Our advisory board
A successful energy transition requires collaboration from industry, government and research stakeholders – we can’t do it alone.
That’s why our board includes notable Australians with varied experience in all areas of the energy transition. Their backgrounds include activism, research, industry and government, ensuring expertise in all areas of the energy transition. Together, we can make a difference.
Chair
Katherin Domansky
Independent Steering Committee Member | Net Zero Australia Project
Katherin has extensive energy industry experience, with a commercial and legal background. She is skilled in integrating multiple disciplines for major complex projects with a proven track record of delivery. Former VP Non-Operated Assets at Woodside, Katherin is currently focusing on the Net Zero Australia project and the challenges of the energy transition.
Pat Donovan
CEO | Water Corporation
With more than 25 years’ experience in the gas utility sector in Australia and Ireland, Pat brings a strong utility background to the role at Water Corporation. He previously served as President of ATCO Gas Australia where he led the delivery of safe, reliable and affordable energy to over 750,000 customers across the southwest of Western Australia. In addition, Pat has previously held senior executive roles at ATCO and Alinta.
Rachelle Doyle
Manager (Research and Development) | Rio Tinto Iron Ore
Rachelle is a passionate energy transition champion and clean energy leader. She has worked in energy and minerals processing with significant experience in provision of technology and engineering solutions for complex projects and operating environments. Rachelle is the current Chair of CSIRO Hydrogen Mission and Standards Australia-ME-093 Hydrogen Technologies committee and a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Jason Froud
General Manager (Strategy Acceleration) | Synergy
Jason has a long-standing career in the energy sector in Western Australia. Currently Synergy’s General Manager Strategy Acceleration, he has worked at Synergy for almost 10 years. He was Director of the International Microgrid Association from 2020-2022 and has previously held roles at Western Power.
Paul Gleeson
Managing Director (Energy) | ANZ
Group Director (Sustainability) | Aurecon
Paul works with government and industry leaders to help them navigate from the way they operate today industrially to a net zero model. With over 25 years’ experience working across the energy sector, he has worked on many significant energy projects in the energy market. Paul was awarded the Chief Sustainability Officer of the Year in the World Sustainability Awards 2022.
Rob Grant
Managing Director, Head of Projects | Pollination Group
Rob leads Pollination’s project development platform. For 25 years, Rob has been personally and professionally passionate about advocating for and delivering climate change abatement and clean energy policy, regulation, project investments, businesses and industries. His professional career includes roles as Director Energy at Fortescue Metals Group responsible for the company’s energy and green hydrogen businesses, Chair of the Clean Energy Investor Group, Senior Vice President Clean Power and Vice President Capital for SNC-Lavalin in Asia Pacific. Rob also led the formation of the Clean Energy Council and was its third Chair.
Kado Muir
Chair | National Native Title Council
Co-Chair | First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance
Kado is a cultural and community leader, and a land rights, cultural heritage, and environmental campaigner. He is also a Ngalia language speaker, researcher and educator, having helped develop Australian curriculum content incorporating Aboriginal knowledge with relevance and understanding for First Nations students. He currently consults on First Nation perspectives in Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Investment impact in Corporate Responsibility and Social Licenses and is a member of the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
Lucy Nation
Country President (Australia) | BP
Lucy joined BP as a Process Engineer in 1998 and has since held roles in Operations, Process Safety, Terminals, Supply and Trading in Australia, the US, UK, Europe and Singapore. In July 2022, Lucy was appointed to the newly created role of Vice President Hydrogen, Australia and Asia Pacific. In September 2022, when BP acquired 40.5% and became operator of the Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH), Lucy also took on the role of AREH Project Director. Lucy’s portfolio also includes Project Geri in Geraldton, and the Kwinana Energy Hub near Perth.
Warner Priest
Director (Midstream Energy) | Intercontinental Energy
Warner has over 29 years’ experience in the energy sector both in Southern Africa and Australia, including 24 years with Siemens. His responsibilities ranged from commissioning engineer, design engineer, sales executive and business development manager to business unit head. Warner has become a world leader in the integrated hydrogen solutions value-chain. He has advised both federal and state governments in Australia, as well as developing and delivering Australia’s first and largest renewable hydrogen solution in South Australia.
Paula Svarcas
Head of Gas and Liquid Fuels Division | Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water
Paula is currently head of the Gas and Liquid Fuels division of DCCEEW. Previously, she has been on the Agricultural Policy Taskforce as First Assistant Secretary in the area of Biosecurity Funding Sustainability and a was senior agricultural advisor to the Morrison government.
Christopher P. Taylor
Senior Vice President & Managing Director | Worley
Chris leads Worley’s business in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. With more than 20 years’ experience in capital project delivery in the energy sector in North America, Southern Africa, the Middle East and Australia, Chris brings passionate leadership and expertise to integrate technical solutions, diverse stakeholders and industry capabilities to build the projects required for the Energy Transition.
Jai Thomas
Deputy Director General, Coordinator of Energy | Energy WA and Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation, and Safety
Jai has experience in electricity regulation and distributed energy projects and has held regulatory and project delivery roles at Horizon Power and Western Power. He is the designated Hazard Management Agency for disruption to electricity, natural gas or liquid fuel supplies in WA. Jai has overseen Energy Policy WA’s work program on customer and retail policy and contributed to national energy policy, whole-of-government initiatives relating to energy, and the regulation of emerging energy service models.
Owen Whittle
Secretary | UnionsWA
Owen joined UnionsWA in 2012 and has been Secretary since December 2020. He has been involved in occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, and the successful passage of the Work Health and Safety Act 2020. Owen was a ministerial staffer during the Gallop-Carpenter Governments. Owen has been a board member of Workcover WA since 2014 and was a director and chair of the Welfare Rights & Advocacy Service.
Nicole Wyche
Industry Decarbonisation Manager (Steel) | WWF Australia
Nicole joined WWF-Australia in 2023 to work on decarbonisation of iron ore and steel. Her focus areas include emission reductions, the development of renewable energy, renewable hydrogen, and onshore processing industries, and incorporating best practice protection for nature and people in transition planning. Nicole is the Chair of the Australia-Japan-Korea Regional Decarbonisation Network, a civil society network focused on accelerating regional decarbonisation by collaboration between Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, and other trading partners. Nicole has a diverse skillset developed from over 20 years of work in the mining and exploration industry, and government and scientific organisations in Australia and Finland.