We're thrilled to announce our speakers for 2025! We will continue to update this page as more speakers are confirmed.


Cecilia Gore-Birch (MC)

Cissy Gore-Birch is a Jaru/Kija woman with connections to Balanggarra, Nyikina and Bunuba country. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Natural Resource Management and has worked in the Aboriginal land management and community development sectors for the past twenty years.

 With a strong leadership background in the Kimberley, North Australia & Australia, Ms Gore Birch’s is currently the Director/Owner of Kimberley Cultural Connections Pty Ltd. She is CEO of Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) and Balanggarra Ventures Limited (BVL).

Ms Gore-Birch has been and continues to advocate for the social, cultural, environmental and economic advancement and well-being of Aboriginal people through a fair and equitable process.


PROFESSOR EMMA LEE

Professor Emma Lee OAM is a trawlwulwuy woman from tebrakunna country, north-east Tasmania.  She joined Federation University in March 2023 to further the research and social impacts of the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice.  Emma is an internationally recognised expert on Indigenous methodologies, especially as applied to land and sea management.  She has written books, papers and reports on Indigenous rights, governance and regional development.  

Emma has also led work to establish a market for cultural fisheries in Tasmania through an inaugural Aboriginal food tourism trail based on commercial abalone operations. In transforming research into rights and regional development opportunities through her domestic and international collaborations, Emma is a sought-after advisor to provide expert advice to state and federal governments, ocean industries, Aboriginal communities, businesses and organisations, and UN Bodies. 


LUKE ISAACS

Luke Isaacs is a proud Wadandi (Saltwater) Nyungar Bibbulmun public sector specialist with extensive experience across Federal and State governments. With a strong foundation in developing, managing, and leading First Nations programs and policy, Luke is committed to advancing Traditional Owner rights and self-determination, guided by First Peoples’ values, knowledge systems, and connection to Country. 

As First Peoples Partnership Lead at SEC Victoria, Luke leads the embedding of Traditional Owner relationship principles across the organisation. His work ensures cultural knowledge and values are central to SEC’s decision-making, aligning with its commitment to self-determination, cultural authority, and relational obligation. Luke leads sector-leading approaches to Traditional Owner engagement and benefit sharing, resulting in co-designed, Country-centred partnerships. His leadership reflects SEC’s strategic pillars - Benefit/Value Sharing, First Peoples Governance, Genuine Partnerships, and Cultural Capability - where First Peoples’ self-determination, engagement, and benefit sharing are entrenched and non-negotiable.


mana newton

Mana Newton (Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa iwi) is a Māori leader and strategist, currently serving as Group Chief Executive of Tauhara North No.2 Trust—one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest Māori land trusts with significant geothermal and commercial interests. The Trust has championed sustainable energy development, intergenerational wealth creation, and a uniquely indigenous approach to resource management rooted in the principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and mana motuhake (self-determination). 

With a background as a Deloitte partner and a long-standing advocate for indigenous-led economic models, Mana brings deep experience in governance, tribal development, and navigating the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern industry. He serves across several tribal and commercial boards, supporting kaupapa (principles) that advance Māori equity in high-value sectors, including renewable energy, natural resources, and impact investment.Mana’s work reflects a global indigenous perspective—seeking not just equitable participation, but transformative leadership in major projects that affect whenua (land), wai (water), and future generations. He is passionate about building bridges between Indigenous nations around the world, ensuring that economic partnerships uphold Indigenous rights, cultural integrity, and long-term community prosperity.


karrina nolan

Karrina is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people, an experienced manager and organiser of complex programs in Aboriginal communities. 

She has worked as a facilitator, trainer, researcher and strategist alongside First Nations communities for over 25 years. Most recently, Karrina has been building the capacity for self-determination in the context of economic development, climate change and clean energy. 

She dedicated an Atlantic Fellowship to determining how to best build clean energy projects by and for First Nations people. 

As a Churchill Fellow, Karrina worked with First Nations women in Canada, the USA and Australia collating lessons to grow women's leadership capacity and engagement in community and civic life.


