Participant Biographies

Professor Merlin Crossley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of New South Wales

Merlin Crossley is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at UNSW and Professor of Molecular Biology. He has also worked or studied at the Universities of Melbourne, Oxford, Harvard and Sydney. He has been recognized by numerous awards, including a Rhodes Scholarship and the Australian Academy of Science's Gottschalk Medal. He has made significant contributions to academic administration, serving as Dean at UNSW since 2010, and previously having been Acting Deputy Vice- Chancellor Research at the University of Sydney from 2006 to 2008.

Michael Jensen, Fulbright Professional Scholar in Climate Change and Clean Energy

Michael is the recipient of the 2015-2016 Fulbright Fellowship in Climate Change and Clean Energy. He also serves as program and regulatory counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, where he advises on a portfolio of building energy efficiency, sustainability, renewable energy, project funding, electricity delivery, vehicle technology, and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. Michael also has served on the regional steering committee of the Cleantech Open business accelerator program and has held numerous governmental positions in different capacities at the U.S. Department of Energy, the White House, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Michael received his J.D. from the American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. from Bates College.

Hugo Llorens, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General Sydney

Hugo Llorens arrived in Sydney October 3, 2013 to become Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General with responsibility for the region encompassing New South Wales, Queensland and Norfolk Island.

Previously, he served as the Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan from May 2012 to June 2013. In that position, he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the largest Embassy in the world with a combined staff of 3,000 U.S. local and Third Country employees representing 19 U.S. government agencies. Prior to his assignment in Afghanistan, Llorens was Ambassador-in- Residence and a faculty advisor at the National War College in Fort McNair, Washington DC.

Llorens served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras from September 2008 to July 2011. Prior to his nomination and confirmation as Ambassador, he served for two years as the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the American Embassy in Madrid, where he took up his duties September 1, 2006. Ambassador Llorens was also Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in , , where he served for three years from August 2003 until July 2006.

From 2002-2003, Mr. Llorens was Director of Andean Affairs at the National Security Council (NSC), where he was the principal advisor to the President and National Security Advisor on issues pertaining to , , , , and . Prior to the NSC, he served for three years as Principal Officer at the Consulate General in Vancouver, . In Vancouver, he created a novel multi-agency “Law Enforcement Hub” that included the opening of FBI, ATF, U.S. Customs, Secret Service, and Regional Security offices to work with Canadian counterparts on counterterrorism and international crime investigations.

From 1997-1999, Mr. Llorens was Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Policy in the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs where he helped launch Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations in 1998. As a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, he has served in economic, commercial, and consular positions in Tegucigalpa, La Paz, Asunción, San Salvador, and Manila.

Mr. Llorens received his Master of Science in National Security Studies, National War College in 1997; Master of Arts in Economics, at Canterbury, England in 1980; and in Foreign Service from in 1977.

Mr. Llorens has earned numerous awards for distinguished performance, including eight Superior Honor and five Meritorious Honor Awards. He is a past recipient of the Cobb Award for excellence in the promotion of U.S. business, was runner-up for the Saltzman Award for distinguished performance in advancing U.S. international economic interests, and was nominated for the James Baker Award for superior performance by a Deputy Chief of Mission. He speaks Spanish, Tagalog, and some French.

He is married to Lisett Aparicio Llorens, and they have two sons.

Robert McDougall, Acting Consul-General of Canada in Sydney

Born in Ottawa and raised in Canada and Japan, he studied history and chemistry before joining the Canadian foreign ministry in 1973. He is now the longest-serving officer in what was recently renamed Global Affairs Canada. Over the course of his career, he has been assigned to 17 foreign posts from Washington to Kabul and Mongolia and from NATO to Beijing and Tokyo, including stints as Ambassador in Serbia and High Commissioner in Bangladesh. In Ottawa, he was Director for international economic policy and later the longtime Director for arms control and disarmament. He and his family live in Ottawa but “home” remains Vancouver Island.

Dougal McInnes, Acting Assistant Secretary, Sustainability and Climate Change Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Dougal McInnes has worked in climate change policy and business for over ten years, including for the UN, energy companies and in the Australian Government.

He is the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Climate Change Branch in DFAT and was a member of the COP21 negotiating team in Paris.

