AUSGRID - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( ERIC )
- Non - Executive Director and Company Advisor
Belinda Gibson was appointed to the Board in December 2016. Belinda is an experienced non-executive director and company advisor with strong financial and governance capabilities, including risk management. She is also a director of Brisbane Airport Corporation and member of the Board of Governors of the Electricity Retained Interest Corporation (ERIC). Belinda is a director of the Yalari Foundation and a member of the ASX Clearing and Settlement Advisory Group. She is a past director of Chief Executive Women, AirServices Australia, Thorn Group, GetSwift, The Sir Robert Menzies Foundation and The Australian Museum.
Belinda was a partner of Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King and Wood Mallesons) for 20 years, specialising in corporate law and M&A transactions. She was appointed as a commissioner and then deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in 2007, with lead responsibility for the capital markets divisions of the securities regulator. Since 2013 she has been a business consultant and professional company director.
Belinda is focused on building sustainable business models that are founded on strong engagement with stakeholders. That starts with objective fact-based decision making, ethical frameworks and sound governance practices.
Belinda is passionate about promoting STEM education for young people, especially girls and actively supports Power of Engineering.
Belinda holds a Bachelor of Economics and Law from the University of Sydney, a Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Governance Institute of Australia.
Job Titles:
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - PEOPLE & CULTURE
Celina brings more than 20 years' experience across the breadth of Human Resources spanning various sectors including financial services, oil, retail, construction and not-for-profit. Prior to joining Ausgrid in 2023, Celina's most recent roles were with Life Without Barriers and John Holland, following 13 years at Caltex where she worked in various roles within and outside of the HR function.
Celina is passionate about building strong authentic relationships and shaping purpose- aligned cultures which empower and energise people. Celina holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Human Resources & Industrial Relations from Western Sydney University.
Helen Nugent was appointed by the Ausgrid Board as a director and Independent Chairman in March 2017 and re-appointed in March 2023. Helen is a professional company director with a strong background in the energy, resources and financial services sectors. She is also currently a Non-Executive Director of IAG and is Senior Independent Director of TPG Telecom. In addition she is Chairman of the Order of Australia Foundation, a Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and a member of the Australian Olympic Foundation and National Portrait Gallery Foundation.
Previously, she has been Chairman of Australian Rail Track Corporation, the National Disability Insurance Agency, Veda Group, Funds SA, Swiss Re (Australia), Sydney Airports and Macquarie Airports. She has also been a Non-Executive Director of Origin Energy, Macquarie Group and Carter Holt Harvey. Prior to becoming a Non-Executive Director, Helen was Director of Strategy at Westpac Banking Corporation and a Partner at McKinsey & Company.
Helen has had a strong commitment to the arts and education. In the arts, she previously served as Chairman of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, the National Opera Review and the Federal Government's Inquiry into the Major Performing Arts, as well as being Deputy Chairman of Opera Australia. In education, she was previously Chancellor of Bond University and President of Cranbrook School and was a member of the four person Bradley Review into tertiary education.
In 2004, Helen was made an Officer in the Order of Australia, and in 2022 was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to people with disability through leadership of social and economic policy reform and implementation, to business, to the arts and to the community.
Helen holds a Masters of Business Administration (Dist) from the Harvard Business School, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and PhD from the University of Queensland. She has also been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the University of Queensland and Bond University. She is a Fellow of The Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Director ( ERIC )
Gillian Brown was appointed to the Board in November 2022. Gillian is an experienced non-executive director with a series of long-standing board appointments in transport and infrastructure, funds management and debt capital markets. She is currently a director of QIC Limited (including as a member of its Audit and Risk committees), Bric Housing Ltd, the High Speed Rail Authority and Suncorp Group Limited.
Previously, Gillian was a director of Australian Rail Track Corporation Limited (ARTC), the owner and operator of Australia's largest rail freight network, and Queensland Treasury Corporation. She also chaired the Audit and Accounts committee of ARTC.
Gillian practised as a finance lawyer until 2016. She was a partner of Minter Ellison from 1994 to 2016 and Chair of Minter Ellison from 2006 to 2009.
