Speakers at the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook 2015 Conference held in Sydney
John Abraham
Principal Consultant
Abraham Et Al
John Abraham is the principal of Abraham Et Al, a Brisbane based international consultancy that specialises in local, regional, national and indigenous business participation and development within resource sector projects and operations. John designed and delivered the local content strategy for BG Group (QGC) on its $20 billion gas project in Queensland, and has a range of experience in countries such as PNG, Laos and South Africa. John’s services exist in a world where projects are increasing in complexity, have longer lead times, are challenged with increasing cost pressures, are faced with increasing global competition, and must address community expectations and government regulation. John believes that early, inclusive and progressive local content and local industry development strategies play an important role in ensuring the viability of projects and their future operation, and the sustainability of the hosting economy and communities.
Ian Ackworth
Professor of Water Management
UNSW
Dr (Richard) Ian Acworth is the Garry Johnston Professor of Water Management and Foundation Director of the Connected Waters Initiative at the University of New South Wales. He has been Vice-President of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) representing Australia and the Pacific. He was the Director for Program 1 of the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT), an ARC Research Centre cofounded with the National Water Commission. He has worked extensively with the Cotton Industry and received funding from the Cotton Catchment Communities CRC.
Ian has more than 40 years experience as a hydrogeologist including 10 years as a practising consultant in many different countries. He established a coursework masters degree program in Hydrogeology at UNSW and has taught most years for the past 28. He has research interests in groundwater geophysics, palaeoenvironments and dryland salinity, hydrogeochemistry and the development of field methods for understanding groundwater. He is currently the Project Director for the NCRIS Groundwater Monitoring Program.
Paul Adams
Managing Director
Jemena
Paul Adams is the Managing Director of Jemena which owns and manages gas, electricity and water assets. Paul has over 30 years experience in the energy sector, having worked in Australia, the United States and United Kingdom. Paul is the incoming Chairman of the Energy Networks Association (from November 2013), a director of various companies including ActewAGL and SP PowerGrid in Singapore. He has degrees in engineering, finance and has completed executive training in Australia and at Harvard.
Olumide Adisa
Gas Systems Modeller
Energy Exemplar
Olumide graduated with a Bsc. in Applied mathematics and Electronics at North West University South Africa, in 2007 and completed his Honours in Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 2008. Olumide commenced his PhD in Australia the following year and graduated from the University of Adelaide in 2012. The core of his PhD thesis focused on mathematical modelling of gas storage in nanosystems. Prior to joining Energy Exemplar in 2013, Olumide worked as a researcher in the School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide for one year.
Olumide is a valuable asset to the success at Energy Exemplar, the leading developers of the best-in-class Electric and Gas Market Simulation Software, PLEXOS® Integrated Energy Model, with a customer base spanning the globe. PLEXOS integrated gas-electric or stand-alone gas model allows detailed modelling of the physical delivery of gas from fields, through pipelines and storage to gas and electric demands. Gas and electric models are solved simultaneously allowing decision makers to trade-off electric and gas investments, constraints and costs.
Michelle Andrews
Deputy Director General Strategic Policy
Department of Mines and Petroleum, Government of WA
Michelle Andrews was appointed Deputy Director General Strategic Policy at the Department of Mines and Petroleum in July 2011.
Michelle has more than 25 years’ experience in the State Government and has developed an extensive network of contacts with a track record of negotiating outcomes with industry and peak bodies, contributing to major project approvals, reforming approval processes, establishing the Office of the Environmental Protection and providing policy advice to several Environment Ministers.
In her role, Michelle is focused on improving the way the department works with other government agencies, industry and community groups, and is leading fundamental changes in the department’s policy development and stakeholder engagement activities.
Paul Balfe
Executive Director
ACIL Allen Consulting
Paul Balfe is a Director of ACIL Allen Consulting, formed in April 2013 through the merger of ACIL Tasman and the Allen Consulting Group and now Australia’s largest independent economic consultancy company. Paul has worked for 35 years in the Australian energy and resources sectors, and has overall responsibility for ACIL Allen’s gas business. He has lead the development and commercialization of ACIL Allen’s detailed gas market models and their application to strategic and policy analysis throughout Australia and internationally. Prior to joining ACIL in 1995, Mr Balfe held a number of senior executive positions in the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy. He has advised government and corporate sector clients on commercial and regulatory matters relating to the coal, oil and gas industries including CSG, shale gas and other unconventional hydrocarbon sources, as well as alternative and renewable energies. With qualifications in geology and business administration, his experience ranges across both technical and commercial aspects of project evaluation and development.
Stephen Bell
General Manager Commercial
Qenos
Stephen Bell completed a PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University Of Melbourne and following this, he undertook 2 years postdoctoral research in Boston, USA. Thereafter, Steve joined ICI Australia's Crop Care business in 1987 as a Research Team Leader prior to moving into ICI's Plastics business.
With more than 25 years’ experience in the Polyolefins and Engineering Plastics businesses, Steve has a strong track record of delivering growth and improved business performance through differentiation utilising innovation and technology. During his career, Steve has held a range of business management and executive roles. He is currently the Vice President Commercial, ChemChina and Qenos.
Steve has executive responsibility for all aspects of Qenos's commercial operations including Marketing & Sales, Supply Chain, Feedstock & Procurement, Product Technology and the Speciality Products trading business.