PROFESSOR RAY MAHONEY

Professor Ray Mahoney is a Bidjara man with family ties to Central West Queensland. 

Professor Mahoney has worked extensively to codesign, develop, implement and evaluate best practice public health and prevention programs to close the gap in health and wellbeing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia.  

Professor Mahoney currently leads a range of research projects at CSIRO partnering with Indigenous community-controlled organisation. 


tommy hicks

Badimaya and Narungga man - Tommy Hicks, IEA's head of Culture & Community, is a skilled facilitator and dedicated consultant focused on empowering First Nations communities to lead their own energy futures. His work is built on creating trust-based relationships with industry and government, ensuring that communities are positioned at the heart of decision-making.

Tommy’s approach integrates deep cultural respect with modern energy solutions, ensuring that projects are not just transactional, but are designed to align with community values and long-term aspirations. His guiding principle is that successful outcomes stem from reciprocity, where communities and industry share both the benefits and the responsibility. He fosters mutual respect by centring traditional knowledge and decision-making processes, which empowers communities to maintain cultural integrity while navigating the energy transition.By advocating for and facilitating co-design, cultivating long-term relationships and embedding sustainable benefits, he seeks to continue to find ways to play his role and ensure that First Nations people thrive, empowered by energy, with no sacrifice of their cultural identities.


DUANE FRASER

A Wulgurukaba and Bidjara Traditional Owner, Duane Fraser has dedicated his career to the advancement of Traditional Owner-led governance and cultural authority across a vast array of sectors. As the CEO of the Council of First Nations, he spearheads the creation of a unified national body, amplifying the voices of First Nations organisations across Australia. His  journey has included pivotal roles in government, research, tourism, and conservation, where he consistently champions Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship, blending policy expertise with cultural insight.  



JASON BILNEY 

Jason is a proud descendant of the Barngarla People and is a founding Director of the governing board Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC ICN 8603 (BDAC) since its inception of the corporation in 2017. A passionate advocate of the rights of traditional owners, Jason is avid that negotiations include proper allowances for self-governance and empowerment of the community he represents. 

He is a leader in developing and committing to negotiating for the benefit of all community members.  Jason is fiercely protective of Barngarla Country. And heritage One example of this is his leadership in fighting against a nuclear waste dump being placed in the middle of their country. After several years of fighting, he successfully led the group to triumph in having the waste dump stopped. This took years of legal actions, including Federal Court proceedings, in which BDAC were successful.  Jason works within the mining industry and has a broad knowledge and set of skills which he uses in the boardroom and to negotiate with proponents. He is well versed in green energy and has been educated on many alternative forms of energy, such a wind, hydrogen, solar, steel and desalination plants. Jason and the BDAC board have won two Premier Energy Awards, one for the EPS Solar Farm and one for the EPTL Monitoring Program.


LAWFORD BENNING

Lawford is the Executive Chair at MG Corporation, Kununurra WA, East Kimberley. He is passionate about generating economic development opportunities and promoting education and employment outcomes for MG people. During his time, Lawford has overseen the establishment of many social programs aimed at helping his community, including T120, the Homestretch program and the 100+Jobs. During his tenure, MG Corporation has signed several MOUs for the economic benefit of the community, and has been integral in the establishment of a cotton industry on MG Country. Lawford is instrumental in high level talks with government regarding parcels of land returning to MG Corporation on behalf of MG people. Lawford is a member of a number of advisory bodies, including State Welfare Emergency Committee and the Aboriginal Police Advisory Forum. He was an inaugural member of the Indigenous Reference Group on the development of Northern Australia and is a member of the Pastoral Lands Board, Aboriginal Lands Trust Board. 