Gillian has an LLB (Hons) from University of Queensland, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure & Natural Resources, Asia Pacific
- Non - Executive Director ( APG Asset Management )
Hans-Martin Aerts was appointed to the Board in July 2022. Hans-Martin is a Managing Director and Head of Infrastructure & Natural Resources, Asia Pacific, at APG Asset Management, one of the largest pension fund asset managers in the world. He is a director of various APG Asset Management investee companies.
In February 2007, Hans-Martin moved to Hong Kong to establish APG's first office in the Asia Pacific and has since been responsible for APG's regional infrastructure strategy and investments. As of 2019, Hans-Martin is also responsible for APG's regional natural resources investment program.
Prior to working for APG, Hans-Martin was a Senior Portfolio Manager at ABP. He joined ABP in 2001 and has since worked in various areas, including listed equities, structured finance, infrastructure, and natural resources.
Hans-Martin is a CFA charterholder and holds an MSc degree in Economics from the Erasmus University Rotterdam, an MBA degree for Executives from Tsinghua University in Beijing, and an EMBA degree from INSEAD.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( AustralianSuper )
Jason Peasley was appointed to the Board in December 2016. Jason manages AustralianSuper's infrastructure investment portfolio and is a member of the leadership team in AustralianSuper's investment department. Jason has more than 25 years' experience in the infrastructure sector, working across infrastructure acquisitions, finance and investment management in Australia, Europe and the United States.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( APG Asset Management )
- Senior Portfolio Manager at APG Asset Management
Jay Ryu was appointed to the Board in July 2022. Jay is a Senior Portfolio Manager at APG Asset Management, one of the largest pension fund asset managers in the world. Jay is responsible for investing and managing APG's infrastructure assets in the Asia Pacific.
Jay has more than 15 years' experience working globally across infrastructure investments, private equity investments, and corporate finance.
Jay holds a Master of Chemistry (MChem, First Class) degree from University of Oxford. She is a CFA charterholder.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director at IFM Investors
- Non - Executive Director ( IFM Investors )
Josh Crane was appointed to the Board in December 2022. Josh is an Executive Director at IFM Investors with nearly 20 years' experience across the infrastructure sector. Josh is currently responsible for the origination, execution and management of unlisted infrastructure investments for IFM Investors, with particular focus on energy and transport. Prior to joining IFM Investors, Josh held senior roles with both Major Projects Victoria and Herbert Smith Freehills, focusing on the procurement, delivery and financing of domestic and international infrastructure investments.
Josh was previously a Director of Brisbane Airport Corporation (and associated entities) and member of its Board Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committees, and Director on the Board of Wyuna Water. Josh holds a Masters of Applied Finance, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors..
Job Titles:
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - TRANSMISSION DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH
Kelly brings more than 25 years of business experience in engineering and operations management to this newly appointed role.
Kelly has held a number of leadership positions domestically and globally including roles in business capture for large complex Private Public Partnerships (PPP) in the UK that she brings to this role that is seeking to expand the role Ausgrid can play in Australia's net zero future.
In her prior role at Ausgrid, Kelly was responsible for leading the Network Delivery Services Group, accountable for major projects, contract delivery, fleet and logistics, design management, major capital projects, facilities management and security operations.
Kelly is passionate about Inclusion and Diversity, starting with gender, and holds a Master of Engineering Management, a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hons) and an Associate Diploma of (Aeronautical) Engineering.
Marc joined Ausgrid as CEO in 2023, bringing a wealth of global experience spanning the energy, oil and gas and automotive industries.
Throughout his career, Marc has held a number of executive positions. Prior to joining Ausgrid, Marc was the CEO of Genesis Energy in New Zealand, delivering significant transformation and growth to a business that was at the forefront of the energy transition.
Marc also held Executive roles at AGL Energy where he was responsible for the establishment of the company's New Energy Arm to deliver distributed energy resources to customers. Prior to that, Marc spent six years at British Gas in a range of leadership roles driving impactful commercial and operational outcomes.