Simon Camroux
Manager Regulation and Market Development
AGL
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 Paper’s 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.
Cheryl Cartwright
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Pipeline Industry Association
Cheryl’s career spans three decades in business, government, politics and media. Since 2005 Cheryl has led the Australian Pipeline Industry Association – representing the interests of approximately 500 members involved in all sectors of the industry – constructors, owners, operators, advisers, engineering companies and suppliers of pipeline products and services. Before her current role, Cheryl was Chief of Staff to then-Agriculture Minister the Hon Warren Truss MP, who is now Deputy Leader of the Opposition (obviously this could change before your conference!). She has also been Political and Media Adviser to a Federal Cabinet Minister and to an Opposition Leader. Before working in politics she reported on politics as political reporter for television news, on radio and as a print journalist. As well as working in Canberra’s Parliament House Press Gallery, Cheryl also spent two years as State Political Reporter for the Nine Network in Adelaide. In her position as a director of the Australian Gas Industry Trust, Cheryl is Australia’s representative on the International Gas Union’s Executive Council.
Barbara Campany
Principal Consultant
GHD
Barbara is a Principal in GHD’s Stakeholder Engagement and Social Sustainability team and an industry specialist with more than 20 years’ experience in developing, implementing, managing and evaluating community and stakeholder engagement strategies. Her experience has been garnered through high profile, and often controversial projects including coal seam gas, wind farms, water and other major infrastructure projects where communities, stakeholder groups and organisations are divided. Community concerns are usually stemmed around perceptions of health and environmental impacts. Much of her work has required difficult facilitation and stakeholder management capability, and her years of experience have consolidated her ability to deliver consistent positive results for clients.
Barbara will lead a full day Stakeholder engagement and management Masterclass, where there will be opportunities to cross-cultivate shared knowledge and experiences in engaging stakeholders and communities around perceived project risks and impacts.
Barbara has a Master of Arts Degree in Communication Management (UTS 1998); a Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution (UTS 2000); and a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations (APM Institute 1995).
Richard Cottee
Managing Director
Central Petroleum
Mr Cottee began his career in the resources sector in 1980 when as a Business Development Manager for Itochu Australia; he was involved in the Tarong Power Station construction and the development of the Newlands-Collinsville-Abbot Point projects.
As a lawyer he was part of the legal team behind one of Australia's first non-recourse project financing concerning Oaky Creek. Whilst acting for Crusader Ltd, he was involved in the negotiations of the Cooper Basin Liquids Scheme. He joined Santos Ltd in 1982 as the Senior Marketing Officer for LPG & Condensates before being relocated to Queensland (QLD) after the Jackson Oilfield discovery responsible for all commercial aspects of its development and the construction of the Jackson-Moonie Pipeline.
He has been a Senior Associate of both Allens and Mallesons. In 1992 he joined Cyprus Amax Minerals Group in Sydney where he was a Director of Oakbridge Pty Ltd and Cyprus Australia Coal functionally responsible for coal marketing and sales and other matters. In 1998, he joined CS Energy Ltd, a recently corporatized Government owned corporation, during which time over 3 years of his leadership CS Energy doubled its profits and tripled its asset base. Importantly, whilst at CS Energy, the construction of the large combined cycle gas-fired power station at Swanbank E was approved. CS Energy entered into what is thought to be Australia’s first pure CSG purchase contract for Scotia gas from Santos. CS Energy also entered into letters of Intent with QGC and Arrow thus facilitating their public listings.
In 2001 he was named Managing Director of NRG Ltd for the UK & Scandinavian regions. He joined QGC as Managing Director in 2002 when it had a market capitalisation of $30 million. He took QGC from an early stage explorer to a major non-conventional gas supplier sold to the BG Group for $5.7 billion in 2008. Mr Cottee is also currently Non-Executive Chairman of Austin Exploration Ltd and is a principal in Freestone.
Ian Davies
Managing Director
Senex Energy
Ian Davies was appointed as the Managing Director of Senex Energy Limited in June 2010.
Prior to joining Senex, Ian held several senior positions in the resources and investment banking industries. He was a senior executive with QGC during the establishment of Queensland’s booming liquefied natural gas industry and previously an investment banker in Melbourne with Austock Corporate Finance and in London with Barclay’s Capital.
He commenced his career in Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Energy and Mining division.
Ian lives in Brisbane and is married with three young children. Ian was named Businessperson of the Year in the 2012 Brisbane Lord Mayor's Business Awards.
Steve Davies
National Policy Manager
Australian Pipeline Industry Association
Steve Davies is the policy adviser at the Australian Pipeline Industry Association, with responsibility for government relations and policy development and response. Policy issues on Steve’s mind this year include: economic regulation, gas market development and Short Term Trading Markets, clean energy regulations, fugitive emissions, energy efficiency, transparency, the treatment of pipelines in planning legislation, coal seam gas and today’s topic: workforce development and training.
Steve came to APIA from the Federal Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (DRET), Offshore Resources Branch of the Resources Division in 2008. He has a Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering, but long ago, through positions in industry associations and government, realised he preferred economics to engineering, and now he prefers to avoid technical matters.
Peter Dobney
General Manager Resources and Energy
Orora
Ben Eade
Executive Director
Manufacturing Australia
Ben Eade has worked with Manufacturing Australia since its inception in 2011, helping the organisation to become a strong champion for Australia’s large manufacturing base.
