Advisory Panel

Members of the Advisory Panel for Downstream 2019.  

Gillian Blythe

Strategy & Peformance Manager
Meridian Energy

She has been intimately involved in the design and structure of the regulatory regime for the New Zealand electricity sector.  Initially as a consultant for London Economics who were tasked by WEMDG to consider options to split ECNZ, then part of a team providing ECNZ’s input on the 1996 market rules.  Gillian worked for the Crown's Electricity Reform Transition Unit on the final split of ECNZ which created Meridian, Mighty River Power and Genesis and she has worked for Meridian since it's establishment in 1999.  

Andrew Toop

Commercial Manager
Counties Power

As General Manager Commercial, Andrew provides commercial, legal and regulatory governance, and has oversight of IT and the Company’s smart meter and fibre business units.  Andrew has 25 years experience in the infrastructure sector, having held management and analytical roles with Telecom, Hamilton International Airport, WEL Networks, TelstraClear, Ministry of Transport and EECA.  Andrew started his career as a research analyst at the Electricity Supply Association of NZ at the very start of the electricity reforms.

Angela Ogier

Transmission Commercial Manager
First Gas

Angela is the Transmission Commercial Manager at First Gas.  She is responsible for driving the revised gas transmission access code and development of the transmission system in the context of a low carbon future.  She has broad commercial, business development and strategy experience - having worked internationally in the upstream oil and gas industry in Africa, Europe and Australasia.  She has degrees in engineering from the University of Auckland and an MBA from the University of Cambridge.

Colin Bowern

Head of Product
Gentrack

Colin Bowern is a passionate technologist interested in product, delivery, and engineering of modern apps and services. At present he is Head of Product at Gentrack, working to unlock the value in their billing, customer, and utility market interface products through an open platform. His previous work spans music, financial services, public sector, and technology industries including start-up and multi-national organizations like Microsoft, Johnson Controls, Brink’s, officialCOMMUNITY, and Pushpay.

Kapua Smith

Head of Sustainability
Contact Energy

Kaapua Smith (Tribal affiliations: Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Awa) is Head of Sustainability at Contact Energy, and oversees the Environment, Communities, Sustainability and Property & Land functions of the business. Her background is in sustainability, research, policy and communications.

Yogesh Chand

General Manager Customer Engagement
Pulse Energy

Yogesh currently as General Manager Customer Engagement at Pulse Energy responsible for Sales and Growth, Business Development, Contact Center, Credit and Revenue Assurance. He has >15+ years of national and international senior management experience across different industries such as Utility, Telecommunications, Fuel & Oil, Consumer Goods and Education and had worked on overseas assignments and across 12 different countries and jurisdictions.

Marie-Eve Bacon

Senior Market and Business Development Manager
Vector

At Vector, we are driven by our desire to help our customers think differently about energy. Marie-Eve is leading Vector’s Business-to-Business growth into local and international markets to create new ways businesses are using energy to grow and thrive. Marie-Eve is a creative leader with a practical approach who knows how to leverage leading edge technologies to respond to the energy customer's changing needs.

Matt Hockley

Sales Manager
Vector - OnGas division

My journey over the last decade in the energy industry has been based at Vector, working in the OnGas division retailing natural gas and LPG.  My role as National Sales Manager has involved managing our gas customers needs, ensuring that we are providing our customers with not only great service, but the ability to access information and tools that will allow them to make informed decisions regarding their gas requirements on both a day to day basis as well as strategically.  The focus is not about providing a commodity, but shaping how we do business with our customers that provides value.

Sheridan Broadbent

Independent Director, Deputy Chair- Kordia & Chair - Ampli

Sheridan is an independent director.  She is deputy chair of mission-critical communications provider Kordia Group, Chair of smart meter analytics start up Ampli, a director of forestry company Kaingaroa Timberlands and of national electricity transmission provider Transpower; and is on the management committee of the NZ Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum.   

Jen Nolan

Director External Relations (NZ)
Pacific Aluminium

Jen Nolan joined Pacific Aluminium as Director External Relations (NZ) in 2014.  Jen is responsible for the corporate reputation of New Zealand’s Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) and of Pacific Aluminium in New Zealand. Her work incorporates government and regulatory affairs, internal and external communications including media management, oversight of NZAS’ community investment programme and acting as Deputy Chair of the Major Electricity Users’ Group (MEUG).

Nicolas Vessiot

Gas Asset Strategy Manager
Powerco

Nicolas is responsible for the long-term strategic management of Powerco’s gas assets. His work include investigating new usages for the gas network, and developing Powerco’s Asset Management Plan. He’s been involved in the New Zealand Gas Industry since 2012, chairing the Gas Association of New Zealand’s Technical Advisory Group from 2014 to 2016, and currently co-chairs the Young Energy Professional Network.

Rebecca Osborne

Regulatory Affairs and Pricing Manager
Transpower

Rebecca is the Regulatory Affairs and Pricing Manager for Transpower and is responsible for overseeing regulatory affairs and transmission pricing functions.  Her previous roles in the NZ electricity industry have encompassed commercial, development, trading, market risk, strategic and regulatory functions. Prior to these roles, Rebecca worked as a consulting Process Engineer in New Zealand and the UK across industries including dairy, chemicals and natural gas.