Complemented by his people-first approach, purpose driven leadership and breadth of skills across engineering, finance and operations, Marc is applying global experience to ensure Ausgrid plays an active role in a net zero future. Through innovation, Marc is committed to ensuring electricity customers play a role in enabling a more sustainable future.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( IFM Investors )
Michael Byrne was appointed to the Board in December 2016. Michael has over 30 years of executive experience in Australia and internationally in the logistics, supply chain, retail and property sectors. He is a non-executive director of CBH Group, National Intermodal Corporation, Sydney Aviation Alliance, NSW Ports, and Peel Ports Group (UK). Michael is Chair of the Advisory Board of HSE Global and a Strategic Advisor on Infrastructure to IFM Investors and AustralianSuper. He is also Senate Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at the University of Western Australia. He has previously been CEO of Westgate Holdings, Linfox Logistics and Coates Hire, with responsibility for managing up to 25,000 people in 12 countries in the Asia Pacific.
Most recently he was a Director, Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer of Toll Holdings Limited and a Director of the Toll Group.
He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Masters of Science in Infrastructure and Transportation from the University of Denver, USA.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( IFM Investors )
Michael Hanna was appointed to the Board in December 2016. Michael has worked for more than 25 years in the design, planning, delivery and financing of major infrastructure projects. He is the Head of Infrastructure - Australia at IFM Investors and is responsible for managing the IFM Australian Infrastructure Fund.
Michael has previously represented IFM Investors as a Director on the Boards of Eastern Distributor (M1 toll-road in Sydney, NSW); Interlink Roads (M5 toll-road in Sydney, NSW); Pacific Hydro (renewable energy business with assets in Australia, Chile and Brazil); Ecogen Energy (power generation business in Victoria); Wyuna Water (public-private partnership in NSW) and NSW Ports (Port Botany and Port Kembla).
Prior to joining IFM Investors, Michael held senior executive positions at the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance and global consulting engineers, Arup, in the UK and in Australia.
Michael is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Science, (Honours) from Queen's University Belfast and a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Strathclyde, in addition to a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment (FINSIA) and a Graduate Certificate of Management from Melbourne Business School.
Job Titles:
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - LEGAL, GOVERNANCE & PROPERTY
Nigel was appointed to the Ausgrid Executive Team in 2017. At Ausgrid, Nigel is responsible for the Legal, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit, Company Secretarial and Security Teams. Nigel is also responsible for the Health & Safety - Strategy & Governance Team and the Property Team, which manages all acquisitions, disposals, leasing and development of Ausgrid's extensive property portfolio of depots, office buildings, industrial premises and numerous network sites.
Nigel has more than 23 years' experience across a broad spectrum of industries, including: energy, real estate, banking and construction. He also has considerable expertise in business turnaround, risk management and corporate governance.
Joining Ausgrid from a large international construction group, Nigel previously spent seven years at Macquarie Group where he was involved in numerous high-value structured capital transactions across various sectors. Nigel originally practised law at King & Wood Mallesons in Sydney and also spent several years working at Slaughter & May and Linklaters LLP in London.
Nigel is committed to helping Ausgrid deliver a more sustainable future and has a special interest in the identification and realisation of synergies between energy infrastructure and real estate, as well as other emerging opportunities in the energy sector. Nigel is also passionate about helping develop highly engaged, innovative, high performing teams. He is the Group Executive Sponsor of the Ausgrid First Nations Employee Resource Group and the Ausgrid Defence Force Alumni Group.
Nigel has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) from The University of Sydney and a Master of Commerce from The University of New South Wales. He is a member of the AICD. Nigel currently represents Ausgrid on the Defined Benefits Forum at CBUS Superannuation and was also previously the Ausgrid nominee on the Board of EISS Superannuation.
Job Titles:
- CFO and GROUP EXECUTIVE - BUSINESS SERVICES
Patrick was appointed Ausgrid's Chief Financial Officer in 2024.
Patrick has an impressive portfolio of experience and most recently held the position of CEO of CapitaLand Investments' (CLI) Private Equity Alternative Assets business.
CLI is one of Asia's largest diversified real estate and alternative asset groups and in the role of CEO, Patrick not only led CLI's growth into alternative assets, including renewable energy, but also their global data centre business.
Prior to CapitaLand, Patrick spent 12 years in a variety of international and Sydney-based roles with Brookfield Asset Management including Managing Partner, Head of Asia, where he oversaw the acquisition of businesses and assets across real estate and renewable energy.
During his time at Brookfield, Patrick also held the role as Global CFO of Multiplex, a leading Australian based construction and development business with operations in Australia, UK, Canada, Middle East and India.
