Australian Renewable Energy Agency Board Appointments – pv magazine Australia

July 29, 2024 DCCEEW

Justin Punch has been reappointed as Chair for a third term, while Elizabeth O’Leary will continue in her role for a second term. Ruby Heard and Dr Dean Travers have been appointed to the Board for their first terms.

Punch, an experienced environmental investor with a focus on energy and climate investments, has served as Chairman of the Board of ARENA since July 2020.

O’Leary is a Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) Real Assets, where he is responsible for developing MAM’s methods for measuring, reducing and removing climate pollution from the company’s farms.

Heard is an electrical engineer and founding director of Alinga Energy Consulting. In addition to working with rural First Nations communities in the renewable energy sector, Heard has extensive experience in the building services and energy sectors. Heard is the first board member of Indigenous ARENA.

Travers is an experienced energy strategist who has worked in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia developing conventional and renewable energy projects for ENGIE, formerly GDF Suez.

Since its inception in 2012, ARENA has awarded over $2.6 billion in grant funding, unlocking almost $12.5 billion in investment in the Australian renewable energy sector. ARENA currently plays a key role in the government’s Future Made in Australia program, administering the Hydrogen Headstart, Solar Sunshot, Battery Breakthrough and Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund programs.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen welcomed the re-appointments of Punch and O’Leary and the appointments of Heard and Travers for a first term.

“ARENA’s work plays a critical role in promoting new renewable energy technologies and innovation in Australia’s renewable energy sector,” Minister Bowen said.

“The reappointment of Justin and Elizabeth to the Board provides confidence as ARENA continues to play a key role in Australia’s energy transformation and delivering a Made in Australia future.”

“I also welcome Ruby and Dean to their first term on the Board and believe their experience will prove extremely valuable to ARENA’s important work.”

Bowen also recognized outgoing board members Anna Matysek and John Hirjee, who served two successful terms on the board.

Justin Punch

Punch has served as Chairman of the ARENA Board since 2020, having a 30-year career in private equity, line management and management consulting. A co-founder of Assembly Climate Capital and a director of Tasman Environmental Markets, he was also previously a partner at Archer Capital, where he led investments across a range of sectors.

Punch is currently Co-Chair of the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, which supports the work of Indigenous ranger groups in Arnhem Land in environmental conservation and educational projects. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of NSW and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He has served as Chair of the Board since 2020 and has been re-appointed for a third term in that role.

Elizabeth O’Leary

O’Leary is a Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Asset Management and Head of MAM Agriculture & Natural Assets, one of the world’s largest private land managers. She is an experienced board and investment committee member, having served on Macquarie’s Energy, Emissions and Efficiency Advisory Committee and the CSIRO Agriculture and Food Advisory Group.

O’Leary is a regular speaker and industry contributor, including a current member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). She joined the ARENA Board in 2022 and was reappointed for a second term in that role.

Ruby Heard

Heard is a descendant of the Jaru people of the Kimberley and the founding director of Alinga Energy Consulting, which provides energy research, feasibility and design services with a focus on affordable and sustainable off-grid systems that improve the livelihoods of indigenous communities.

As part of her consulting role at Arup, Heard designed electrical and lighting systems for landmark buildings in Melbourne, and worked on complex solar panel systems and microgrid concepts for Google campuses in California.

In 2019, Engineers Australia named her Young Professional Engineer of the Year – Victoria and she was also named one of the top 100 engineers making a difference in the world.

Dr. Dean Travers

Travers has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector across global markets, spanning mergers and acquisitions, transaction structuring, project development and operations and maintenance.

He has worked in Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe for global energy and services company ENGIE, formerly GDF Suez. During his time at ENGIE, he was responsible for market entry in the UK, upstream biomass production in British Columbia, Canada and renewable project development in Indonesia.

Travers is a founding member of 123V, which works on the development of integrated projects using hydrogen from electrolysis. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of New South Wales.