Prior to joining Manufacturing Australia as its Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr Eade consulted extensively to corporate, not-for-profit and public organisations, focusing on Australia’s manufacturing, energy, environment and education and training sectors.
Tony Edmondstone
Executive Global Head of Supply
Orica
Tony has held the role of Executive Global Head of Supply since February 2013. Prior to this he held roles of General Manager Finance for the Mining Services and Manufacturing functions as well as CFO for the Orica Mining Services Division.
Tony joined Orica in 2008 from Alcoa Inc, where he held the role of Commercial Director for their Global Primary Products operations based out of the USA.
Tony has more than 25 years' experience in varying executive roles across finance, supply chain, logistics and procurement with Alcoa Inc, Alcoa of Australia, Amcor Limited and PMP Limited.
Mark Feather
Executive Director, Energy Sector Development Branch
Department of State Development, Business and Innovation, Victoria
Mark is Executive Director of the Energy Sector Development Branch of the Victorian Government’s Department of State Development, Business and Innovation. This branch provides policy advice and support to the Minister for Energy and Resources on the governance and regulation of the electricity and gas sector.
Prior to working at DSDBI, Mark was the Director of the Australian Energy Market Commissions’ wholesale, environment and transmission division.
Mark also worked at the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) in Great Britain for a period of 10 years. Mark held a number of positions at Ofgem, including: Director of Industry Codes and Licensing; Associate Director in Ofgem’s Networks division, as well as Ofgem’s Head of Gas Trading Arrangements.
Mark has also previously held positions in the Energy Projects Division of the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance and, before this, at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Mark holds an Honours law and an arts degree from the University of Adelaide and a Postgraduate Diploma in European Competition Law from King’s College, University of London.
Paul Fennelly
Acting Chief Executive Officer
APPEA
Paul is the Acting Chief Executive Officer for APPEA which is the peak industry association representing Australia’s Oil and Gas industry. Paul is responsible for driving APPEA’s vision to achieve a growing and internationally competitive Australian oil and gas industry that makes a vital and sustained contribution to the nation’s economy. Before commencing with APPEA he was a senior executive with Hastings Funds Management, a leading global investor in infrastructure assets. From 2002-2006 he was Director-General of the Queensland Department of State Development Trade and Innovation, and concurrently he served as the State’s Coordinator-General. Previously Paul held a number of senior leadership roles with the Australian Industry Group having served as Executive Director – Victoria and Executive Director- Queensland. Paul holds degrees in Law and Arts (Politics, Economics) and post graduate qualifications in IR/Law.
Martin Ferguson
Non-Executive Director
BG Group
Martin Ferguson has a long history of public service and work in economic and social policy.
From 1984 until 1990 Martin served as the General Secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers Union and from 1990 until 1996 as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). As a senior trade union official, from 1984 until 1996 he sat on the ACTU National Executive, participating directly in shaping and implementing many of the economic reforms of the Hawke and Keating Governments.
In March 1996, Martin was elected as a Member of the Federal Parliament in the seat of Batman, in Melbourne, which he held until retiring at this year’s election. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1996.
During the Howard Government, Martin served in a range of economic shadow portfolios, including Employment and Training; Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Population; Urban and Regional Development, Transport and Infrastructure; Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism; and Transport, Roads and Tourism.
Upon the Rudd Government assuming office in December 2007, Martin was appointed the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Tourism, and acted as the Chair of the Standing Council on Resources and Energy and the Ministerial Council for Tourism. He held the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolios until March 2013, when he resigned from the Ministry.
Martin chairs a Tasmanian Government advisory panel into the state’s timber industry; is chair of an advisory board to the Australian oil and gas industry association, APPEA; is a special adviser to the current Federal Minister for Industry on gas development in New South Wales; and is an executive with the Seven Group Holdings with responsibility for natural resources. In late 2013, Martin was appointed as a non-Executive Director of British Gas.
Martin is also a pro bono member of the University of Western Australia’s advisory board on resources and energy. Martin has an honours degree in economics from Sydney University.
Gary Gray MP
Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources
Federal Opposition
Gary grew up in Whyalla, studied economics at the ANU in Canberra, and then studied education at the University of WA.
From 1986 until 1992 Gary worked for the Labor Party in the NT and the UK. In 1992 he was elected National Secretary of the ALP; an office he held until 2000.
Gary then returned to Perth as the Executive Director of the West Australian Institute for Medical Research, and in 2001 Gary was engaged as an Adviser in the campaign to keep Woodside Energy in Australian hands. Gary then joined Woodside, becoming the Director of Corporate Affairs and a member of the company executive team.
In 2007, Gary was elected to Federal Parliament as the Member for Brand, and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia. In 2009, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia.
At the 2010 Federal election Gary was re-elected and appointed Special Minister of State & Minister for the Public Service and Integrity.
In March 2013, Gary joined Cabinet and was appointed as the Minister for Resources and Energy, Minister for Tourism and Minister for Small Business. Mr Gray is now the Shadow Minister for Resources, Northern Australia and Special Minister of State.
Barry Goldstein
Executive Director Energy and Resources
South Australian Department of State Development
Barry Goldstein has more than 30 years international experience in energy businesses.
