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2024-Mar-26-16.37 - 0E2A2725-Enhanced-NR

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Andrea Bernard

Executive General Manager, Retail
ENGIE Australia & New Zealand

Arran Coughlan

Principal
Coughlan Advisory

Bec Jolly

Director, Energy Equity
Energy Charter

Brendan French

Chief Executive Officer
Energy Consumers Australia

Brett Murphy

Relationship Manager, Energy, South Australia
Tesla

Camille Hymer

Energy Retail Operations Expert

Candice Hincksman

Manager Demand & Energy Management
Energy Queensland

Carolyn Luey

Chief Retail Officer
Contact Energy (NZ)

Chris Thompson

Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Amber Electric

David Prins

Director
Etrog Consulting

Ed Hyde

Chief Strategy, Transformation & Technology Officer
Genesis Energy (NZ)

Gavin Dufty

National Director, Energy Policy and Research
National Council St. Vincent Paul Society Australia

Hayden Barry

Managing Director
Nectr

Jarrod Ball

Board Member
Australian Energy Regulator (AER)

Jason Perera

APAC Commercial Director - Customer Value & Transformations
Gentrack

Jitendra Tomar

Founder
Localvolts

Jo De Silva

General Manager Retail Policy
Australian Energy Council

Katalin Polus

Head of Customer Marketing
Synergy

Kate Gibson

Chief Customer Officer
EnergyAustralia

Lisa Hannifin

Chief Customer Officer
Meridian Energy (NZ)

Louisa Kinnear

Chief Executive Officer
Australian Energy Council

Luke Blincoe

Chief Executive Officer
Supa Energy

Lyn Bowring

Executive Director, Consumer, Community, and First Peoples’ Energy Transitions
Vic Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Peter Jackowski

General Manager, Delivery and Operations - Consumer and Innovation
SEC Victoria

Philip Cullum

Principal
Consumer-wise Consulting

Ralph Griffiths

General Manager of Policy and Regulation

AGL Energy

Renae Gasmier

Head of Innovation and Strategy
AGL Energy

Rob Morris

Founder
iO Energy

Robert Lo Giudice

Energy Industry Expert
RLG Advisory

Ryan Wavish

General Manager Innovation, ENGIE Retail
ENGIE Australia & New Zealand

Shreejan Pandey

Director
Monash Energy Institute

Steve Reid

General Manager Regulatory Policy
Origin Energy

Tim Barson

Partnerships Manager - SmartShift
Amber Electric

Todd Pemberton

General Manager Retail
Pacific Blue Australia

Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope

Chief Executive Officer
Financial Counselling Victoria

Camille Hymer

Energy Retail Operations Expert

Camille Hymer is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience leading operations across Australia’s energy sector. She has held leadership roles at Origin Energy, Momentum Energy and Tango Energy, where she delivered business growth, improved customer experience, and navigated major regulatory and industry changes.

As Interim CEO at Tango Energy, Camille oversaw the company’s rebrand, expansion into regional Victoria, and achievement of a CANSTAR award for customer service. Most recently; Camille has worked as a retail energy consultant, advising on compliance, market reform, and operational excellence.

Camille is recognised for her strategic leadership, strong decision-making, and ability to build high-performing teams. She brings a passion for problem-solving, innovation, and creating positive outcomes for staff, customers, and organisations alike.

Speaking at

08:50

Opening remarks from the Chair

Speaker Speakers

Camille Hymer,

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Philip Cullum

Principal
Consumer-wise Consulting

Philip is an experienced director, regulator and consumer advocate. He set up Consumer-wise Consulting, working on strategy, policy, engagement and governance.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

09:00

Panel discussion: Rebuilding trust and value in a shifting retail energy market

Speaker Speakers

Philip Cullum,

Kate Gibson,

Louisa Kinnear,

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Kate Gibson

Chief Customer Officer
EnergyAustralia

Kate commenced in her role as Chief Customer Officer in July 2024. Kate is responsible for leading the performance of EnergyAustralia’s customer business, including customer experience, analytics and insights, pricing and product development, customer assets, marketing and digital innovation, as well as the delivery of sales and services across residential, business and industrial customer segments.