BEC HALLIDAY

Rebecca (Bec) is a proud Birpai woman with over two decades of experience leading transformational change and complex systems reform across government, industry, higher education, and First Nations communities. As a senior executive leader and strategic adviser, Bec is nationally recognised for leadership in cultural heritage governance, environmental protection, and the clean energy transition. She specialises in designing strategy, policy, and partnership frameworks that embed First Nations knowledge systems into Australia’s environment, energy, and infrastructure sectors. Bec is the co-founder and Principal of GIRA Advisory, a First Nations-led strategic advisory firm partnering with government, industry, and community to deliver commercially and culturally grounded solutions in governance, ESG advisory, agreement-making, and environmental reform — enabling shared decision-making, protecting Country, and creating sustainable futures. 



AARON MATTHEWS

Aaron Matthews is the Manager of Traditional Owner Relationships and Reconciliation at Horizon Power. With family connections to the Ngarinyin and Gurindji people, Aaron is passionate about fostering social justice, building meaningful relationships, and supporting Aboriginal communities to actively participate in the clean energy transition. Aaron's extensive professional career began in academia at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University, where he dedicated himself to advancing the education and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. His commitment to social justice and his expertise in Indigenous affairs have been instrumental in shaping programs that promote equity and inclusion. In his current role at Horizon Power, Aaron continues to leverage his academic background and his passion for social justice to drive initiatives that bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern energy solutions. His work is centered on creating sustainable partnerships with Aboriginal communities, ensuring their voices and perspectives are integral to the clean energy transition. Aaron's dedication to his role is demonstrated through his proactive approach to relationship-building and his unwavering commitment to reconciliation. His leadership in this space is not only a testament to his professional capabilities but also to his deep-rooted connection to his heritage and community. Aaron Matthews remains a steadfast advocate for the empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and his work continues to inspire positive change and progress within the energy sector.


GAVIN BROWN

Gavin Brown is a Wiradjuri man from Wellington in Central West NSW; and the CEO and co-Founder of Yamagigu Consulting, a majority First Nations owned, led and staffed business  which has been operating for almost 12 years: and in that time has completed more than 2,000 projects across more than 800 communities in Australia. The firm is connected to, and is a world-first in the global Deloitte network of firms; and prior to joining  that network in August 2024, was similarly a world-first in the global PwC network.    With a background in finance and investments, Gavin’s economic development experience includes: independent economic development Adviser for the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (c.$1bn in assets); a drafting group member for the Australian ‘Indigenous Investment Principles’ – modelled from the Santiago Principles for Sovereign Wealth Funds; part of the due diligence and investment committee for the development and establishment of Indigenous Business Australia’s $100m+ ‘Indigenous Real Estate Investment Trust’; and a large range of advisory engagements throughout yamagigu’s decade plus of work.   He is also a Founding Director of Wambal Bila Limited – a new company established for the Wellington Aboriginal Community of NSW, to take a 5% equity stake in the $450m new renewables battery being developed in Wellington; a deal which is believed to be an Australian-first.


ALWYN GRAHAM

Alwyn is the Director of Mirning Green Energy Limited. He will be speaking about the Western Green Energy Hub project on the Mirning country at Eucla and the outcomes that will benefit local Traditional Owners.



PATRICK GREECHAN

An accomplished Marine Master of 40yrs at Sea around the world, built 3 engineering companies in two different country's. Currently involved in delivering projects and services to remote community's on the face of Environmental Health and consulting to communities of the renewable energy opportunity's.
A proud Baad man from the Dampier Peninsular and Chair for Amboranj Power


CHRAE Tawhai

Chrae Tawhai is a proud Arrernte and Māori man from Alice Springs, NT, and the founder of Envision Energy — a 100% Indigenous-owned electrical and renewable energy company. With a passion for empowering communities, Chrae leads Envision Energy with a mission to deliver high-quality electrical, solar, and sustainable energy solutions across Australia.

Envision Energy is built on the belief in “providing power to the community” — not just through energy, but through opportunity. The company is committed to creating real pathways for Indigenous youth through training, employment, and long-term partnerships. From residential installs to major commercial and government projects, Envision is building a cleaner future while empowering Indigenous communities through meaningful work and lasting impact.