He is Executive Director for South Australia’s Energy Resources Division, leading a team of geoscientists, engineers, licensing and royalty specialists, and support staff. This is a team of both hunters and games-keeper e.g. both attracts and regulates investment. This team is focused on the delivery of regulatory nirvana for resources projects and published a roadmap for unconventional gas projects in December 2012. This team is also responsible for developing policies for, auditing and collecting petroleum and mining royalties.
He serves on several national (Australian) government committees focused on the deployment of leading practice regulation, the direction of research and investment attraction for petroleum, geothermal energy, and greenhouse gas storage – providing advice to State, Territory and Commonwealth Minerals and Energy Resource Ministers.
Prior to joining the South Australian Government, Barry was Exploration Manager and Chief Geologist for Santos, Chief Geologist - Bridge Oil, and Chief Geologist – Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Corporation after starting with Phillips Petroleum. He has explored for and discovered energy resources the North Sea, Indonesia, Australia, PNG, and South America.
Barry serves as the American Association of Petroleum Geologist’s Asia-Pacific EMD Councillor, AAPG House of Delegates representative for the Asia – Pacific region, member of the Australian (Federal) Government Expert Panel for geothermal energy, and also serves on the South Australian Centre for Geothermal Energy Research and the Australian School of Petroleum.
Barry is also the Chairman of the organising committee for the World Geothermal Congress 2015 in Melbourne, the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the International Energy Agency’s Geothermal Implementing Agreement, the Chairman for the 2015 World Geothermal Conference, a member of the Board for the Geothermal Resource Council (USA) and Chairman of the Australian Geothermal Energy Group.
He is a past President of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA), and has served on the Boards of PESA (2001-7), the Australian Geoscience Council (2004-7), and the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technologic Societies (2004-7). He is a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC’s 2012 Special Report on Renewable Energy (Geothermal), provided the entry covering geothermal energy in Springer’s Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology and was a member of Australia’s Carbon Storage Task Force. In recognition of his work for the betterment of geoscience, Barry received the AAPG’s Distinguished Service Award in April 2008. He graduated from the University of New York (Bachelors – Geology, 1975) and the University of Missouri (Masters – Geology, 1977). Last, Barry has a sense of humour.
Peter Harris
Chairman
Productivity Commission
Peter Harris is Chairman of the Productivity Commission. Mr Harris has previously served as Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the Victorian Government agencies responsible for Sustainability and the Environment; Primary Industries; and Public Transport.
He has worked for the Ansett-Air New Zealand aviation group and as a consultant on transport policy. He has also worked in Canada on exchange with the Privy Council Office (1993-1994). His career with the government started in 1976 with the Department of Overseas Trade and included periods with the Treasury; Finance; the Prime Minister’s Department and Transport; and he worked for two years in the Prime Minister’s Office on secondment from the Prime Minister’s Department as a member of then Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s personal staff.
In 2013, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia 'for distinguished service to public administration through leadership and policy reform roles in the areas of telecommunications, the environment, primary industry and transport'.
He has a degree in Economics from the University of Queensland (1975) and is married with two children.
Rohan Harris
Principal Consultant
Oakley Greenwood
Rohan Harris is an economist who has worked in the water, electricity and consulting industries for more than 12 years. Rohan has experience in the areas of: regulatory strategy and analysis; tariff design; cost benefit analysis; risk management identification and quantification; and water and energy demand forecasting.
Prior to working at Oakley Greenwood, Rohan worked at SP AusNet, a large electricity and gas business. There, Rohan’s primary role was to lead the development of a number of key aspects of SP AusNet’s 2011-2015 Electricity Distribution Pricing Submission, including its operating expenditure forecasts, cost pass through provisions, energy and demand forecasts, and tariff design (including Time of Use tariffs for residential customers and Critical Peak Demand tariffs for large customers).
Prior to joining SP AusNet, Rohan worked for 3 years at consulting firm SAHA International. At SAHA, Rohan provided regulatory, commercial, policy, strategic and risk management advice to a range of customers from the Water, Electricity, and Gas industries. Before joining SAHA, Rohan worked at South East Water for 7 years, including as Manager, Economic Regulation. Here, Rohan led both the strategic development, writing and modelling of South East Water’s Pricing Submission (‘Water Plan’). Furthermore, Rohan provided economic and strategic advice to management and Board on a range of issues, including third party access, tariff reform, demand management and forecasting, bulk water entitlements, and policy development.
Andrew Heap
Group Leader Energy Systems
Geoscience Australia
Dr Andrew Heap is the Group Leader for Energy Systems at Geoscience Australia.
Dr Heap has over 15 years of professional experience in leading pre-competitive geoscience research within the Australian Government. This includes more than 10 years as a senior leader in Geoscience Australia, with responsibility for energy, carbon capture and storage, and marine geoscience programs.
Dr Heap’s group currently has responsibility for building a national prospectus of energy opportunities across Australia through regional geological framework and source rock studies, and delivery of pre-competitive scientific data and information.
A key outcome of this program is to stimulate new exploration investment in frontier areas through an improved understanding of under-explored basins and poorly-studied petroleum systems.
Dr Heap has published over 100 scientific and technical papers. He is a member of 12 professional organisations, including PESA and the Australia-New Zealand International Ocean Discovery Program Governing Council.
Peter Henderson
Managing Director
Metgasco
Peter Hendeson has over 30 years' experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to joining Metgasco, Mr Henderson held the position of Development Manager for Premier Oil Plc, managing major offshore project developments in Indonesia and Vietnam.