Kate previously held the role as Chief Strategy Officer and Project Management Officer from December 2023, where she oversaw strategy, sustainability and customer assets. Prior to joining EnergyAustralia, Kate led a distinguished 14-year career at ANZ Bank, including as Managing Director Consumer Banking and General Manager Small Business Banking, and spent over a decade with the Boston Consulting Group preceding ANZ.

Kate has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

09:00

Panel discussion: Rebuilding trust and value in a shifting retail energy market

Speaker Speakers

Philip Cullum,

Kate Gibson,

Louisa Kinnear,

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Louisa Kinnear

Chief Executive Officer
Australian Energy Council

Louisa Kinnear assumed the role of Chief Executive of the Australian Energy Council in September 2024.

Prior to this, Louisa was the Chief Executive Officer at Jacana Energy, the largest energy retailer in the Northern Territory. She has also held senior roles at Synergy, Western Power and Water Corporation and previously worked for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Western Australia.

For the past 15 years, Louisa has helped governments, businesses, and customers across various jurisdictions navigate and benefit from the renewable energy transition. She is a strong advocate for fostering collaboration across the energy sector to ensure a successful transition.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

09:00

Panel discussion: Rebuilding trust and value in a shifting retail energy market

Speaker Speakers

Philip Cullum,

Kate Gibson,

Louisa Kinnear,

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Renae Gasmier

Head of Innovation and Strategy
AGL Energy

Renae recently joined EnergyAustralia where she leads the Customer Assets team that looks to make the energy transition simple for our customers by combining behind the meter solutions into our growing flexible energy portfolio.

Renae has held senior leadership roles at JLL, Horizon Power, Synergy, RACV & Medibank leading customer-centric programs such as Project Symphony, community battery rollouts, EV strategy and creating the WA State Government Schools Virtual Power Plant. As JLL Head of Sustainability Consulting, Renae worked with Australia’s largest built environment energy users, in reducing emissions and leveraging solar, battery and electric vehicles.

In 2019, her Vicinity Centres Solar Program won Clean Energy Council and Property Council of Australia awards.

Speaking at

09:30

Designing EV-friendly energy plans to drive customer value and grid alignment

Speaker Speakers

Renae Gasmier,

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Jarrod Ball

Board Member
Australian Energy Regulator (AER)

Jarrod Ball was appointed to the Board in May 2023.

Prior to this, Jarrod was Chief Economist at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) leading their economic research and advocacy.

He has more than 21 years of experience in public policy, government relations and economics, working across state and federal governments and major Australian companies such as EY and BHP.

Jarrod has provided economic and policy advice to governments across the energy, transport and telecommunications sectors, including as a lead adviser on microeconomic reform in the Victorian Government.

Jarrod has also held several board and committee positions across government and business and until recently was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin Business School.

Jarrod holds a Masters in Economics from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland.

Speaking at

10:20

A simpler energy market for retailers and consumers

Speaker Speakers

Jarrod Ball,

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David Prins

Director
Etrog Consulting

David Prins is an experienced and highly accomplished thought leader, strategic influencer and collaborator in the Australian energy market. He thrives on understanding how competition and regulation inter relate in energy markets, and helping his clients to navigate the often difficult environments in which they have to participate and engage, across the energy value chain.

David has extensive international consulting experience and expertise in strategic, regulatory and government policy and commercial issues in energy markets, particularly from a consumer perspective. His work currently focuses on the energy transition to net zero, reliability and resilience of the energy system, and energy affordability.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:20

Panel discussion: Beyond the DMO - navigating retail reform and CER regulation

Speaker Speakers

David Prins,

Steve Reid,

Ralph Griffiths,

Lyn Bowring,

Jo De Silva,

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Steve Reid

General Manager Regulatory Policy
Origin Energy

Steve is a senior energy professional with over 17 years’ experience in policy reform and regulatory development across both gas and electricity markets.

