Experience

• 

  Clean Energy Finance Corporation

  • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Associate Director

    • Nov 2022 - Present
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Managing government and stakeholder relations across grid-scale generation natural capital (agriculture, forestry, blue carbon, biodiversity), and innovation. Lead on engagement with state governments in Victoria and Tasmania.

• 

  Allume Energy

  • Australia
  • Renewable Energy Equipment Manufacturing
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Policy Director

    • Jul 2021 - Oct 2022

    Following two years of scaling up operations, this work was handed over to a dedicated Director of Operations allowing me to focus full-time on critical priorities in Allume's government engagement and policy development efforts in Australia, New Zealand and US markets. My priorities entailed:- working with municipal, state and federal governments to ensure multifamily/apartment shared solar was included in rebate programs.- secured funding for pilots.- ensuring sustainability accreditation programs included Allume's product.- engaging with utilities to ensure the SolShare could be interconnected in new and growing markets.- engaging with peak bodies in the renewables and social housing industries to ensure shared solar was extended to as many low-income communities as possible.- engaging with standard-setting agencies to ensure new standards under development included shared solar solutions.

  • Chief Operations Officer

    • Jun 2019 - Jul 2021

    As COO I led on:- the scale-up of Allume's operations and financial systems during a period of constant disruption caused by the global pandemic. - securing millions of dollars in non-dilutive funding to help the company ride through the unprecedented economic disruption of 2020.- engagement with regulators, utilities, peak bodies and standard-setting agencies in Australia, New Zealand and the United States to open new markets for our product.

  • Business Development Lead

    • Mar 2018 - Jun 2019

    I secured Allume's first sales and implemented pilot projects with support from local and state agencies to show how shared solar could benefit residents in apartment buildings.During this period I also secured Allume's first permission to interconnect from a utility in the Australian market.

  • Lead, Policy & Regulatory

    • Aug 2016 - Mar 2018

    Lead on Policy & Regulatory Engagement for this innovative startup that has developed technology to deliver affordable solar electricity to residential apartments.

• 

  Parliament of Victoria

  • Melbourne, Australia

  • Policy Adviser

    • Mar 2016 - Oct 2018
    • Melbourne, Australia

    I advised a Member of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of Victoria on several policy portfolios: forestry, public transport, roads & road safety, cycling, planning, water resources, local government and emergency services.

• 

  Centre for Policy Development

  • Melbourne, Australia

  • Research Associate

    • Apr 2016 - Dec 2016
    • Melbourne, Australia

    Research on integration of solar and storage into Australia's National Electricity Market, under the Sustainable Economy program at CPD. Produced a discussion paper that was submitted to the Finkel Review on the Australian electricity market.

• 

  Sanergy

  • Nairobi, Kenya

  • Manager, Policy & Advocacy

    • 2014 - 2015
    • Nairobi, Kenya

    Establishing the policy & advocacy unit of a social enterprise that uses an innovative technology to provide sanitation in slums.I led the development of a 5-year policy & advocacy strategy, working with the company founders, the government relations team and policy experts at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.I engaged Kenyan Government officials, international standards bodies and African sanitation organisations in furthering policy goals of the company.This was a part of an Impact Business Leaders Fellowship, and included social impact management and investment training at Saїd Business School at Oxford.

• 

  Australian Agency for International Development

  • Second Secretary, Water & Infrastructure

    • Apr 2010 - May 2013

    Management of the Australian Mekong Water Resources Program.• Led a team of local and international staff to implement the largest development cooperation program on water resources governance in the Mekong Region.• Worked with partners (research institutions, governments, civil society organisations) to achieve three goals: strengthening institutions, building reliable knowledge, and supporting decision-making processes.• Supported the Mekong River Commission’s facilitation of the decision as to whether to dam the Mekong River. Coordination of diplomatic engagement by Australia and like-minded states. This pressure contributed to leveraging design and operational improvements to the Xayaburi dam presently under construction in Laos. As a result, the dam will have less negative impacts on the food security and livelihoods of the 60 million people who rely on the river.• Worked with the hydropower industry to develop sustainability standards.Leading the Australian Government’s support to regional connectivity infrastructure inLaos, specifically:• Australia’s support to the Rural Electrification Program, including a “Power to the Poor” microcredit scheme to finance connections for impoverished households.• Australia’s support to the construction of a highway, including social safeguards (HIV/AIDS and human trafficking prevention) and poverty impact assessments.

  • Program Officer, Forest Carbon and Biodiversity

    • Apr 2007 - Apr 2010

    Progressively increasing responsibilities for the Australian Government’s AUD200 million (GBP130 million) International Forest Carbon Initiative (IFCI) included:• Improving cooperation with the Government of Papua New Guinea, including two months seconded to the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation to support the development of a national policy framework for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation.• Fostering relationships with the Government of Indonesia, including one month in Jakarta during the establishment phase of Australia’s program of support, and seven weeks in Central Kalimantan providing engineering technical support.• Representation at the Steering Committee of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, and managing Australia’s funding contribution.

  • Policy Officer

    • Feb 2007 - Apr 2007

    Management of relationships with key research, training and capacity building organisations in the democratic governance space, focussing on the Asia-Pacific region. Included procurement and contract negotiations.

• 

  Connell Wagner (now Aurecon)

  • Adelaide

  • Civil & Environmental Engineer

    • Sep 2005 - Mar 2006
    • Adelaide

    Project Officer for medium to large infrastructure projects including:South Road Tunnel Concept, Adelaide, South AustraliaAquifer Storage and Recovery design, Grange Golf Club, Adelaide, South Australia

• 

  US Congress

  • Washington, DC

  • Intern

    • Mar 2005 - May 2005
    • Washington, DC

• 

  Connell Wagner (now Aurecon)

  • Adelaide

  • Civil & Environmental Engineer

    • Feb 2004 - Sep 2004
    • Adelaide