Mr Henderson started his career with Esso Australia and, over an 18 year period, worked in Australia and overseas in a wide range of roles that covered mechanical, reservoir, and process engineering, economics and planning, operations, project management, technical and planning support for refinery operations, and commercial issues. He left Esso as Operations Technical Manager. Since then he has held senior management roles with companies such as Santos, Western Mining, Anzon and Nido Petroleum. His experience covers operations in Australia, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Mr Henderson holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Samantha Hepburn
Associate Head - School of Law
Deakin University
Dr Samantha Hepburn is an Associate Professor at the School of Law, Deakin University. Previously, she was an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the Australian National University. Samantha teaches and publishes in the area of property and land law as well as mining, energy and environmental law. Samantha has a strong research interest in coal seam gas regulation in Australia and is currently involved in a detailed research project examining how the regulatory frameworks for CSG should be developed to respond to the particular needs of the Australian landscape.
Ross Lambie
Acting General Manager Resources & Energy Economics Branch
Department of Industry & Science
Lance Hoch
Director
Oakley Greenwood
Lance is one of the founding directors of Oakley Greenwood, a specialist consulting firm serving the energy and water industries. He has over 30 years of experience as a consultant to the electricity industry and the government and regulatory agencies that are involved with it. He specialises in utility/customer interface issues and has particular expertise in demand management, energy efficiency, pricing, regulation and policy matters in the distribution and retail portions of the electricity supply chain, and has worked on projects in these areas in Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He has been involved in renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand management and demand response throughout his career, having designed more than 50 demand-side programs for electricity utilities in the US, Australia, New Zealand and southeast Asia. A significant area of focus in his demand management projects for electricity distributors, regulators and market bodies has been on accurately defining and developing approaches for quantifying the value of the demand reductions that can be provided by DSM activities, including distributed and embedded generation. These have included valuing the deferral or change in augmentation costs across the distribution and transmission network, the decrease in the expected amount of unserved energy, and the relative merits of dynamic vs static analyses for assessing these impacts and their values.
He has also assessed the potential impacts of the simultaneous (even if not co-ordinated) deployment of large volumes of demand response and distributed generation (including renewables) on the stability of the power system. More recently he assisted two different companies seeking to enter the NEM based on a business model that combines distributed generation and electricity retailing understand the relevant Rules and regulations that would affect them, and the impact of specific network connection policies and tariffs on their commercial value proposition to potential customers.
Victoria Jackson
Executive Director Energy Directorate
Northern Territory Government
Victoria Jackson has more than 25 years’ experience across both private and public sector minerals and energy organizations.
Victoria is the Executive Director, Energy in the Northern Territory's Department of Mines and Energy; managing exploration and development of the Territory's energy resources. A main focus of her role for the coming year will be to steer the regulatory reform agenda to move towards a risk/outcomes based approach.
Previously, she was Government Relations Advisor for Hess Australia where she supported Hess’ business delivery through communicating with government, the community and industry stakeholders.
Having graduated with a B.Sc in Geology, she ran a consultancy for ten years providing technical services across both the oil and gas and minerals sectors. Victoria subsequently joined the Western Australian Government’s resource development agency, where she had responsibility for facilitating government approvals for major projects.
As Director of Project Approvals and Strategy, Victoria was responsible for the provision of strategic leadership and policy direction across the Department to deliver approvals for several key LNG and iron ore project developments. Other management roles Victoria held during her time in the Department included that of Director of Aboriginal Economic Development and General Manger, Heritage and Native Title.
Stephen Livens
Head of Government Relations
APA Group
Stephen Livens is Head of Government Relations at APA Group, Australia’s largest energy infrastructure company, owning in excess of 14,000km of gas transmission pipelines, as well an interests in power stations, wind farms, gas storage facilities and electricity interconnectors. Stephen has in excess of 15 years senior management experience in the energy industry, having worked for APA Group, Epic Energy, Alinta, and Duke Energy. Stephen has responsibility for representing APA Group’s interests at Ministerial and senior bureaucrat engagement at both Federal and state governments levels. Prior to working in the energy industry, Stephen worked for the Queensland Competition Authority focussing on access regulation for monopoly energy infrastructure, and prior to that, in Treasury in the Economic Policy Branch.
Jock Laurie
NSW Land and Water Commissioner
Jock Laurie was appointed as NSW’s first Land and Water Commissioner in December 2012.
Mr Laurie has served as President of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) since November 2010. He was President of the NSW Farmers’ Association from 2005 to 2009.
Mr Laurie currently chairs the Doyles Creek Mine’s Community Consultative Committee. Jock Laurie has also served as Chair of the Rural Mental Health Network and on the Agricultural Ministerial Advisory Council, the Natural Resources Advisory Council, the NSW Workplace Health & Safety Strategy Review Committee, the AgStart Ministerial Advisory Board, and the Noxious Weeds Advisory Council.
Mr Laurie and his family run fine wool sheep, cross-bred lambs and cattle at their property near Walcha.
Brad Lingo
Managing Director
Drillsearch
Brad Lingo has almost three decades of oil and gas experience ranging from frontier deep water exploration offshore West Africa to commercialisation of major gas projects in Australia. He has been involved in all phases of the oil and gas business, as well as in project development, mergers and acquisitions, financing and equity capital raising, for both listed and private companies in Australia and internationally. Mr. Lingo was appointed to the Drillsearch Board in May 2009 and became Managing Director on 15 June 2009. Before joining Drillsearch, Mr Lingo was senior vice president and head of oil and gas at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where he worked for more than four years. Prior to joining CBA, he was with AGL as an adviser on strategy and acquisitions.
