Speakers

Angela is an Associate Director in EY’s Infrastructure Advisory practice leading studies on hydrogen and decarbonisation of energy systems.  Angela’s 20-year career spans the economic assessment, strategic planning, commercial delivery and negotiation of energy projects in New Zealand, France, Nigeria, the UK and Australia.

Chris has recently been appointed as Chief Executive of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters.  Prior to this, Chris has spent the last five years with BlueScope, the parent company of NZ Steel working both in NZ and most recently leading their Indonesia business.  Chris has operated in energy intensive manufacturing facilities across Australia, SEA and NZ for the last 15 years.

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Ruth is an experienced leader and senior manager in the not for profit and government sectors in health and social services organisations. Her most recent role was as Deputy Chief Executive at Tui Ora, a large iwi-based health and social services provider in Taranaki where she worked for more than five years. She has run her own management consultancy company over many years between permanent roles and serves on a number of boards.

Blake joined Trustpower (soon to be Manawa Energy) in late 2019 and is currently working as a hydro technician in the Bay of Plenty team, covering both Matahina and Kaimai power schemes. Prior to joining Trustpower, Blake completed his apprenticeship and gained a range of experience with W.E.C. New Zealand – an electrical contracting outfit carrying out work for various companies including Oji Fibre Solutions Kawerau & Kinleith, Asaleo Care Kawerau, Boardmills Whakatane, and Fonterra Edgecumbe.

Rachael Martis is a chartered accountant with over 7 years’ experience providing high quality financing and accounting support to businesses. Rachael started her career as an auditor at Deloitte progressing to leading and managing audits across a range of industries. After 4.5 years at Deloitte, she made the shift into the energy sector, supporting the wholesale markets and portfolio team aiming to provide greater insights to Mercury’s financial performance.

Caitlin is a senior adviser at Gas Industry Co. After completing a mechanical engineering degree and a masters of energy studies, she worked as a market analyst at Transpower with a focus on electricity security of supply. In her current role at Gas Industry Co., she is involved in projects assessing the role of gas out to the future. She was one of the lead authors of the Gas Market Settings Investigation, which assessed if the current market, regulatory and commercial settings in the gas sector were fit for purpose for New Zealand’s decarbonisation transition.

Tony Baldwin appointed as Chair of the Market Development Advisory Group from 30 May 2021 – 30 May 2022. Tony is a consultant providing advisory and project management services in relation to transactions, strategy, re-structuring and public policy. He has a long involvement in the electricity industry, starting in the early 1990s leading the Government’s team of officials and consultants in breaking-up ECNZ, through to project managing for Genesis Energy its role in the MOM IPO process and subsequent acquisitions.

Joe Delaney is a Salesforce Global Industry Advisor for Energy and Utilities, and leads industry strategy for Australia and New Zealand. With over 13 years’ experience working across the electricity value chain, he brings deep passion and thought leadership to advising clients on successfully navigating the Energy Transition.

Bella Takiari-Brame is Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Ngapuhi and Te Whānau ā Apanui. She is a professional director and Chartered Accountant with an international career in oil, gas and utilities, treasury, bank financing and audit and risk. Bella is the former GM Finance for WEL Networks and more recently the Interim Chief Executive for Maniapoto Māori Trust Board. She is now a Board member for ACC, Director for Crown Infrastructure Partners, The Lines Company, Braemar Hospital, Te Ohu Kai Moana, Council Member for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and Trustee for Maniapoto Māori Trust Board.

Simon has more than 25 years of experience advising on the development, acquisition and financing of assets in the energy sector globally.

He has experience across the energy value chain, ranging from upstream oil and gas to electricity and gas transmission and distribution. Simon has worked on ground-breaking and innovative transactions in over 75 countries. He is noted as “one of the most well-connected in the energy industry.”

Prior to founding Energy Estate, Simon was Global Head of Energy at Norton Rose Fulbright.

A lawyer by profession, the former executive director at the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand and government relations adviser to many organisations, Deborah Hart is the Chair of the Consumer Advocacy Council, a Panel Member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, the Director of ASH NZ, chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand and on the board of DocEdge.

Dr Cristiano Marantes is the Chief Executive of Ara Ake, a role he started in September 2020. Cristiano is a highly experienced energy sector executive with an extensive engineering background and an informed worldview on the potential of technologies and business opportunities that will likely emerge in a low emissions energy future. He has a life-long passion for enabling this future, through strong leadership, innovation and knowledge of new low emissions energy solutions.

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Miranda joined the electricity industry in October 2018, following 5 years working at an energy-efficiency NGO. Miranda’s focus in the electricity sector is delivering energy hardship reduction initiatives. She supports ERANZ members to drive for improvements in consumer care, is programme manager of the EnergyMate initiative and chairs the Consumer Care Working Group.

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Ben is a co-founder and Director of Habitat Energy, a trading and optimisation services provider for grid-scale battery storage in the UK, Australia and the US. Habitat Energy uses machine learning techniques to deliver a fully algorithmic forecasting and trading capability and currently optimises over 200MW of storage assets. It has been ranked the number 1 performer in the UK market over the last 12 months. Ben grew up in Palmerston North, completing a B.Tech at Massey University and then spending more than 20 years based in the UK.

Greg is a senior economist working in the AEMC, with over 20 years working on electricity market design and rules, from network and wholesale market pricing, to system operation and ancillary services. Being a Kiwi, most of those years have been spent working in and on the electricity market in New Zealand/Aotearoa, where he led high profile projects such as scarcity pricing, the national market for reserve, and real time pricing.

Marc joined Genesis in May 2016. He is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and management of all its business interests. Prior to joining Genesis, Marc was Executive General Manager New Energy at AGL Energy in Australia and also previously held the role of Group Head of Strategy there. Marc has 12 years’ experience in the sector across three markets having also worked at British Gas, a subsidiary of Centrica Plc, in the UK from 2007.

Alison joined Transpower in 2014. She has held a number of senior executive roles across various industry sectors, most recently as Global Head of Chemicals for Orica PLC.  She is a Director for Port of Tauranga, and has been a Director for Genesis Energy.  

Prior to these roles, she held a number of senior roles at Fonterra Cooperative Group and across the Fletcher Challenge Group in Energy, Forests and Paper.  Alison has a MBA from Warwick University, and studied Engineering (Chemicals and Materials) at Auckland University.

James joined Powerco in 2021. He has over 20 years’ experience in the energy industry behind him. Prior to joining Powerco he was Deputy Chief Executive of Contact Energy. In addition to his Deputy CEO responsibilities, James’ role included specific responsibility for development and demand growth, helping to drive the decarbonisation of New Zealand’s economy.  James was a Director of Simply Energy, a commercial and industrial decarbonisation services business, and the Chair of Western Energy Services, an innovative geothermal resource and well services business.

Linda Mulvihill is the Head of Energy & Climate in Fonterra’s Global Sustainability team.  Linda grew up on a sheep and beef farm in rural New Zealand, which embedded a passion for the land and agriculture. Linda gets to pursue both of these passions in both her professional and personal life.