CIGRE Australia Board
CIGRE Australia is governed by a Board consisting of the following members:
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Chair Seán commenced as CEO with TasNetworks in August 2021. Prior to his appointment, Seán was a senior executive in the utility industry, having served at managerial and board level for energy organisations worldwide. He joined the executive team at TransGrid in 2019 and was responsible for overseeing the delivery of several major transmission projects across NSW and the ACT. Seán was Executive Manager of Asset Management at Western Power, where he was responsible for a $10.2 billion transmission and distribution asset and managed to reduce capital expenditure sustainably by $170m per annum. Seán also worked as Director of Parsons Brinkerhoff’s Networks Business covering Europe, Middle East and Africa, and is a former General Manager of the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO). With more than 30 years’ experience working on Electrical Power Systems globally, Seán has acquired expertise in the research and development, construction, operation, consultancy, planning and asset management of large-scale power systems. He has acted as consultant on many EU, World Bank and EBRD funded projects and his experience includes working and consulting for power utilities, transmission system operators and regulators in Australia, Europe, North America and Africa. |
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Deputy Chair David was previously the Chair of the CIGRE Australian Technical Committee, David is currently Executive Manager Risk, Assurance and Regulation at GHD Advisory. This role involves leading some 30 professionals across Australia providing risk, technical assurance and regulation services to the power industry. Through this role David is in contact with the issues in the power industry and the senior industry leaders managing these issues. David has had a long involvement in CIGRE (since 1998) and held senior roles representing CIGRE Australia including being a Panel Convenor of Panel 38, “Power System analysis techniques and tools”. He was a member of Australian Panel C1 from 2002 and appointed the Panel Convenor in 2008-2014. In 2009 David was appointed as Convenor of the International Working Group C1.24 charged with investigating tools for developing optimum transmission network development plans. David has also written several papers on power system planning that have been published by CIGRE. |
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Treasurer Tara-Lee is working as a Substation Design Standards Engineer for Australia’s largest energy utility. She has well-developed communication and leadership skills underpinned by a broad knowledge base covering standards and equipment specifications for substation, focusing on power transformers. She is a recipient of several awards and positions including; Engineers Australia Graduate Electrical Power Engineer of the Year and the ES Cornwall Scholarship. She is the CIGRE Australian A2 Secretary and sits on the CIGRE Editorial Board. Tara-lee has been an active member within CIGRE Internationally through several working groups and the Women In CIGRE committee and has also presented a CIGRE tutorial on Condition Assessment of Power Transformers at the 2019 Colloquium in India. |
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Chair - Australian Technical Committee (ATC) Angela coordinates the work of the 16 Australian Panels. The panels provide a direct link into global research and knowledge sharing delivered by Cigre to address power system challenges. Angela has had over 29 years experience in various senior management roles in Engineering, Procurement and Project Management in the Electrical Utility sector. She currently holds the role of National Manager of Power Projects at Zinfra who is a leading service provider to the utilities infrastructure sector. Her current role at Zinfra sees Angela leading and managing all aspects of the project lifecycle, from tender preparation, engineering design and procurement activities through to construction delivery stages as part of a broad projects portfolio in the Power sector. She has been a member of CIGRE Australia for the past 11 years and is currently a Director on the Board of CIGRE Australia. She has previously held the senior role as CIGRE Australian Panel Convenor for B3- Substations from 2011 to 2017. Angela has been an active member within CIGRE and has also written a CIGRE PARIS paper titled "Managing Risk in Design and Installation of Substations" which focuses on effective management of risk in the design, installation and operation of a substation in minimise risks and achieve project goals. |
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Director Stewart is currently the Executive General Manager of Strategy and Business Development responsible for leading Powerlink’s business development, network portfolio, planning and asset strategy functions. He is a delivery-focused career professional with more than 25 years’ experience in the electricity transmission industry with extensive experience in renewable generator connections, network investment, asset management, project delivery and network operations. Stewart is also a member of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Transmission Sector Council; Energy Networks Australia (ENA) Asset Management Committee; and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. |
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Les Brand Les Brand has 28 years of experience in the power transmission and distribution industry in Australia, Asia and North America. Les has held senior and executive roles for companies within these sectors, including transmission and distribution utilities, engineering consultancies and project developers. He has a broad background in AC transmission and distribution networks and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) projects and applies this experience to his current role as Managing Director and Principal Consultant with Amplitude Consultants, an Asia-Pacific engineering consultancy which he co-founded in 2015 and has a focus on HVDC and FACTS systems, high voltage cables and the connection of renewable energy generation to the grid. Les has held key roles for a number of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) projects in Australia and the US, including Directlink (Australia), Murraylink (Australia), Basslink (Australia) and Trans Bay Cable (California, USA) with these roles covering project management, site supervision, factory acceptance testing, commissioning management and operations management for the HVDC systems, HVDC converter stations and associated land and submarine cables. Les actively contributes to the HVDC and power electronics industry at an international level, including active participation in CIGRE study committee B4 (DC and Power Electronics) and IEC Technical Committee 99. Les has been actively involved with CIGRE for over 18 years. He has held and holds current convenor roles for various CIGRE working groups, mostly in the B4 (DC and Power Electronics) space. He was the CIGRE SC B4 Special Reporter for the 2020 e-Session and Paris 2021, is a section leader and contributing author to the CIGRE HVDC “Green Book” on HVDC and was a recipient of a CIGRE E-Session Pioneer award in 2021 for study committee B4. |