Piers Grove, Founder, EnergyLab

Piers is an entrepreneur with over 15 years experience in conceiving and founding new Australian companies. His experience spans communications, television production, financial services and much more. He has assisted in launching more than a dozen successful companies bringing a strategic approach to planning and resourcing businesses - particularly in emerging industries. Piers is also a Governor of WWF-Australia, a director of the Australian Republican Movement, and Chairman of the Bernie Banton Foundation.

Richard Adams, Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Richard Adams is the Manager of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). In this role, Mr. Adams oversees the teams accountable for the Engineered Innovation Initiative, the Industry Growth Forum, the Venture Capital Advisory Board, Investor Networking Initiatives, Regional and National Incubator Programs, and the NREL Commercialization Assistance Program. In addition, he also coordinates IEC’s work with the Mentor-Protégé program, the Small Business Subcontracting program, and the development of the Center for Renewable Energy and Economic Development (CREED).

Mr. Adams draws on his 20 plus years of international experience with small, medium and large corporations across a broad range of industry sectors. He is recognized as a strategic thinker, skilled operational leader, and outstanding communicator able to influence all levels of an organization; and as a proven driver of organizational performance. Mr. Adams is the author of “Results Ladder” – a model for successful strategic planning and execution.

Prior to joining NREL, Mr. Adams was the CEO/President of Warralong Group, a management consulting firm focused on organizational performance with a specific emphasis on how to grow successfully. Warralong Group’s services included strategic planning and execution, growth strategies, executive talent selection, executive coaching, capital raising and operational efficiency.

His background also includes executive positions with Novations Group, a leading training and organizational development company. Before moving to the United States, Mr. Adams lived and worked in Australia where he founded and ran Arts Capital, an investment bank. Prior to this, he held a variety of senior positions in financial services institutions including Rothschild and Westpac Banking Corporation. He also served as a Director and Shareholder of Virtuosity, a sales training consultancy.

Mr. Adams is a graduate of the University of New England (Australia), with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics, and holds a Graduate Diploma of Business from the Phillip Institute of Technology (Australia).

Ian Kay, Chief Financial Officer, Australian Renewable Energy Agency

Ian Kay is ARENA’s Chief Financial Officer and leads ARENA’s business development and transactions teams. Ian’s focus is on optimising the use of ARENA’s grant money to help proponents secure the sponsor equity, third party equity and project finance debt needed to bring projects to financial close.

Ian possesses 15 years’ experience leading investment in infrastructure and development and commercialisation of renewable energy projects at Origin Energy and Macquarie Group. He has particular skill in managing joint venture partnerships and a track record of designing innovative transaction structures. Ian brings a depth of experience to ARENA and has originated, developed and led projects totalling more than $12billion in enterprise value and $3.7 billion total required equity commitment. He has experience of a broad range of renewable energy projects.

Ian holds a Master of Arts (Honours) in Economic Science from Aberdeen University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (England and Wales).

Mark Bonnar, Investment Director, Southern Cross Venture Partners

Mark is a passionate venture capital investor, active board member and experienced business builder with extensive global networks. Based in Sydney with offices in Silicon Valley and Shanghai Mark is constantly searching for disruptive investment opportunities, and thrives working with passionate and hard working entrepreneurs; particularly in the areas of energy & resources, information & communications technology, industrial processes and new materials.

Before getting into venture capital almost a decade ago Mark was part of CSIRO’s corporate transactions team where he was responsible for the birth of several new companies based on CSIRO technology. His early career included the development of advanced materials for applications ranging from biomedical implants to power generation. Then joining Applied Materials Inc. in Silicon Valley he worked inside the World’s largest semiconductor device "fabs" of the time including Intel, Motorola & NEC. Returning to the UK Mark built varied experience in start-up, high growth and turn-around settings within several private equity backed ventures, including as Chief Executive of Applied Thermal Control Ltd, where he led the business through a period of consolidation and sustained growth.

Mark holds a BSc in applied physics and a PhD in materials science from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Mark was a previous recipient of the CSIRO Medal for business excellence. He is an active member of the GlobalScot network; a diverse group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland.

