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SPEAKERS & SESSION CHAIRS AT OUR CONFERENCE
ASKELL, Ian
Senior Commercial Specialist – Electrification & Key Accounts, Commercial Development, Essential Energy
Ian has over 19 years’ experience working within the Electrical Industry including Demand Management, Strategy, and Innovation. As the Senior Commercial Specialist – Electrification & Key Accounts at Essential Energy, Ian is responsible for the development and implementation of Essential Energy’s Electrification Program. The purpose of the program is to support customers to transition away from non-transport fossil fuels, such as natural gas, LPG, and diesel, unpack sectorial decarbonisation barriers, while harnessing innovation and cross-industry collaboration to enable customers to access lower cost, carbon free, resilient energy. Ian holds a degree of Electrical Engineering with 1st Class Honours from the University of Newcastle and has been a dedicated committee member of the Electric Energy Society of Australia (EESA).
BARNES, Dr Rebecca
National Grants Manager, RSM Australia
Rebecca has supported hundreds of organisations, from start-ups to large global companies, to access Government funding. As RSM’s National Grants Manager, she has a thorough understanding of grant funding programs across a range of sectors and levels of Government. In the last year alone, Rebecca has accessed over $50 million in grants for renewable energy and low-carbon projects.
With a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Rebecca previously worked for water supply and wastewater projects both domestically and in an international aid context, and as an engineering lecturer at the University of NSW. Now based in Adelaide, Rebecca is committed to her clients and their pioneering projects. Her job is to unlock the funding they need to change the world, and she is passionate about their success.
BROWNLEE, Martin
Environment and Sustainability Manager, Southern Business of JBS Australia
Martin has around 30 years' experience in environmental compliance, water management and sustainability, having worked in consulting industry for 15 years, then in mining and food and beverage, having worked with companies including Rio Tinto, BHP, Murray Goulburn, Kraft and Iluka delivering water and compliance projects. Recently Martin has lead the commissioning and handover of JBS's Scone biogas project in partnership with Energy 360.
BUDDEN, Steve
Technical Director, Optimal Renewable Gas
Steve is an experienced process engineer with over 35 years of engineering, operations, and project management experience. He has made a career in successfully delivering gas processing facilities and systems across numerous sectors worldwide. Steve has a passion for renewable energy applications and energy efficiency, and undertakes two roles within Optimal Group: Sales Manager for Queensland and Resources delivering energy solutions and Technical Director for Optimal Renewable Gas developing biomethane facilities.
CANTLEY-SMITH, Rowena
Work Package 5 Leader, Race for 2030
Rowena’s international and Australian legal expertise encompasses energy policy, law, and regulation, climate change law, and consumer protections. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on the energy-environment human nexus and related issues, e.g., just transitions, climate change, energy justice, energy security of supply risks, and emergent international legal rights. Other current research focuses on regulatory challenges facing emergent, non-traditional energy networks and markets, legal protections for energy consumers, climate change litigation, and the role of bioenergy and other renewables in sustainable energy market transitions.
Before moving to UTS, Rowena’s energy activities at Monash University included being part of the Monash Grid Innovation Hub, member of the Advisory Panel to the Monash Micro-Grid Electricity Market Operator, and responsibility for the regulatory research aspects of Monash Net Zero’s Victorian Market Assessment for Microgrid Electricity Market Operators. (Rowena will lead the project. She will also co-lead the regulatory frameworks review aspects of this Opportunity Assessment with Dr Anne Kallies. Prof Dr Ron Ben-David will support them. Rowena and Ron will co-lead the Beyond Today review aspects set out in Stream 4 of this Opportunity Assessment).
COLLINS, Marguerite
Principal - Partnerships and Innovation, RACE for 2030
Marguerite has held senior roles focussed on energy, environment and sustainability, greenhouse gas and natural resource management. Her experience extends from energy consulting across commercial, industrial and government sectors, to Head of Environment at Shell Australia for 8 years in both the upstream and downstream businesses, and also includes senior roles in energy and natural resource management in the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
Marguerite holds a master's degree from Harvard University in environment and sustainability management, as well as undergraduate degrees in economics, finance and chemical engineering. She holds significant industry expertise in the development and implementation of practical sustainability and low carbon strategies.