Chantell johns

Chantell Johns is one of several young community leaders who guided the Northern Territory community of Marlinja’s clean energy ambitions from vision to reality.



RUBY HEARD

Ruby Heard is a descendant of the Jaru people of the Kimberley, an electrical engineer and founding director of Alinga Energy Consulting. Alinga provides energy research, feasibility and design services with a focus on affordable and sustainable off-grid systems which improve livelihoods for Indigenous communities.




andrea cameron

Andrea Cameron is the senior engagement officer with Aboriginal Housing Nothern Territory (AHNT).  

She  is  a Rembarrnga/Mayili women from south central Arhnem land.


LYNDA CURTIS

Lynda works for the Department for Energy and Mining in the Remote Area Energy Supply scheme, which supplies electricity to 15 remote First Nations communities in South Australia. Lynda helps communities save power through energy efficiency education and power related projects, such as the Pawa Atunmankunytjaku (taking care of power) program and the project that we will hear about today. Lynda leads First Nations engagement within her team and is currently working on the ARENA/RAES First Nations Microgrid project with three communities to ensure that everyone benefits from the new solar farms.Lynda is also part of her department’s RAP working group and is currently working on an economic participation strategy to help increase employment and procurement opportunities within the energy and mining sectors. Lynda is passionate about reducing carbon emissions through energy efficiency and increasing renewable energy generation, especially in First Nations communities.



RICHARD WATSON

Richard is a dedicated and knowledgeable Principal with expertise and passion in designing, developing, and implementing training programs tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Providing strategic guidance to academic staff to ensure inclusive learning and assessment practices. He is skilled in fostering partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, community groups, and service providers to enhance training programs. With a strong background in training design, program management, and stakeholder engagement, he works to create meaningful learning opportunities that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to succeed. Committed to strengthening collaboration across NMTAFE, including academic teams, student mentors, and key governance bodies, to support educational success and cultural inclusivity.




BRIAN LEE

Brian Lee is the Chairman of the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation and has served this organisation in some capacity for about 25 years. 

His vision is to build a better future for his people, the Bardi Jawi mob, and to bring about sustainable employment and capacity to deliver programs and services to the community of Djarindjin and the wider Dampier Peninsula. Brian has achieved success and a level of recognition in the broader community as he runs a successful tour business which operates out of the Djarindjin Roadhouse.


NATHAN MCIVOR

Nathan McIvor, the CEO of Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) and GM of Djarindjin Airport Pty Ltd, was honoured as the Business Person of the Year 2024 by the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Originally from the Northern Territory, assuming his role in 2019, Nathan has been a driving force behind the organisation’s journey towards self-determination, sustainable development, and financial independence. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering growth and empowerment within the Djarindjin community and the wider Dampier Peninsula. 

GORDON SUE

Gordon is an Investment Management in the Direct Investments team at Indigenous Business Australia. Prior to that, for more than two decades he’s occupied senior corporate development roles in leading ASX listed companies and in banking and finance in project finance and M&A advisory roles, with a focus on infrastructure, power and utilities. His present focus at IBA is partnering with First Nations in the energy transition.



DUYGU Yengin

Associate Professor Duygu Yengin is a leading economist and President of the Economic Society of Australia (SA Branch), with a research focus on fair and inclusive negotiation processes in contexts of unequal power and incomplete property rights. Her work bridges economics, law, and political philosophy to address real-world challenges in land use, compensation, and equitable development.

Assoc. Prof. Yengin’s research has had substantial policy impact, including formal submissions to government inquiries and recommendations on compulsory land acquisition that were tabled in the South Australian Parliament in 2022 and led to legislative reform. Her work has also been cited by the World Bank.

She is currently focused on Indigenous energy justice, exploring how renewable energy transitions can better serve Aboriginal communities. Her projects examine native title negotiations, energy poverty, and fair compensation in the context of mining and renewable energy developments. She works closely with First Nations organisations and community leaders to support more equitable outcomes in energy planning and land use.