Since joining Drillsearch, Mr Lingo has overseen a period of exceptional growth with the company becoming one of the leading mid-tier oil and gas companies on the ASX, focused on the Cooper Basin and with assets spanning Conventional Oil, Wet Gas and Unconventional Gas. Based in Sydney and a member of the ASX 200, Drillsearch is one of the largest acreage holders in the Cooper Basin and has joint ventures with leading E&P industry players such as Santos, BG Group and Beach Energy.
Antara Mascarenhas
Manager, Gas Market Bulletin Board Development
AEMO
Antara Mascarenhas has worked across a range of policy, regulatory and strategy roles at ACIL Tasman Economics Policy Strategy, the Commonwealth Department of Industry and the Australian Energy Market Operator since 2003, covering gas, electricity and infrastructure. Most recently, Antara has led a major redevelopment of the Gas Market Bulletin Board, at the request of the COAG Energy Council. Antara was a Visiting Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy Research in 2007, and holds a Masters in Political Science from the University of Cambridge, England.
Steven Mouzakis
National Energy and Sustainability Manager
Brickworks
Tim Nelson
Head of Economic Policy and Sustainability
AGL Energy
Tim is the Head of Economics, Policy and Sustainability at AGL Energy. In this role, Tim is responsible for: AGL’s sustainability strategy; greenhouse accounting and reporting; AGL’s energy and greenhouse research; AGL’s corporate citizenship program, Energy for Life; and energy and greenhouse policy.
Tim is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Griffith University and has had several papers published in Australian and international peer-reviewed journals. He has presented at conferences in Australia and throughout Asia and Europe. Tim holds a first class honours degree in economics and is a chartered secretary.
“The Commonwealth Green Paper highlights that the best response to increasing gas prices is to facilitate more domestic supply. The conference should provide a platform for the industry to help deliver on this important policy objective – in the long-term interests of gas consumers.”
Keith Orchison
Director
Coolibah Pty Ltd
Keith Orchison has been engaged in the Australian energy industry for 33 years, of which he spent 24 as chief executive of national industry associations representing the upstream petroleum and electricity supply sectors.
He was a founder of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network, which he chaired in 2000. From 2003 to 2007 he served on the Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council set up by the Howard government and was chairman of its energy committee. He was also chairman of CSIRO's energy technology advisory committee in the late 1990s and was deputy chairman and the overseeing manager of the Australian Electricity Supply Industry Research Board through most of the 1990s.
In 2011-12 he was a member of the Federal Government's energy white paper reference group.
Keith was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 and was awarded the 2012 Sir Willis Connolly Memorial Medal by AusIMM for communication services to the resources sector. He also is a holder of the APPEA Gold Medal (now the Reg Sprigg Medal), awarded in 1994 for services to the petroleum industry.
Keith has been principal of consultancy Coolibah Pty Ltd since retiring from ESAA at the end of 2003 and has numerous clients for his communications services across the spectrum of energy stakeholders.
He edited the "Powering Australia" yearbook from 2007 to 2012.
He is a commentator on energy issues for "Business Spectator" electronic newspaper and has a new column in "Gas Today" magazine.
His "This is Power" blog and monthly newsletter on the Coolibah website are widely read in the energy industry.
In late 2012, in partnership with media company ArmstrongQ, he launched the "OnPower" website and yearbook to provide a new media focus on eastern Australia's electricity supply business.
Cameron O'Reilly
Chief Executive Officer
ERAA
Cameron O’Reilly is the CEO of the ERAA. With a longstanding background in energy and public policy, he has worked at the centre of government and business relations for most of his career – advising on policy, as an executive for outsourcing firms, as well as consulting on public affairs.
Cameron holds a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University and a Master of Management and Public Policy from Monash University, where he undertook a major research essay on the genesis of the National Electricity Market (NEM). He is also a Fulbright scholar where he undertook research at the University of Texas on the impact of climate change policy on the US energy sector.
Cameron also holds positions in the following Boards and Advisory Groups:
- Director of the Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT)
- Chairman of Energy Assured Limited
- Member of the Advisory Committee of the VaasaETT Global Energy Think Tank
- Member of the Federal Government’s Smart Grid, Smart City Strategic Policy and Regulatory Steering Committee
- Former Member of the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency (TUSMA)
Miles Prosser
Executive Director
Australian Aluminium Council
Miles Prosser is the Executive Director of the Australian Aluminium Council, the peak association for the bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminium smelting industry sectors. Miles has twenty years experience in industry policy issues. He has previously worked for the pulp & paper and forest industries on a range of issues relating to resource allocation, sustainability and climate change. Miles has experience in the development and implementation of policy from the perspective of Government, resource suppliers, major processing companies and industry associations. The priorities of the Australian Aluminium Council include an effective response to climate change, the renewable energy target and the reputation of the aluminium industry and its products.
Samantha Read
Chief Executive Officer
Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association
Samantha was appointed CEO of PACIA in January 2014.