COLLINSON, Blaine
Executive Director, Renewable Thermal Collaborative
Blaine Collison is the Executive Director of the Renewable Thermal Collaborative and the Senior Vice-President at David Gardiner and Associates, a clean energy consulting firm in Arlington, VA. Blaine has a long background in the voluntary renewable electricity markets, including serving as a Managing Director at Altenex and then Edison Energy. Blaine spent 17 years at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, leading the Green Power Partnership and serving various roles in the ENERGY STAR programs. Blaine lives in Madison, WI and has a political science degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
COOPER, Jo
Senior Project Officer, Sustainability Advantage, NSW Government
Jo’s involvement in the environment sector goes back many years as volunteer, campaigner, educator, policymaker and researcher. In 2007 Jo became EcoSurf Manager at Surf Life Saving Australia where she enabled the charity to expand its reach, advocacy and educational work proactively, including having the definition of ‘saving life’ extended to include the plant and animal life of the sensitive coastal environments members operate in.
Jo has been working with Sustainability Advantage, the NSW Government’s flagship program activating and enabling business sustainability and leadership, for almost a decade. Jo helped to create and expand this program’s net zero emissions and circular economy initiatives to help NSW businesses accelerate their performance. Jo manages a large cluster of food manufacturers and also works on developing collaborative projects across sectors to drive impact at scale, develop new markets and enable resource optimisation. These complex sustainability challenges would be hard for any single organisation to solve alone.
CURTAIN, Kim
Deputy Secretary, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
A governance and finance professional with over 25 years of experience, Kim has deep expertise in both the public and private sectors and is passionate about maximising efficiency and outcomes, whilst balancing risk and financial impact.
After commencing her career in project finance consulting, Kim worked at the UK Department of Health and NHS on various infrastructure and services contracts before returning to Australia to join NSW Treasury where she held 3 roles, first in the Infrastructure and Structured Finance Unit; second as Deputy Secretary of Trade, Tourism, Investment and Precincts and, finally, as NSW Treasury’s Chief Operating Officer.
Returning to the private sector in 2021, Kim joined Deloitte as a Partner in the Infrastructure and Capital Projects practice where she advised the NSW government in development of its Renewable Energy Zones. Here, Kim developed her passion for climate change and the energy transition. She now leads the Energy, Climate Change and Sustainability team at NSW DCCEEW, with particular responsibility for NSW’s Net Zero policy and Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
DEFREVILLE, Hugues
French engineer and entrepreneur specialist of renewable energy production, Newheat
After participating in the creation and development of Neoen, which has become one of the main independent producers of renewable electricity in Europe (solar photovoltaic, wind power), Hugues became interested in the heating sector decarbonization challenges, being the main source of energy consumption in the world and still dependent on fossil fuels for more than 80%. Aware of the need to provide new solutions, in 2015 he co-founded Newheat, of which he is currently Chairman, with the ambition of becoming a leader in renewable heat supply as well as a bold and innovative player in the energy transition.
Newheat is a French renewable heat provider for large heat consumers. Based on a Design, Build, Finance and Operate business model, it is offering Heat-as-a-Service for large scale industrial customers and district heating networks. Newheat combines solar thermal, heat pumps, waste heat recovery and storage technologies to deliver decarbonized heat solutions that are local, sustainable and competitive over the long term. Based in Bordeaux, Newheat has a portfolio of 40 MW solar thermal plants under operation in France, and plan to build more than 400 MW in the next 5 years. Learn more about Newheat: https://newheat.com/en/
EDWARDS, Scott
Sustainability Lead, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in Australia.
With 13 years’ experience in environment and sustainability and over 20 years in FMCG he’s well versed in decarbonising supply chains, packaging circularity and water stewardship. Scott was formerly a chemical engineer out of Sydney University and has successfully blended his technical background and significant industry knowledge to engage everyone from the Board room to customers and those on the factory floor in the CCEP sustainability strategy. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two boys, loves to travel and yes has a house full of Coke paraphernalia.
GANDHI, Sohum
Managing Director, Enriva Pty Ltd
Sohum Gandhi has a Bachelor’s of Engineering degree from the University of Victoria, Canada. Since 2004, he has been working within various Australian and New Zealand industries. His pro-active approach has helped clients around the region evolve in their designs and energy systems. For two decades, Sohum has been involved with waste biomass fuels in an attempt to provide clients with renewable and low cost energy alternatives. His installed projects to date offset many thousands of tonnes of CO2 emission annually, and save clients millions of dollars in fossil fuel costs. Sohum is the director of Enriva, a leading Australian company providing energy systems for industry. You can contact Sohum Gandhi – email: sohum@enriva.com.au or website: www.enriva.com.au
HAENKE, Peter
Investment Manager, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
As an Investment Manager at ARENA, Peter provides technical and strategic guidance to ARENA and ARENA Applicants regarding decarbonisation projects in sectors as diverse as: alumina refining, iron and steel production, food and beverage manufacturing, and general manufacturing amongst others.