Assoc. Prof. Yengin is committed to advancing inclusive economic frameworks that respect Indigenous self-determination, rights and priorities, and to supporting pathways for meaningful Aboriginal participation in Australia’s clean energy future.


kristy graham

Kristy Graham is the CEO of Australian Sustainable Finance Institute. Kristy is the inaugural CEO of ASFI. Established in 2021, ASFI works to create a financial system in Australia that can support a sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all Australians. By working across the finance sector, with banks, investors, insurers, government, regulators, research institutions and peak bodies, ASFI is at the forefront of sustainable finance in Australia. With a background in sustainable finance and social impact investing across the public and private sectors, prior to ASFI Kristy led the Australian Government’s work with private and institutional investors to mobilise capital for climate and social impact in Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. In this role she established the Australian Government’s first impact investment fund, designed to build sustainable and inclusive financial markets in Southeast Asia. She was also a special advisor on the Prime Minister’s Social Impact Investing Taskforce in 2020. She has previously worked in Australia, Latin America, the UK and in global roles for large and small organisations, driving global progress on sustainability issues. She holds a BSc (Environmental), a Masters in Environmental Law from the University of Sydney and an MBA (Social Impact) from AGSM at UNSW and has been named in the Australian Green Power Players List for 2023 and 2024."

JOSIAH FAJARDO


Josiah Fajardo is Practice Lead for Infrastructure Analytics at Ekistica. As a civil engineer with legal training, he has assisted in Ekistica’s delivery of technical advice and performance and financial modelling for major utility-scale energy infrastructure transactions and project management and regulatory advice for project development in remote communities. 

He led the Techno-Economic Modelling Report for the Alice Springs Future Grid Project and contributed to the Generator Operations Series providing analysis on ARENA’s Large-Scale Solar portfolio in collaboration with ARENA and the CEFC, and more recently the ARENA Grid-Forming Battery Portfolio Series. He has been project manager for Ekistica’s provision of technical advisory and engineering support to the Ngardara Community Microgrid Project in Borroloola since 2022 throughout the feasibility, development and contracting stages. 




CHRIS CROKER

Chris is a Luritja man from Central Australia. He is an experienced senior executive and strategy advisor with expertise in Indigenous economic development, asset management, corporate strategy and infrastructure construction over a 25-year period. 

Chris is Global chief advisor Indigenous relations with Rio Tinto and was formerly the Managing Director of Impact IP.


SCOTT MCDINNY

Scott McDinny is a descebdant of the Garrwa/Yanyuwa people from Borroloola in the NT’s Gulf of Carpentaria. He is an experienced community organiser and a Director of the Borroloola Ngardara Cooperative, a community-controlled initiative driving the development of our Ngardara Solar Microgrid project, the first community-owned utility-scale microgrid in the Northern Territory.Scott has ten years experience in construction and civil qualifications supporting the delivery of our homeland and community solar projects across the NT, and is an accomplished musician with a passion for supporting young mob into skilled jobs in the renewable energy sector.



MADDIE STURGESS

Madison (Madie) Sturgess is a cleantech specialist with experience across tech start-ups, agriculture, film and TV, and international development sectors. Her cleantech experience includes developing microgrid projects and clean energy cooking alternatives with remote Haitian communities by way of Washington DC, and researching and developing energy innovation opportunities and policy reform for agriculture and communities in regional Queensland. Madie is passionate about fit for purpose solutions for sustainable development, the democratisation of energy, and the larger transition to circular economies - none of which is possible without consulting the communities they serve.


CHRIS BRIGGS

Dr Chris Briggs is the Program Lead for the Energy Futures group at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Technical Director for the Business Renewables Centre-Australia and board member of the Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity. 

Chris has worked in climate and energy roles as a political adviser, policy maker, program leader and researcher. One of his key areas of specialisation is First Nations clean energy, including workforce development, renewable energy development and community engagement.


