grattan Institute’s Energy Program since mid-2011. Since then he and his team have delivered sixteen major reports on energy and climate change and he has developed a strong profile with governments and industry, and is a regular contributor in major media on key energy issues.  From 2009 until mid-2014, he also had a role as Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies such as solar and CCS.

Prior to these roles, he spent 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles covering retail and LPG line management and corporate affairs. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut review.

In January, 2018 Tony was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly in the areas of energy policy, climate change and sustainability.

Gordon's 20 involvement in the energy industry started with 10 years of energy industry advisory, mergers and acquisition roles at Fay, Richwhite and UBS. From advising the shareholders of Snowy Hydro from 1995 up to the corporatisation of the company in 2002, Gordon joined Snowy Hydro in 2003.

He has been CFO since July 2006 and has played a leading role in the development of Snowy Hydro’s risk management framework and the company’s evolution from generator to its position as the fourth pillar in the National Electricity Market.

Merryn has more than 25 years’ experience in the Queensland electricity industry. Her career encompasses experience in strategic business development and asset management to optimise the long-term return on investment, network planning, regulatory affairs, customer management and strategic development of the transmission network. Merryn attends the Board’s Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee, the People, Culture and Remuneration Committee and the Harold Street Holdings and Powerlink Transmission Services meetings.

Ms Zibelman has extensive experience in the public, private and not-for profit energy and electricity sectors in the United States, most recently having held the positions of Commissioner and Chair of the New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC). During her tenure at the NYPSC, Ms Zibelman led the design and implementation of extensive regulatory and retail market changes to modernise and transform the state’s electricity industry.

A recognised national and international expert in energy policy, markets and Smart Grid innovation, Ms Zibelman is a Founder and past President and Chief Executive Officer of Viridity Energy, Inc.

Previously, Ms Zibelman was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PJM, a regional transmission operator of the power grid and wholesale power market across the eastern United States.

Ms Zibelman also held legal and executive positions at Xcel Energy, served as General Counsel to the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, and was Special Assistant Attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.