Dr Alan Broadfoot is the Director of the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) at the University of Newcastle. NIER operates as a collaborative based model for critical research in energy and resources, addressing the rapidly emerging issues of resource sustainability, energy system transformation and productivity. With over thirty years industry experience, Alan brings to this role a strong commitment to driving innovation and facilitating research collaboration between industry, government and the University.

His appointment as NIER Director in 2010, cemented a longstanding affinity with the University. Charged with an ambitious agenda overseeing a $30million EIF-funded infrastructure program and the integration the University’s energy and resources researchers into a new world-class research precinct, Alan’s leadership has promoted a number of new and exciting initiatives at NIER including: the International Centre for Balanced Land Use – a partnership with the NSW Government addressing the challenges faced by NSW and globally with food and energy security, and economic, environment and social balance; the Hunter Energy Hub – in partnership with CSIRO’s Transformed Energy Flagship to promote and advance technology underpinning the various aspects of energy for the benefit of Australia; and, the Centre for Resources Health and Safety – drawing on the expertise of AspenMedical and multidisciplinary University researchers to meet sector demand and facilitate industry and government collaborations for the benefit of resource intensive regions. NIER’s research income is in excess of $80million and the model of engagement led by Alan is proving effective in its collective capacity to facilitate technological advancements whilst maintaining environmental and economic stability. 

Ivor Frischknecht is ARENA’s inaugural CEO. Since his appointment Ivor has been responsible for the provision of funding to renewable energy projects which will hasten the commercialisation of renewable energy technology and its further deployment across the nation. Before joining ARENA he was responsible for clean technology investments at venture capital firm Starfish Ventures.

Ivor was previously Director of New Ventures at Idealab, a company involved in developing and investing in renewable energy technology start-up companies. Before focusing on investments Ivor was a senior executive at a number entrepreneurial and clean energy companies. 

• The Public Service Medal (PSM) of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2014 (a national honour) 
• Australia’s peak industry representative body – the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) Gold Medal - the Lewis G. Weeks Award in May 2013. 

Richard Grace is the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)’s Chief Currency and Rates Strategist and Head of International Economics. He has been with the CBA for 9 years. Richard has more than 20 years’ work experience as a currency strategist and economist, including two years working in London. He holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Economics from Macquarie University, where he also spent some time working in the Asia Pacific Research Institute. Richard is also a current Honorary Associate at the University of Technology Sydney and part of the Commonwealth Investment Advisory Committee.

Richard works in the Institutional Banking & Markets division of the Commonwealth Bank. This division is responsible for managing the Group’s relationships with major corporate, institutional and government clients and providing a full range of capital raising, transactional and risk management products and services.

Chris Greig leads the UQ Energy Initiative. The transdisciplinary initiative encompasses both traditional fossil energy and renewable energy systems and links engineering, material sciences and mining research, to social policy, economics, and environment.
Chris is a Chemical Engineer having obtained his degree and PhD at the University of Queensland and is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Prior to joining UQ, he held executive roles in construction, mining and clean energy industries in Australia and abroad over a career spanning 25 years. He is Deputy Chairman of Gladstone Ports Corporation and a Non-Executive Director of Seymour Whyte Limited.

His main interests lie in Energy Transitions, Economics and Policy, Energy for Development, Mega-Project Implementation and CCS. 

John Jamieson is the Markets & Risk Manager for the Transmission division within APA Group, Australia’s largest energy infrastructure company. John’s responsibilities include managing the interfaces between APA Group and the various market operators for transmission assets owned by APA Group. John is also responsible for the development of APA Group initiatives, such as pipeline capacity trading, that support the development of Australian gas markets.

John has over 20 years’ experience in the gas industry, holding various roles within commercial and engineering disciplines for both the networks and transmission sectors of the industry.

Prof Ron Loveland is a very experienced member of the senior civil service having working extensively at the industry/government interface on technology, innovation, enterprise and energy matters over the last 30 years. Following holding the post of Director: Sustainable Energy and Industry in the previous Welsh Assembly Government, he was appointed four years ago as the energy advisor to the current Welsh Government with a mix of path-finding, advisory and ambassadorial roles (local and international) associated with helping to deliver the ambitious Ministerial energy-investment objectives for Wales on a joined-up government basis.

Prior to holding these positions, Ron was the chief technology officer responsible for advising the Welsh Assembly Government on energy, steel, telecommunications and more general sustainable-business-development policies. Following an earlier a mix of academic/industrial research, health and safety regulation and Whitehall based roles, Ron came to Wales in 1986 as head of the innovation and technology operation within the then Welsh Development Agency.

Ron now has a 5 year appointment (2014-19) as an honorary professor at the College of Engineering, Swansea University. He is a Fellow of the UK’s Institute of Physics and an ex-chartered member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. He participates in the work of many UK and Wales energy and innovation committees.

Ron is also privileged to have an international dimension to his work in China, Japan, USA, Australia, Dubai and Europe. In the light of the growing importance of international developments to a low cost, low carbon energy future, this aspect of his work is expanding. In order to facilitate this, Ron now also operates for part of the year from a base in Australia at the National Institute of Energy Resources in Newcastle NSW.

John Ryan is Associate Secretary of the Department of Industry and Science. John is responsible for the Economics, Energy, Resources, Strategic Policy and Anti-Dumping Divisions.

John chairs the COAG Senior Officials Energy Group and the Energy White Paper Reform Panel.

John 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.

Tim is a Visiting Professor in UCL’s International Energy Policy Insitute and is also the senior expert non-executive member of the Board of the European Investment Bank, a non-executive director of the Anglian Water Group and a non-executive director of Horizon Nuclear Power. He is also a member of a number of advisory boards for infrastructure investors and funds.

Until recently, Tim was the Expert Chair of the Office for Nuclear Development in DECC and the Senior Advisor to successive Secretaries of State responsible for energy. He served five different Secretaries of State in two different governments.

His previous career was as the Chairman and founder of KPMG’s Global Infrastructure and Projects Group, a Managing Director of S.G. Warburg in New York and London and a Managing Director of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York.

He was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours List for services to the energy industry.

Kane Thornton is Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, the peak body for the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry in Australia.

Kane has over a decade's experience in energy policy and leadership in the development of the clean energy industry. Kane has advocated for and helped design the policies that have been critical to the clean energy industry's growth, and continues to be an active political advocate, public presenter and spokesperson for the clean energy industry.

His previous roles include senior manager and advisor for Hydro Tasmania – Australia's largest generator of renewable energy – and executive officer of Renewable Energy Generators Australia.

Kane has broad international management experience including holding a range of advisory and board roles with government and non-government organisations in the climate change and energy sector.