Samantha’s career in manufacturing and industry spans more than 23 years, most recently as CEO at the Biofuels Association of Australia. She has previously held senior executive and Board roles in the steel and automotive industries, including a former Director on the boards of GM Holden, General Motors Australia and the automotive industry’s peak body, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. Samantha’s career has been diverse with her time at Holden including roles in Corporate Affairs, Government Relations, Procurement and Quality. Her career began in BHP’s Research and Steel Divisions, working in roles including manufacturing, strategic technology planning and research, across a range of locations.
She is a passionate advocate for a strong Australian manufacturing industry as vital to the long-term success of Australia’s economy, providing skilled jobs, driving investment and delivering innovation, new technology and research outcomes.
Samantha was a finalist in the 2014 Telstra Business Women’s Awards. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Materials Engineering from Monash University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Tennant Reed
Principal National Advisor - Public Policy
Australian Industry Group
Tennant Reed is Principal National Adviser – Public Policy at the Australian Industry Group. For the last five years he has worked heavily on climate and energy issues, advising Ai Group’s Leaders’ Group on Energy and Climate Policy and developing reports on natural gas supply, energy prices and energy efficiency. He also works on a range of issues related to manufacturing and innovation. Previously he was an adviser in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, working on fiscal policy, stimulus and infrastructure. Tennant lives in Melbourne with his wife and their young son.
The Hon. Anthony Roberts MP
Minister for Resources and Energy
NSW Government
The Hon Anthony Roberts MP is the NSW Minister for Resources and Energy, and Special Minister of State. Elected as the Member for Lane Cove in 2003, Anthony previously served as the Minister for Fair Trading from March 2011 to December 2013. Prior to becoming a Member of the NSW Parliament, he served as Mayor of Lane Cove Municipal Council and was an advisor to former Prime Minister John Howard. A former Captain in the Australian Army Reserves, Anthony proudly served in peace keeping operations in Bougainville as part of Operation Bel Isi.
Dr Malcolm Roberts joined the QCA on 29 January 2013. In recent years he has worked in the energy sector, including as the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Networks Association and the Executive Director of the National Generators Forum.
His earlier roles include Policy Director for the Australian National Retailers Association and Chief Executive (Business Services) at the Housing Industry Association. His career in Canberra began in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and he served as Policy Adviser to three Commonwealth Ministers over 10 years.
Clyde Russell
Asia Commodities and Energy Analyst
Thomson Reuters
Clyde Russell is Asia Commodities and Energy Columnist at Reuters. He writes about trends in commodity and energy markets, with a particular focus on the rise of China, and its impact on oil, coal and metals markets. He has been a journalist and editor for 25 years covering everything from wars in Africa to the current resources boom. Born in Glasgow, he has lived in Johannesburg, Sydney, Singapore and now splits his time between Tasmania and Asia. During a decade in living in Australia, Clyde covered the rapid development of liquefied natural gas projects and the increasing focus on exploiting coal-bed methane for export. He also wrote on the impact of the massive expansion of coal and iron ore projects by companies such as BHP Billiton Ltd. on the Australian economy. Prior to returning to Reuters in 2011, Clyde ran Bloomberg’s energy coverage for Asia and Australian financial markets for Dow Jones. Prior to moving to Sydney in 2000, Clyde worked as an editor for Reuters in Johannesburg covering gold and precious metals as well as the development of post-apartheid South Africa. Before becoming a financial journalist in 1996, Clyde covered civil wars in Angola, Mozambique and other African hotspots for Agence-France Presse.
John Ryan
Associate Secretary
Federal Department of Industry
John is Associate Secretary, responsible for the Economics, Energy, Resources and Strategic Policy groups of the Department.
John chairs the COAG Senior Officials Energy Group and the Energy White Paper Reform Panel.
He has held a number of executive appointments in the private and public sectors, including Commissioner for the Australian Energy Market Commission and head of the Canberra Office of the Allen Consulting Group and Executive Director of Cloon Economics. He was Chair of the International Energy Agency Governing Board and lead shepherd of the APEC Energy Working Group.
John received a Public Service Medal in 2007 for his work on the Prime Minister’s Taskforce into Uranium Mining and Nuclear Energy in Australia. He has a Bachelor of Economics (Monash) and a Master of Economics (ANU) and was a Public Service Fellow at the University of London.
David Rynne
Chief Resources Economist
Queensland Department of Mines and Petroleum
David is the Chief Resource Economist at the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. The department is an economic development agency that enables the productive and responsible use of the state’s natural resources – water, land, mineral and energy resources. David and his team provide pro-active economic advice and public policy insight and analysis to grow the resources sector in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner. Prior to joining the Department of Natural Resources and Mines in November 2014, David was the Chief Economist and Director of Infrastructure and Economics at the Queensland Resources Council – a position he held for six years - and previously the Director of Economics and Taxation at the Minerals Council of Australia – a position he held for 4 years. David has also worked for the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a policy adviser and the Federal Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business as an economist. David has under and post graduate degrees in economics and business. David and Karin have two daughters – Jaide and Emma.
Craig Simmons
Director
National Centre for Groundwater Research
Craig Simmons is Schultz Chair in the Environment at Flinders University and Director, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (Australia). One of Australia’s foremost groundwater academics, Professor Simmons has been a significant contributor to global advances in the science of hydrogeology for many years and has published widely in areas including variable density groundwater flow, surface water - groundwater interaction, fractured rock hydrogeology, aquifer storage and recovery, and groundwater flow and solute transport modelling. He is a member of the Statutory Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development. His work has been recognised by numerous national and international research and teaching awards including the Anton Hales Medal for outstanding research contributions to the Earth Sciences by the Australian Academy of Science. Professor Simmons has served as an Editor and Associate Editor for numerous major international journals including Hydrogeology Journal (Editor), Water Resources Research, Environmental Modeling and Assessment, Journal of Hydrology, Groundwater and Vadose Zone Journal.