Having worked in government and the private sector, Steve understands the policy and regulatory objectives of both regulators and industry stakeholders, particularly as it relates to the significant transition underway in Australia’s energy markets.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:20

Panel discussion: Beyond the DMO - navigating retail reform and CER regulation

Speaker Speakers

David Prins,

Steve Reid,

Ralph Griffiths,

Lyn Bowring,

Jo De Silva,

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Ralph Griffiths

General Manager of Policy and Regulation

AGL Energy

Ralph Griffiths is General Manager of Policy and Regulation at AGL and has over 20 years’ experience shaping Australia’s energy transition across government and industry. He has been fortunate to play a role in shaping Australia’s energy transition, including in his prior role as Executive Director Energy Strategy in Victoria driving major reforms such as the Gas Substitution Roadmap, Renewable Energy Zones and the establishment of the new SEC Victoria. Ralph brings deep expertise in energy retail and markets, distributed energy, regulatory strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:20

Panel discussion: Beyond the DMO - navigating retail reform and CER regulation

Speaker Speakers

David Prins,

Steve Reid,

Ralph Griffiths,

Lyn Bowring,

Jo De Silva,

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Lyn Bowring

Executive Director, Consumer, Community, and First Peoples’ Energy Transitions
Vic Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)

Lyn Bowring is an Executive Director in Victorian Government Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, where her leadership of the Consumer, Communities and First Peoples’ Energy Transition Division aligns with her passion for putting humans at the centre. She has oversight of Policy, Programs and Service Delivery focused on a fit for purpose consumer energy market including affordability and protections; enabling self-determination in the energy transition; and supporting community participation in energy.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:20

Panel discussion: Beyond the DMO - navigating retail reform and CER regulation

Speaker Speakers

David Prins,

Steve Reid,

Ralph Griffiths,

Lyn Bowring,

Jo De Silva,

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Jo De Silva

General Manager Retail Policy
Australian Energy Council

Jo De Silva is the General Manager Retail Policy at the Australian Energy Council. Previously, Jo was a senior leader at the Australian Energy Market Operator (ISP Consumer Panel) and Energy & Water Ombudsman SA, experienced in representing the long-term interests of different cohorts of energy consumers in regulatory and technical processes. Jo has served as a member of the Energy Security Board Stakeholder Steering Group and the National Customer Code Council for Comparators and Moving Services.

Jo was a member of the Australian Energy Regulator Consumer Reference Group, all four Energy Security Board National Energy Guarantee Technical Working Groups and the Australian Energy Market Commission System Security Technical Working Group. Heading up energy policy at the South Australian Council of Social Service for around a decade, Jo convened the National Consumer Roundtable on Energy and was an inaugural member of the AER’s Consumer Challenge Panel. Jo is a former Judge of the South Australian Premier’s Mining and Energy Awards.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:20

Panel discussion: Beyond the DMO - navigating retail reform and CER regulation

Speaker Speakers

David Prins,

Steve Reid,

Ralph Griffiths,

Lyn Bowring,

Jo De Silva,

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Carolyn Luey

Chief Retail Officer
Contact Energy (NZ)

Carolyn joined Contact in July 2025 as Chief Retail Officer. Carolyn has extensive strategic leadership experience from several New Zealand organisations within the telecommunications, technology and media sectors. As a highly respected leader and accomplished customer officer, she brings a fresh approach as Contact delivers the country’s renewable energy transition and plays a part ensuring energy security for the thousands of Kiwi households we connect with.

Speaking at

12:00

Building and refining time of use products to encourage demand flexibility in a volatile energy market

Speaker Speakers

Carolyn Luey,

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Rob Morris

Founder
iO Energy

Rob is a visionary builder and problem solver. After a decade employed as an aeronautical engineer, working on complex combat aircraft, he turned his eye to an even more complex challenge–the Australian Energy System! One day Rob looked at an energy bill and wondered “why are electricity prices the highest in the daytime, when the energy is coming from cheap, abundant and renewable solar power?” That idea led to the founding of iO Energy, which has grown to be a leading innovative energy business. Rob has a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Adelaide University and Master of Project Management from UNSW.