Dr. Maria Balatbat, Joint Director, Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets

Dr. Maria Balatbat is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Accounting and Joint Director (Business School) for the Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM) at UNSW Australia. Maria has built an international reputation with the academic and industry practitioners for conducting high quality and innovative research particularly in the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) dimensions in investment decision making, greenhouse gas accounting and assessment of sustainability rating tools. She is a recipient of several Australian Research Council (ARC) grants researching on the capital market implications of Integrated Reporting and use of environmental and social indicators to develop a valuation methodology for investment decisions in an industrial ecology laboratory. She is also working with the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living in Australia to develop a built environment impact assessment framework and decision making tool that aims to unlock the value creation capabilities of sustainability reporting in the sector. On the teaching front, Maria developed a postgraduate course on reporting for climate change and sustainability and has received a UNPRME teaching award for pioneering teaching sustainability reporting in the Business School. Before joining UNSW, Maria was a Teaching Fellow at Nanyang Business School in Singapore, a Lecturer at the University of Sydney and the RJ Chambers scholar while doing her PhD research at the University of Sydney. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a consultant and auditor in Big 4 accounting firms in the US and Asia. Maria is also a Fellow at CPA Australia and a member of the Technical Working Group, Carbon Disclosure Standards Board.

Mark Weaver, A/g General Manager, Energy Productivity Branch, Department of Industry, Innovation & Science

Mark is currently leading the Energy Productivity Branch within the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. This role oversees the implementation of the National Energy Productivity Plan which was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments Energy Council in December 2016 and the administration of national initiatives to boost the energy performance of commercial and residential buildings.

Mark is an experienced public sector leader who has devoted much of his career to improving the competitiveness and sustainability of Australian industry. This has included working on the most recent Energy White Paper, leading the national radioactive waste management project, managing clean energy technology programs and working on resources, tourism and foreign investment attraction policy and program issues.

Dani Alexander, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

Dani Alexander is a passionate advocate for promoting energy solutions for a sustainable future. Her experience in the energy sector is broad across policy, program management, governance and engagement, all towards promoting Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

Dani specialises in understanding the game-changing technologies that offer hope for globally sustainable energy. Her background is cross-disciplinary, between both the hard and social sciences, reflecting the nature of her work bridging the gap between new technology and existing markets. Energy technologies in which Dani has a working knowledge include: bioenergy (including biofuels); battery storage (both stationary electricity and transport); solar thermal generation; hydrogen production and as a fuel; nuclear fusion; carbon capture & storage (CCS); and microgrids.

Dani is an experienced leader of major projects, with a background across a wide range of clean-energy programs e.g. the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Second Generation Biofuels R&D Program, the Australian Solar Institute and the CCS Flagships Program. Dani managed multimillion dollar renewable energy projects at ARENA, in particular the bioenergy portfolio, with a total value of over $20 million. Research ventures she has managed were led by a range of organisations including research institutes, small start-up companies and large corporations.

Rob Murray-Leach, Head of Policy, Energy Efficiency Council

Rob Murray-Leach is the Head of Policy at the Energy Efficiency Council, the Australian peak body for energy efficiency, demand- management and cogeneration. Since its formation in 2009, the Council has put energy efficiency at the centre of Australia's energy policy. Rob was formerly a member of the Prime Minister’s Task Group on Energy Efficiency and the Garnaut Climate Change Review. He has a background in behaviour and sustainability from the Universities of Oxford and Adelaide and has contributed to several award-winning books on these topics. In 2011 he received the EcoGen Young Clean Energy Industry Leader award.

Gerard Pike, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills, LLP

Gerard practices in the areas of project finance, infrastructure and energy acquisition financing, power projects (including power purchase agreements), syndicated lending, loans trading and loan derivatives. He specialises in negotiating and documenting financing arrangements for major energy transactions and has advised on complex energy and infrastructure deals in Australia, South America and Europe. He is a market leading lawyer in Australia for project financing renewable energy projects and is named in ‘The Best Lawyers in Australia 2016’ for Banking and Finance Law and Project Finance and Development Practice.

Gerard graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He also has a Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance Law from the University of Melbourne. In January 2007 Gerard returned to Freehills from London where he was a solicitor in the Project Finance Group at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (2004-2005) and subsequently in-house legal counsel at Goldman Sachs International (2005-2006). Gerard is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia and is a member of the Law Institute of Victoria.

Emma Herd, Chief Executive Officer, Investor Group on Climate Change

Emma is Chief Executive Officer at the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC).

Prior to IGCC, Emma spent 15 years at Westpac Banking Corporation where she had a range of roles across carbon finance and emissions trading, ESG Risk assessment, public policy and sustainability strategy development.