KANEYA POUDAL

Kaneya is a proud Wiradjuri, Yaegl and Kamilaroi man. He previously worked for many years with the Department of Defence as a Contracting/Policy Officer in the field of aerospace acquisitions. 

Kaneya was inspired by his participation in the First Nations Clean Energy Network's PowerMakers 2023 capacity building program to bring his experience and knowledge to the Network as their Engagement and Policy Lead to further empower First Nations individuals and businesses to not only take part in the clean energy transition, but to lead all aspects of it.



LAUREN MELLOR

Lauren Mellor is the Clean Energy Communities Co-Director at Original Power. Lauren has over two decades experience working in community development and organising capacities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Northern Territory and Queensland to implement self-determined solutions to complex community needs. 

She has led programs and teams of people in the design, implementation and assessment of community-driven projects and has experience delivering community energy planning scenarios, standalone and grid-connected solar and battery storage projects and renewable energy law and policy reform to ensure First Nations people play a leading role in the clean energy transition.


Rebecca Humphries

Rebecca Humphries is a Senior Policy Officer at the Central Land Council, and has lived and worked on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) for the past 12 years. She is a committed advocate for transformative policy change, driven by a strong belief in Aboriginal self-determination and community-led development.

Before joining the policy team, Rebecca worked in the Central Land Council’s Community Development Unit, which has led the way in establishing a community development framework that supports Aboriginal groups to drive their own development through implementing community benefit projects with their own income, enabling long-term, locally controlled outcomes.Rebecca holds a Diploma of Community Services, a Diploma of Business Governance, a Graduate Certificate in Human Rights, and a Master of Business Administration (Sustainable Enterprise). Her work is grounded in partnership, and a deep respect for the knowledge and priorities of Aboriginal communities.


NICK Llewellyn-Jones

Nick is the founder and team leader of the Native Title, Resources and Renewable Energy Practice at Norman Waterhouse. Nick is regarded as one of the leading native title lawyers in Australia, who is regularly included by Doyles Guide as a national leading lawyer for both native title holders and proponents. In addition to his important litigation work, Nick has negotiated over a dozen ILUAs and a further two dozen large commercial native title agreements and advised on a number of market defining mining, energy and infrastructure agreements, many of which have national economic significance and precedent value.

Nick also holds an advanced degree in economics from the University of Adelaide, with a particular interest in resources and environmental economics. This further enables Nick to practically help resolve negotiations between Aboriginal, Government and corporate parties. In addition to his legal work, Nick has also established scholarships for indigenous students studying business and has spoken on diverse topics of native title negotiations, valuation, and the renewable energy industry throughout Australia and internationally. 

ANTHEA MIDDLETON

Anthea is the CEO for Powering Skills Organisation – a jobs and skills council for the energy sector in Australia.  PSO is focused on industry workforce research, development, policy, engagement, and training sector enhancement. 

Anthea has grown and refined her skills in a range of challenging work environments, from relatively new start-ups to small not-for-profits, all the way to world leading multinationals like Facebook. 


LUANA CORMAC

Luana is the General Manager, First Nations & Clean Energy Facilitation for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

Luana is a purpose driven leader with over 18 years’ experience delivering outcomes across various levels of Government domestically and through international fora. With a solid background in sustainability and development economics, Luana’s work has shaped economic and environment reform, delivered key programs to progress the Net Zero Transition and enabled investment and commercial certainty. 

In her current role, as Branch Head, First Nations and Clean Energy Facilitation Branch, Energy Group, DCCEEW, Luana has led multiple initiatives to integrate purpose and impact into Government policy and programs. Luana has driven this impact by enabling cross-sector and cross-cultural partnerships, undertaking complex stakeholder consultations and engagement, and ensuring evidence forms a basis development. 

MARCUS LEONG

Marcus Leong joined the SEC in December 2022. Marcus has extensive experience in strategy and management in the public sector, leading teams that work on complex issues across multiple disciplines sectors and portfolios, beginning his career in energy policy.  