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Director John is the Executive General Manager Future Grid at Transpower NZ. And is currently acting as the Chief Executive. John has recently taken up the Future Grid Executive role, to develop a longer-term whole of system transmission plan for New Zealand. His Executive roles over the last 15 years at Transpower include EGM Grid Development and EGM System Operations. As EGM Grid Development, a role he has held twice, he’s been accountable for the evolution of asset management practice, securing regulatory approval of major work programmes and transmission grid upgrades. As EGM System Operations he has led the delivery of the market and system operation service provided by Transpower, including implementing a number of initiatives to improve market operation and management of a secure power system. John has over 30 years’ experience in transmission and distribution in New Zealand. He has contributed to a number of working groups, to support knowledge sharing, industry reform and research in the electricity sector in both transmission codes and practices as well as market operation. |
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Director Jacqui Bridge is the Executive General Manager Energy Futures at Powerlink Queensland, based in Brisbane. With more than 25 years' experience in the energy sector, Jacqui has technical experience focused on electricity networks, encompassing asset management, energy policy and regulation, network strategy, and network planning. Jacqui, has been an active member of CIGRE Australia, she is a member of the C5 Markets and Regulation Panel and a former member of the C1 Power System Development and Economics Panel. Jacqui had papers accepted and had the privilege of attending the 2023 CIGRE Cairns Symposium and the 2024 CIGRE Paris Session. At Powerlink, Jacqui leads the energy transformation initiatives, developing plans for the Queensland transmission network, renewable energy generation, and storage to achieve renewable energy and emissions reduction targets. Jacqui’s experience includes executive leadership, advisory boards, and corporate governance. |
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Director As Group Manager of Forecasting at the Australian Energy Market Operator, Nicola leads teams that assess future electricity and gas demand and supply needs, provide insights to facilitate market responses, and undertake economic analysis to assess benefits of transmission in the National Electricity Market. Nicola’s team is responsible for delivering the Gas Statement of Opportunities, and Electricity Statement of Opportunities, and jointly with AEMO’s Planning team, produces AEMO’s Integrated System Plan |
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Director Rainer is a Senior Executive with more than 30 years of experience in the electricity industry. As ElectraNet’s Chief Operating Officer Rainer is responsible for overseeing the delivery of safe, reliable and sustainable electricity transmission services to customers in South Australia, including new customer connections, asset management, optimised investment in and maintenance of South Australia’s transmission network, ensuring power system security and resilience, and delivery of ElectraNet’s infrastructure program portfolio. Rainer is passionate about enabling a clean energy future and has led key ElectraNet energy transformation initiatives in South Australia. He has also led business change strengthening customer and stakeholder engagement, and best practice asset management. He has extensive leadership experience within the market and regulatory frameworks of the National Electricity Market. Rainer has had a long association with CIGRE beginning in the 1990’s with authoring and contributing to papers and technical brochures related to power system planning. He has since been an active member of Australian Panel C5 Markets and Regulation. Rainer holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (First Class Honours), a Bachelor of Science and is a graduate of the London Business School Senior Executive Program. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and Engineering Executive (EngExec). He is also a longstanding member of the Australian Energy Market Operator Executive Joint Planning Committee and Energy Networks Australia (ENA) Asset Management Committee. |
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Director Ed is the Managing Director of Wilson Transformer Company Pty Ltd (WTC) with more than 20 years of experience in transformer manufacturing. Ed is a third-generation member of the Wilson family and is now leading WTC as the largest Australian-owned and based manufacturer of power and distribution transformer solutions. After graduating as a Mechanical Engineer (Hons) from Monash University in 2001, he has enjoyed many roles across various business functions, including Industrial Engineering, Quality and Continuous Improvement, Manufacturing Management, Sales and General Management of the Power Transformer Business. In August 2015, Ed was appointed Managing Director with overall responsibility for the transformer business. Ed has been a CIGRE board member for over 10 years in various roles including General Director, Deputy Chair, Acting Chair and a member of the Finance and Risk Committee. Ed has also been a past director of the Australian Power Institute (API) and is currently a member of Australian Industry Group's Victorian Advisory Council. WTC has been an active supporter of CIGRE and involved in various study committees and working groups. |
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NGN - Co - Chair Natasha is a Senior Advisor within GHD’s Advisory team with more than 12 years of experience across OEM’s, energy retailers, and at AEMO. After graduating as an Electrical Engineer (sub-majoring in Mechanical Engineering), she has enjoyed roles in product and bid management as well as roles focused on specification delivery and project management. In her previous role at AEMO, she also served on the DE&I Committee and is a Mentor in AEMO’s mPower Program. As well as being NGN Co-chair for CIGRE Australia, she is the current Secretary for CIGRE Australia’s Technical Committee, a member of the A3 (High Voltage Equipment) panel, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), and is a member of CIGRE Australia’s Women in Energy (WiE) chapter. Natasha was also previously the NGN Liaison for the C3 Panel (System Environmental Performance). |
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NGN - Co - Chair Adrian is a senior electrical engineer and the Technical Program Lead of Emerging Opportunities at Yurika, part of the Energy Queensland group. He oversees and facilitates the delivery of a diverse range of technical, engineering and commercial activities associated with identification, assessment and commercialisation of emergent business opportunities for Yurika. He has a diverse range of knowledge, experience, and skills with subject matter expertise in the area of grid connected renewables, hybrid systems and large scale battery energy storage systems. As the NGN Co-Chair Adrian is excited to continue the great work of the NGN committee and pursue ways to increase engagement amongst its membership base and further unlock this valuable resource for NGN members and CIGRE Australia more broadly |
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