Plenary 2: The Energy System Transition And The Technology That’s Evolving To Support This

DURATION

1 hour and 30 minutes

SPEAKERS

CHAIR

Rob Murray-Leach

Head of Policy, Energy Efficiency Council

Rob has an extensive background in climate change, energy, transport and sustainability, as an author of the Garnaut Climate Change Review and senior policy expert in the South Australian Government. His academic background from Oxford and Adelaide focussed on behaviour and sustainability, and he has contributed to a number of texts in this field.

Founding CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council, Rob now leads the Council’s policy and advocacy activities, working with members and governments to inform the development of robust and cost-effective energy efficiency policies and programs in Australia.

KEYNOTE

Daniel Westerman

CEO, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) 

Daniel Westerman commenced as CEO and Managing Director of AEMO in May 2021. He oversees AEMO’s strategy and operations, including collaboration with market participants and policy makers.

Mr Westerman is a chartered engineer and a skilled business leader with significant experience in the energy sector.

Prior to joining AEMO, he held a variety of senior executive roles with London-listed electricity and gas utility, National Grid Plc. Most recently he served as Chief Transformation Officer and President of Renewable Energy, where he led the company wide transformation program, and grew a large-scale renewable energy business in the United States.

In previous roles he has been responsible for engineering, planning and operational control of the electricity transmission network across Great Britain, as well as the development of distributed energy systems, such as rooftop solar, storage and energy metering.   

Prior to joining National Grid Plc, he held positions with McKinsey & Company and Ford Australia.

Mr Westerman holds degrees in Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Melbourne, and an MBA from Melbourne Business School. He is a Fellow of both the Energy Institute and the Institution of Engineering & Technology.

PANEL CHAIR

Rachel Watson

CEO, Pacific Hydro Australia

Rachel Watson is the CEO at Pacific Hydro Australia, one of Australia’s leading renewable energy companies. Rachel is the Chair of the Clean Energy Council and has served on the Board since November 2014. Rachel joined Pacific Hydro in 2006 as a Corporate Lawyer, and also held roles as Executive Manager Finance and Legal, and General Manager Australia. She has extensive experience in transactions surrounding the development and operation of energy projects. Before joining Pacific Hydro, Rachel worked for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan negotiating power system supply contracts. Rachel is a graduate of the AICD and has an MBA.

PANELLISTS

Richard Lowe

CEO, Lumea

Richard has 24 years of experience in global capital markets and M&A advising on, and managing major infrastructure projects, consortium creation and investment from institutional and sovereign investment institutions, and business operations and investment management in Asia, North America and the Middle East.

Has advised on or arranged debt and equity funding for capital projects, mergers and acquisitions, PPPs valued at more than $100 billion in Australasia, Asia, North America and Europe including ports, airports, roads, electricity and gas transmission and distribution, thermal and renewable energy generation, telecommunications, natural resources infrastructure and LNG facilities, social infrastructure and Defence.

Richard is CEO of Lumea, leading its commercial services and market facing businesses, including new connections and network expansion, energy services and telecommunications and commercialising new technology initiatives.

Stan Krpan

CEO, Solar Victoria 

Stan is an experienced CEO with a well-regarded track record successfully delivering high-profile government programs and leading reforms in a number of sectors including renewable energy, sustainability, health and safety, environmental regulation and the law.   

As CEO of Solar Victoria, Stan is responsible for the Victorian Government’s flagship $1.3 billion Solar Homes Program, as well as new initiatives including the Solar for Business Program, Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades Program and Zero Emissions Vehicle Subsidy Program which will reach 1 million Victorians.  

Prior to this, Stan was the CEO of Sustainability Victoria for eight years, where he led a significant expansion and grew the agency’s footprint and impact in the areas of climate change, renewables, energy-efficiency, and waste and recycling.  

Stan has undertaken high-profile reform roles for the Victorian Government, most recently as the Co-Chair of the Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce, commissioned by the Treasurer and Minister for Planning to advise on Victoria’s post-coronavirus recovery in the building, construction and development sectors, planning reform and fast tracking of planning decisions. In 2010, Stan undertook an independent review of EPA Victoria’s compliance and enforcement activity.  

Stan is a lawyer by training and has undertaken post-graduate study (Monash University) and executive education (Harvard Business School, London School of Economics and Cambridge University). He is a member of the University of Melbourne’s Sustainable Society Institute Advisory Board and immediate past Chair of the Infoxchange Group, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration and an Alumnus of the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Lisa Zembrodt

Director, Operations – Energy Markets, Energy & Sustainability Services, Schneider Electric

Lisa Zembrodt is Director, Operations – Energy Markets of Schneider Electric’s Energy and Sustainability Services (ESS) which manages EUR30B in annual energy spend and 128 million metric tons of carbon globally.

Previously she led Schneider’s Global Research & Analytics team from the US headquarters, covering global energy and carbon. She’s spent over 15 years forecasting global energy & carbon markets, managing hedging and trading programs, negotiating energy supply contracts, advising on long-term investment decisions, and designing and implementing renewable energy strategies.  

Lisa is a Certified Energy Risk Professional and Treasurer & Non-Executive Director of the Energy Users Association of Australia. Editor of ESS’s monthly energy outlook, she is a regular commentator in leading media outlets on the transition to renewables. Lisa is passionate about leading clients in the renewables transition and progressing the sustainability and decarbonisation agendas of energy producers and consumers.

 Anna Collyer
Chair, Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)

Anna Collyer is a leading energy expert and the Chair of the Australian Energy Market Commission. She has more than two decades of public and private sector experience in energy and has worked extensively on industry reform with energy ministers.

Anna has a passion for leadership and change and is a big believer in a learning culture, where experimentation is a necessary part of creating something new.

As a partner of Allens law firm from 2001 to 2020, Anna focused on the energy sector throughout its evolution, advised a broad range of clients in the public and private sectors on major projects, and fostered innovation at all levels of the firm, not only in technological developments but also in new ways of working and addressing disruption.

Anna has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.

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