Jim Snow
Executive Director
Oakley Greenwood
Jim spent 12 years in the Natural Gas Industry (AGL) holding several senior executive positions involved with the technical end use of energy, regulations and tariffs, contract pricing, analysis of energy projects investment, strategy, mergers and acquisitions and the promotion and marketing of energy.
Jim has senior executive experience running a major Development and Construction business for listed entity Energy Developments Ltd. This encompassed power station developments and CNG and LNG facility developments in Australia. Jim has also been the CEO of a major electrical power systems contracting company specialising in the design and construction of overhead power lines and electrical contracting.
Jim also has some 16 years experience in consulting to the energy industry, industrial energy consumers and the water industry in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East. This has involved him in the development of consulting businesses including the founding of two leading practices (Energetics and CRA International) and several smaller undertakings in that time (including Snowshill Consulting Pty Ltd).
Areas of expertise cover full senior management and leadership capability, advising on and implementing utility strategy and restructuring internationally, corporate management and governance, detailed economic regulation, greenhouse gas mitigation and policy, regulatory undertakings and regulatory affairs, detailed contractual matters, market development, and JV development and management.
Mark Textor
Managing Director
CrosbyTextor
As Australia 's most successful pollster and campaign strategist, Mark Textor is acknowledged as the most astute judge of public sentiment in Australia today.
His unique grasp of public opinion and success in delivering winning strategic advice to public and private sector clients prompted Business Review Weekly (BRW) to include him in its list of Australia 's 50 Most Influential People in Australian Business (2000). The Australian Financial Review also named Mark as one of the 10 most powerful people in Australia in 2007. He was the youngest figure honoured in both the BRW and the AFR lists in 2000 and 2002. These publications recognized Mark's ability to delve deeper into the critical factors that drive consumer, investor and voter behaviour; and devise strategies and tactics to influence it.
As a pioneer of values-based communication in Australasia , Mark's insight into behavioural change has been sought by business and community leaders around the world. Mark has earned the recognition of some of Australia 's most respected commentators and academics for his work, which has also included counsel for some of the most significant investor and consumer communications campaigns in Australia.
Mark's direct clients have included governments, premiers and opposition leaders in six countries and the CEOs and Boards of major Australian and multi-national companies in a broad range of industries, including; mining, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), pharmaceutical, retail, financial services, banking (“Big Four”), tobacco, renewable energies, oil, gas and farming sectors.
He has also been engaged by more than 20 premier national industry associations, including the Australian Bankers' Association, the Business Council of Australia and Free TV.
Mark is responsible for the exclusive qualitative research used by The Australian newspaper for its ‘Investor Jury' study, the first of its kind to systematically depth survey retail investors large and small.
Prior to founding Crosby|Textor, Mark was Australasian Managing Director and one of the three founding Asia-Pacific team leaders of Wirthlin Worldwide, a USD$60+ million dollar market research firm, helping to establish offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Canberra and Sydney.
Steven Travers
Operations Director - Cooper Basin
Baker Hughes
Steven Travers is currently the Cooper Basin Operations Director for Baker Hughes. Travers graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a degree in Geology and Petroleum Geology, and also holds Masters degrees in Drilling & Well Engineering, and Business Administration. He joined the petroleum industry in 2001 and has held a number of roles in various locations including; Geophysicist, M/LWD Engineer, Geosteering Supervisor and Integrated Operations Project Manager. Prior to his current role, Travers was the Baker Hughes Executive Account Manager for the Cooper Basin area and Unconventional Resources sub-sector.
Matthew Warren
Chief Executive Officer
esaa
Matthew Warren joined esaa in January 2012, having spent 15 years working as an environment and energy policy specialist. An economist by training, his objective at esaa is to ensure that esaa’s research and advocacy assists the downstream electricity and gas sector to continue to provide a safe, reliable and affordable energy supply for Australia.
Matthew was previously CEO of the Clean Energy Council, where he made a significant contribution to Australian policy debate on the role of renewable energy in meeting the challenges of reducing emissions.
Matthew has also worked for the mining industry in NSW, as an environmental consultant to both government and industry and was a trainee in the Environment Directorate of the European Commission. He has also worked as a journalist, most recently as the environment writer for The Australian newspaper.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Economics with Honours from the University of Adelaide.
Rob Wheals
Executive Director Transmission
APA Group
As Group Executive Transmission, Rob is responsible for both the commercial and operational performance of
APA Group’s transmission and gas storage assets. Rob joined APA Group in 2008 as General Manager - Commercial and moved into the position of Group Executive - Transmission in 2012. He has been responsible for managing the organic expansion of APA Group’s gas transmission and storage portfolio, totalling in excess of $1 billion of capital projects over this time. Rob’s previous experience is in the telecommunications sector where he covered areas such as operational and financial performance, business development, regulatory, mergers and acquisitions and strategic developments. He is passionate about ensuring a strong customer focus, as well as improving service performance and business operational efficiency. Rob has tertiary qualifications in finance and management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Directors.