Peter is a mechanical and environmental engineer with over 30 years’ experience assisting business to identify and capture the opportunities in the transition to a low carbon economy.
Peter has been at ARENA for 7 years and previously worked in corporate, consulting and government agency roles across a diverse range of sectors including the mining, manufacturing, property, transport and energy sectors in Australia and abroad.
HARGREAVES, Kylie
Chair, Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity
Kylie is an experienced diplomat, policy maker, director and private consultant with a track record for solving difficult challenges. During her time with Government she was Australia’s Trade & Investment Commissioner in the UK, USA and Spain and was Deputy Secretary for numerous portfolios in the NSW Government, including for the highly regulated sectors of Resources and Energy. At present Kylie is Chair of A2EP, Deputy Chair for Regional Development Australia – Sydney, Chief Sustainability Officer for National Intermodal, Global Ambassador for Business Events Sydney and is a member of numerous advisory panels.
HEMMERICH, Jan
General Manager, Piller Blowers & Compressors Australia Pty Ltd.
Jan Hemmerich is an industry expert with many years of experience in sales and product management of use Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) with our Blowers and Compressors. Jan's journey with PILLER began in 2007 when he joined the company as a Sales and Project Engineer, specializing in the international market. During his time in the International Sales department he was responsible to promote the use of PILLER Blowers and Compressors for the MVR Technology.
In 2020, Jan took on the role as the Product Manager for the PILLER VapoFan, showcasing his commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation in blowers and compressors. Jan's journey with PILLER took an exciting turn when the company decided to establish a presence in Brisbane, Australia. Since the beginning of 2023, Jan is now the General Manager for PILLER Australia. His mission is to support our customers with the best technological solutions to show a way to get closer to a green production and establish the thriving business in the region
LAMOND, Samantha
Commercial Project Development, Energy 360 Pty Ltd
As CEO of Energy360 for 5 years, Samantha was well placed to lead the 100% acquisition of the company by AGL Energy Ltd in May 2022. Prior to the AGL acquisition and with over 12 years of experience in the waste gas handling industry, a lifetime’s interest in engineering and a B.Bus, Samantha guided Energy360 to achieve technology applications across more and more complex projects. From large flares for BINGO, delivery systems for Cleanaway, Baiada and Energy360’s most recent successes as an EPC with the two projects for JBS Australia, biogas capture and deliver to boiler to displace natural gas.
Samantha has also led the Energy360 conversation for anaerobic digestion using tanks rather than lagoons. Well proven in Europe, Energy360 has developed an excellent relationship with Oekobit from southwest Germany with over 350 plants built and operating. Now embedded with Business Development in the AGL Energy Solutions team Samantha is continuing her work to offer decarbonisation solutions to behind-the-meter entities in hard to abate industries.
LIAO, Kevin
Lead Energy Engineer, Fonterra
Kevin has led and support multiple energy efficiency and decarbonisation works at Fonterra for the past 16 years. Kevin has led and supported energy efficiency work for Fonterra UNI and CNI regions to achieve the company’s target of an improvement of energy intensity by 20% by 2020. He has been involved in multiple biomass projects including conversion of the Te Awamutu coal boiler to use wood pellet – NZ’s largest decarbonisation project in 2020, installation of 30 MW Bubbling Fluid Bed wood chip boiler at Fonterra Waitoa and converting the last Fonterra North Island coal site to use wood pellet at Hautapu.
MADDEN, Allen
Gadigal man from the Eora nation
Allen John Madden was born 16th June 1949 at Redfern NSW. Attended Redfern Public School, which is now reformed into National CIE, Narwee Boys High school & Newtown Technology High School. Stared working at age 14 at Ingham Chicken, Shelly soft drinks, Sydney of Sydney council, Aboriginal Medical Service, Aboriginal Children’s Service, Aboriginal Legal Service, NCAP, New Careers for Aboriginal People Employment. Former MLALC CEO and MLALC Culture & Heritage Officer. Previous Board member of Sydney Foreshore Authority, SBS, Central Coast Aboriginal Heritage and various others.
At present a Board member of the MLALC. Has been involved in television with Redfern Now, Walk on Country, Greatest Cities of the World (BBC), First Australian, Pemulwuy, First Contact, and Foot Prints.
Married with 10 children. Life member of Redfern All Blacks sporting club and a business owner of Aboriginal Land Consultancy.