Emma has participated in a number of key public forums, government and industry bodies relating to climate change and the environment. Emma is a Non-Executive Director of the Carbon Market Institute and a member of the Cornerstone Capital Global Advisory Council. She holds a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Thai) Hons.

Ally Bonakdar, Director, Energy & Resources, Specialized Finance, National Australia Bank

Ally joined NAB in February 2011 in the Energy & Resources, Specialised Finance team. He has been actively involved in the Australian and international renewable power sector since 2005. He has more than 10 years experience in the corporate and banking and finance sector, specialising in the project and structured finance areas, including leading transactions worth over A$15 billion in total.

Ally previously worked at King & Wood Mallesons as a Senior Associate where he specialised in project finance (across the energy, resources and infrastructure sectors), corporate and acquisition finance and private equity. In addition, he has advised on major project restructures and workouts.

Tim Stock, Manager, Sustainable Energy Programs, New South Wales Department of Industry

Tim has over 12 years commercial and government experience in the clean energy industry in Australia and abroad and is currently the Manager of Sustainable Energy Programs for the NSW Department of Industry, Resources and Energy. He is responsible for a number areas such as providing information resources on small to mid-scale solar PV, solar hot water, and wind; program management of the National GreenPower Accreditation scheme; advanced bioenergy; the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS); and is the NSW representative for national minimum energy performance standards. In his previous roles he managed the Markets and Finance team at the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage where he led energy efficiency and renewable energy Program teams around ESS Development, gas efficiency funding, clean energy finance, and a number of related business efficiency engagement programs. Prior to his work in government Tim held commercial and sales leadership roles in voltage power optimisation and other non-energy-related fields.

Tim Jordan, Investment Research, Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Tim Jordan is an investment research analyst at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. He provides economic and financial analysis of clean energy markets and investment opportunities. He joined the CEFC after five years at Deutsche Bank, a global investment bank.

Before Deutsche Bank, Tim was senior adviser to Australia’s first Commonwealth minister for climate change, Senator the Hon Penny Wong. He started his career at the Department of the Treasury in Canberra.

Tim has degrees in political science and law from the University of Queensland and an MPhil in philosophy from University College London, where he studied as a Commonwealth scholar.

Olivia Kember, National Policy & Research Manager, The Climate Institute

Olivia is National Policy & Research Manager at The Climate Institute. She has worked in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand across the fields of journalism, diplomacy and resources. Olivia has provided policy analysis and advice for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the NSW Minerals Council.

She was the recipient of a Fulbright award to study in the United States and holds an MA in Security Studies from the University of Georgetown.

She has led multi-stakeholder research and advocacy projects on climate mitigation and adaptation, provided policy advice and analysis to state and federal governments, and represented The Climate Institute in energy sector forums including CSIRO's Future Grid Forum and the CO2CRC Australian Power Generation Technology Assessment Reference Group.

Dr. Iain MacGill, Joint Director, UNSW Centre for Environment and Energy Markets

Dr. Iain MacGill is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of New South Wales, and Joint Director (Engineering) for the University’s Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM). He leads work in two of CEEM’s three research areas - Sustainable Energy Transformation, including energy technology assessment and renewable energy integration, and Distributed energy systems, including ‘smart grids’ and ‘smart’ homes, distributed generation and demand- side participation. He also has research interests in energy and climate policy. He has run industry short courses and consulted to industry and government clients in these areas here in Australia and internationally.

He is the Responsible Australian Expert on the International Energy Agency’s PV Power Systems Task 14 on high PV penetrations in the electricity grid and an invited expert for the technical reference groups of the Federal Government’s Australian Energy Technology Assessment, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s future energy scenarios planning process and, previously, the Australian Energy Market Commission’s Demand-Side Participation Review. Iain has a PhD (Electrical Engineering) from UNSW, and a M.Eng.Sc. (Biomedical) and B.E. from the University of Melbourne. Former roles include ‘smart control systems’ consulting in the Australian Mining and Mineral Processing industry, and several years in Washington DC as a senior policy analyst in the environmental NGO sector.

CEEM itself undertakes interdisciplinary research in the analysis and design of energy and environmental markets and their associated policy frameworks. It brings together researchers from five UNSW Faculties with project funding from partners including the Australian Federal Government, CSIRO, State Governments and industry.