Patrick is passionate about the net zero future and the opportunities this presents for Ausgrid.
Patrick studied Commerce at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and is also a Chartered Accountant.
Job Titles:
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - DISTRIBUTED SERVICES & PLUS ES
Rob has 20 years' experience in energy markets and utilities infrastructure in Australia and the United Kingdom. Rob joined Ausgrid in 2017 and was the Chief Customer Officer for four years, driving Ausgrid's journey to customer centricity through improving customer outcomes.
Since August 2023 Rob has led distributed services and PLUS ES and is responsible for metering, infrastructure services and key commercial growth areas such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure and community batteries.
His experience within the energy industry includes regulatory, commercial management, planning, business development and strategic accountabilities and a career in professional services, specialising as a mergers and acquisitions advisor within the energy, infrastructure and resources sectors. Before moving to Australia, Rob was an energy trader with TXU European Energy Trading based in the United Kingdom.
Rob holds Bachelor of Science Honours (Economics) from the University of Bath, United Kingdom and is currently a non-executive Director with the Energy and Water Ombudsman of NSW.
Job Titles:
- Group Executive
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - SAFETY, DELIVERY & OPERATIONS
Sam is the Group Executive - Safety, Delivery & Operations. Sam's team plays a major role in delivering an efficient, safe, and reliable network 24/7. This incorporates field operations, system control, operating and emergency response, contract delivery and overseeing occupational health & safety and critical control management.
During his time at Ausgrid, Sam has also held positions including, Executive General Manager - Field Operations, General Manager - Technical Operations, General Manager - Asset Management and Operations and Director of Transformation. Sam's 25+ years of industry experience has also included roles in Ausgrid's External Projects, Customer Services, Field Operating, Transmission and System Control areas.
Sam has an Electrical Engineering Degree, a Master in Engineering Management, a Master of Accounting and Finance and has completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director ( ERIC )
Steven MacDonald was appointed to the Board in November 2019. Steven has over 20 years' experience as a business leader and Board Director having led businesses in construction, infrastructure services and infrastructure ownership during an extensive career with the Transfield Group of companies and more recently in the role of Managing Director of the Zinfra Group.
Steven is currently a non-executive director of DownerEDI Ltd, Chair of Intera Renewables and a member of the Investment Committee of Palisade Investment Partners and the Water NSW Asset Advisory Group.
Steven's industry experience includes construction and maintenance services in the power generation, renewable energy, power transmission and distribution, telecommunications, gas, water & wastewater, roads & rail, public transport and the oil & gas sectors. Steven has worked in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia and has led company expansions into North America and the Middle East.
Steven's former executive roles include Chief Executive Marketing and Investments and prior to that Chief Strategy Officer at Transfield Services, Chief Executive Officer of Transfield Construction, Chief Executive Officer of TSI Fund and Chief Executive Officer of public transport operator, Yarra Trams with the most recent executive role with Zinfra Group as Managing Director from November 2013 to March 2019.
Steven is an experienced company Director and has worked in non-executive roles in numerous companies, government boards, joint ventures and alliances. Steven is a former Director of Yarra Trams, Transfield Worley Power Services, Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund, Ratchaburi Australia Corp Ltd, the Federal Government's Australian Centre for Renewable Energy, the Clean Energy Council and a former member of the NSW Government's Renewable Energy Task Force.
Steven is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons) from Melbourne University.
Job Titles:
- GROUP EXECUTIVE - MARKET DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGY
Tim joined Ausgrid as the Group Executive, Market Development and Strategy in March 2024.
With extensive sector experience, Tim previously worked in a range of senior roles at National Grid in the UK, one of the world's largest listed utilities focussed on the transmission and distribution of electricity and gas; these included being the Director of Strategic Projects, Chief of Staff to the CEO and Group Head of Strategy. During his time at National Grid, Tim also represented the business on the Energy Transitions Commission, a global think tank aimed at meeting the dual challenges of net zero and economic growth.
Known for building and leading high-performing, multi-national teams, Tim started his working career as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, before focussing on the mining sector, firstly as an equity and commodity analyst in the City of London and then with Anglo American.
Tim studied Material Science at the University of Oxford and has a PhD in Engineering Design from the University of Cambridge.