Mc MYLER, Paddy
General Manager, Mataura Valley Milk
Paddy has worked in the food and beverage industry for the last 12 years, particularly in the dairy processing and infant formula categories. He started his career with Kerry Group in Ireland, and since then has worked in numerous other dairy companies in Ireland, Australia and more recently based in New Zealand. He has held numerous leadership positions across operations, technical, and commercial management in recent years. He has extensive experience in capacity planning, leading capital programs to manage growth in the dairy industry, and has technical expertise in developing and supplying premium products to the dairy market globally.
MERRELL, Justin
Group Sustainability Director, Lion
Lion is one of Australia’s largest brewers. Justin is responsible for setting and delivering Lion’s ESG strategy that focuses on carbon, sustainable packaging, water stewardship, responsible consumption and community investment. Prior to Lion, Justin held various roles in Qantas, but joined Qantas in 2012 as Group Environment Manager just in time to catch Australia’s first biofuel flight. Prior to Qantas, he was Operations Manager at the Koppers chemical plant in Kurnell for 11 years. Justin has a Chemical Engineering Degree from the University of Newcastle and Master of Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales.
MICHAELS, Sage
Head of Partnerships, Energy Efficiency Council
A values-driven executive leader and partnership specialist with extensive experience in association and community sectors, Sage has overseen delivery of strategy, projects, membership and partnership engagement for a range of organisations. Sage leads the EEC’s partner and membership engagement activities, connecting with a broad spectrum of businesses, universities, government and NGOs to build the energy management market and facilitate an equitable, prosperous and net zero economy.
MILNE, Ross
Asset Care Manager, Saputo Dairy Australia
Ross is an MBA qualified Mechanical Engineer with over 30 years experience in capital project and asset management across a number of industries including electricity generation, pharmaceutical and food manufacture, and including 11 years in Dairy processing.
Currently leading Saputo Dairy Australia’s engineering sustainability program, Ross is responsible for developing a pathway for the decarbonization of the business’ manufacturing sites including identifying appropriate technologies and developing and implementing capital projects. Ross also supports the promotion of an energy efficiency mindset across the business and supports energy teams that have been formed and trained across the business to drive continuous improvement in energy use.
O’Donnell, John
Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Rondo Energy
John has over 30 years of experience taking novel solutions from conception to reality across the energy, semiconductor and supercomputer industries. Prior to founding Rondo, John served as Co-Founder and Vice President of Development for GlassPoint Solar, which delivered solar industrial heat worldwide. He previously cofounded and led Ausra, a pioneer in solar thermal electric systems. John served as a lead engineer for Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, where he designed award-winning technology to support fusion experiments. He is a published author of numerous technical papers and holds more than 20 patents in the U.S. and internationally. John earned a B.Sc. with Special Distinction in Computer Science from Yale University.
POOCH, Jonathan
Founder and Managing Director of DETA Consulting
DETA supports industrial and commercial clients throughout Australasia to develop and deliver sustainability strategy to ensure improvement goals are realised. Jonathan is an experienced energy professional with over 15 years in the industry. Some key career highlights include supporting the Climate Leaders Coalition’s response to government as part of the Climate Change Commission consultation, development of a South Island wide decarbonisation roadmap and the installation of New Zealand’s first Hight Temperature Heat Pump. Jonathan is heavily focussed on action, and the tools need to make sure goals and targets are not just talked about, but are realised.
PERROW, Melissa
General Manager, Energy at Brickworks Limited
Melissa is responsible for managing the company’s energy needs as a large user of electricity and gas. Through its ownership of Austral Bricks, Brickworks is one of Australia’s largest natural gas consumers and directly buys gas on a wholesale basis acting as its own gas retailer. Melissa has been a leading advocate for biomethane as a pathway to decarbonise brickmaking, which is a high-heat industrial process not capable of being electrified. Melissa currently manages a feasibility project to develop an anaerobic digestion facility co-located with an Austral Bricks plant located in Western Sydney. Melissa has 20 years of wholesale energy trading experience gained across electricity, gas, carbon and green markets and previously worked for Origin Energy and AGL. She holds a Bachelor in Applied Science, a Bachelor of Business, a Graduate Diploma in Technology, a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Finance and is currently studying a Global MBA.
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-perrow-4701543/
SAHNI, Satinder
Group Senior Manager – Utilities, Asahi Beverages
Satinder is a certified Energy manager (from Association of Energy Engineers, the USA), with over 22 years of experience in spearheading transformative initiatives in energy and water efficiency, as well as industrial decarbonization. He has hands on experience in driving both continuous improvements as well as step -up projects in Energy & Water efficiency & working closely with the plant teams.