As the General Manager of Strategy and Performance at SEC, Marcus leads the organisation's efforts on its strategy, First Peoples self-determination, sector-wide workforce development and business performance. 

Prior to joining the SEC, Marcus was an executive at the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, where he led a number of whole-of-government strategy and implementation projects to speed up government delivery. 

ELIZABETH NOBLE

Elizabeth Noble is a Director at Community Power Agency and has worked in the community energy sector for over a decade. Her background spans project management, stakeholder engagement, environmental policy and community education, with a focus on participatory approaches to energy and climate justice.

Elizabeth has been involved in initiatives that support communities to shape and benefit from the energy transition, including work on social licence, community engagement frameworks and co-designed resources to build local capacity. She has worked alongside local councils, First Nations organisations, government agencies and grassroots groups across Australia, as well as on international projects in the UK and Asia.She is passionate about shifting power in the energy system, not just from fossil fuels to renewables, but from centralised, corporate-led models to approaches that centre communities, equity and inclusion.
 


GLORIA CHAN

Gloria Chan is an Executive Director and leads the program management aspects of the Rewiring the Nation funding at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. She previously co-led the large-scale solar business in support of Australia’s growing renewable energy sector and led the Future Grid business at the CEFC. Gloria has near 20 years of institutional banking experience, spanning project and corporate finance as well as credit. 

Gloria was previously a Director at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, financing projects and corporates across a variety of industries, including renewables, utilities, mining and mining infrastructure, and oil and gas. Gloria has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)/ Bachelor of Law (BCom/ LLB) from the University of New South Wales and is also admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.  


DOMINIC POWER

Dominic Power is a Senior Investment Analyst at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), where he leads strategic investment initiatives aimed at accelerating Australia’s clean energy transition. 

With a background in finance, infrastructure, and energy innovation, Dominic has played a pivotal role in the Regional Microgrid Program, an initiative designed to enhance energy resilience and decarbonisation in remote and regional communities, while empowering First Nations communities.


DAVID SHANKEY

David Shankey serves as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Net Zero Economy Authority, appointed on 29 November 2024. In this role, he leads a dedicated team of 150 professionals committed to supporting Australia’s regions and communities through the transition to a net zero emissions economy. David Shankey CEO NZEAPrior to this appointment, Mr Shankey was the Deputy Director-General at Queensland’s Department of Energy and Public Works. In this capacity, he spearheaded the development of Queensland’s 10-year Energy and Jobs Plan, a transformative strategy aimed at transitioning the state from coal-fired to renewable energy generation within a decade and achieving a 90% reduction in electricity sector carbon emissions by 2035.Under Mr Shankey’s guidance, the Authority plays a pivotal role in Australia’s decarbonisation journey. The Authority collaborates with communities, governments, regional bodies, unions, industry stakeholders, investors, and First Nations groups to ensure inclusive participation in the benefits arising from the global shift to net zero emissions. 


RENEE SINGER

Tricia Rene'e Singer ia a Yankunytjatjara/Pitjantjatjara women. She live in Indulkana, Iwantja community, a remote community on the APY lands. She works at Iwantja Arts as a coordinator where she paints. 

She enjoys going out on bush trips for gathering bush food with my family, making artefacts, weaving and other crafts. She has now started to try different types of animals with her weaving and have has had paintings in several Aboriginal galleries.


KATHRYN RIDGE

Kathryn Ridge is an experienced lawyer who works for self determined Aboriginal groups restoring relationships to country and rebuilding their community. 

As part of that work she has negotiated novel land acquisition outcomes,  renewable energy agreements which include equity outcomes and the largest biodiversity agreement in NSW.



DR LILY O'NEIL

Dr Lily O'Neill is a Senior Research Fellow for Melbourne Climate Futures. She is a lawyer and legal researcher with a particular focus on how the legal frameworks for renewable energy, nature restoration and climate adaptation can benefit communities.  

One particular focus is undertaking research that is Traditional Owner-led.Lily is also a writer and presenter on Climate Kids, a show that answers kids’ questions about climate change.