He has extensive exposure to food & beverage operations and has benchmarked industrial Utilities standards/ KPIs both nationally and internationally. Passionate about fostering a greener future and creating a decarbonization pathway , Satinder continues to actively participate in energy arenas & government programs to adapt advance technologies and inspire next-generation sustainability efforts.
SANAI, Atta Ullah
Senior Project Officer, Business Decarbonisation Program, NSW DCCEEW
Atta Ullah leads the technical services and net zero workstreams within the Business Decarbonisation Program at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Program aims to help businesses make simple low-cost improvements and take practical steps to shift towards net zero emissions. As part of the technical services workstream, Atta Ullah is leading the development of tools to help identify the technical and economic barriers to electrify heating systems using heat pumps. He is a mechanical engineer with extensive experience in Energy Management Systems (EnMS) and Environment, Health & Safety (EHS).
SCHULTZ, Glenn
Origin Zero, Origin Energy
Glenn has 20-years experience working in the manufacturing, commercial and industrial processing spaces. Glenn started his career as mechanical fitter in the food processing sector and progressed though his career achieving an advanced engineering diploma and two master’s degrees along the way with previous senior engineering roles, project and general management positions along with experience in leading in a carbon advisory firm. Glenn’s speciality remains in processing environments, namely around thermal heat and utilities and now leads a strategic partners team within Origin Zero which is focused on developing and implementing decarbonisation solutions and flexible energy agreements for key clients under his portfolio.
TAN, Eujin
Engineer, Hoctor Refrigeration
Eujin has experience in industrial refrigeration. For over a decade now he’s worked on solutions to enhance clients' operations and reduce costs. His project design is informed by thoughtful and strategic engagement – with clients themselves, and an eye on the broader landscape.
TRIANNI, Andrea
Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, Deputy Head of School (Research), Centre for Advanced Manufacturing - University of Technology Sydney
Andrea Trianni holds a BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a summa-cum-laude Doctorate in Industrial Engineering from Politecnico di Milano (Italy). He is an accomplished scholar with a notable record of research, consultancy, and advisory work for industrial organizations and policymakers at the local, regional, and international levels. He is included in the list of 2% world’s top cited scientists in the field Energy and Environmental Sciences, Enabling and Strategic Technologies. He has successfully spearheaded, supervised, and executed a multitude of high-quality applied research projects with substantial impact on industries and policy makers, amounting to over 2.5 million $. Additionally, he has collaborated in pivotal research projects and provided his services to major local and international industry players, as well as domestic and international policy-makers.
Dr. Trianni's research and consultancy activities are focused on enhancing industrial decarbonization and digitalization, with a particular emphasis on productivity benefits within industrial activities and supply chains, as well as deployment of low-carbon solutions for industrial sustainability, by leveraging on the potential of Industry 4.0 solutions. He has authored or co-authored over 80 publications in journals as well as conference proceedings. He is Associate Editor for Journal of Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency. Dr. Trianni also sits in the Editorial Board of several international peer reviewed journals such as Production and Manufacturing Research, Sustainable Futures, Energies and Sustainability.
WALL, Felicity
Manager, Microgrid Development, Alinta Energy
Felicity has been in business and project development roles in the energy sector for the past 14 years and has significant experience selling electricity, gas, metering and sustainability projects in the commercial and industrial sector. Felicity has held leadership positions at Shell, Momentum Energy and Mondo, and is now working with Alinta to help businesses implement the least cost pathway to hit their decarbonisation targets. Alinta is deploying capital into solar, storage and electrification projects under an Energy as a Service (EaaS) model; providing offtake from our 3GW+ utility-scale renewable energy portfolio; and implementing nature-based projects to create high-integrity offsets (ACCUs).
WILKOSZ, Renata
Group Sustainability Manager at Beak & Johnston
Renata has more than 20 years of experience in Food manufacturing across multiple functions and businesses within operations, continuous improvement and leadership, identifying areas and processes to optimise production and implementing strategies. Renata started her Sustainability journey over 2 years ago and has since successfully built and rolled out a sustainability strategy across 3 businesses, building the first report for the business. Renata is an alumni Graduate of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She is passionate about creating a better future for all and aims to enthuse those around her to have sustainability as their first thought.
XIMENES, Fabiano
Senior Research Scientist, DPI Forest Science Unit, NSW Government
Fabiano has a research focus on wood products, biomass, bioenergy and carbon. He was a Lead Author for the IPCC 2014 Good Practice Guidance on Harvested Wood Products, and he has contributed to many industry research projects, including leading the NSW component of the Australian Biomass for Bioenergy project and the Biomass for Bioenergy project. Fabiano is also a lead of the Bioproducts theme under the NSW Decarbonisation Hub.