Speaking at

13:30

Navigating price volatility to protect innovation in energy retail

Speaker Speakers

Rob Morris,

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Brett Murphy

Relationship Manager, Energy, South Australia
Tesla

With 15 years in the clean energy sector and the last 5 in Tesla's energy storage business, Brett is focused on developing Tesla's residential virtual power plant programs to help customers reduce the cost of their Tesla product ownership in return for supporting the electricity grid.

Speaking at

14:20

Maximising value for battery customers through battery optimisation in retail programs

Speaker Speakers

Brett Murphy,

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Tim Barson

Partnerships Manager - SmartShift
Amber Electric

Tim Barson is passionate about accelerating Australia’s transition to a smarter, cleaner energy future. As Partnerships Manager for Amber Electric’s SmartShift program, he works with customers and partners to unlock the potential of flexible energy use—helping households and businesses benefit from renewable generation and wholesale electricity pricing.

With a career spanning business development, regional sales and sustainability, Tim has held key roles at SolarEdge Technologies and ZEN Energy, driving adoption of solar, storage and smart energy solutions. His early experience in environmental management has given him a strong grounding in the practicalities of delivering real-world impact.

Holding a Bachelor of Commerce in Sustainability Studies from Flinders University, Tim combines commercial acumen with a deep understanding of the environmental imperative. He is committed to building partnerships that not only make economic sense, but also contribute to a resilient, low-carbon energy system for Australia.

Speaking at

14:50

Designing VPP offerings that deliver real value to customers

Speaker Speakers

Tim Barson,

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Katalin Polus

Head of Customer Marketing
Synergy

Katalin Polus is a dynamic leader with 20 years of global experience across commodities, chemicals, and energy sectors. Katalin has been at the forefront of the energy transition enabling customers to benefit from active participation in the electricity market through products and services. Currently the Head of Customer Marketing at Synergy, Katalin is passionate about driving sustainable green energy solutions, enhancing customer experience and delivering customer-centric solutions. She has held a series of leadership roles within Synergy, including Pricing & Performance Manager, where she developed effective pricing strategies and secured major sales agreements.

Prior to her work at Synergy, Katalin held global roles at Henkel, where she was Head of Global Pricing for Packaging Adhesives. In this role, she spearheaded a transformational change initiative, driving pricing excellence across international markets.

Known for her innovative approach and ability to leverage team strengths, Katalin excels at solving complex problems and delivering continuous value improvements. She is passionate about challenging traditional business models and driving strategic change across industries. With her extensive international experience, Katalin continues to play a key role in shaping the future of energy solutions through marketing innovation.

Speaking at

15:50

Integrating VPP incentives with battery rebates to unlock stronger consumer participation

Speaker Speakers

Katalin Polus,

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Panel Discussion

16:20

Panel discussion: Redefining the retailer role in distributed energy, batteries and community participation

Speaker Speakers

Robert Lo Giudice,

Gavin Dufty,

Katalin Polus,

Candice Hincksman,

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Robert Lo Giudice

Energy Industry Expert
RLG Advisory

Robert brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience across Australia’s energy sector, shaping major national reforms and driving commercial success in retail, metering, and regulatory environments. Known for making complex challenges clear and engaging, he connects industry insight with practical outcomes. As a Non-Executive Director at his local Bendigo Bank, Robert also brings valuable community perspective and commercial acumen to the table, further strengthening his ability to balance strategic insight with real-world impact.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

16:20

Panel discussion: Redefining the retailer role in distributed energy, batteries and community participation

Speaker Speakers

Robert Lo Giudice,

Gavin Dufty,

Katalin Polus,

Candice Hincksman,

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Gavin Dufty

National Director, Energy Policy and Research
National Council St. Vincent Paul Society Australia

Gavin was recently appointed National Director Energy Policy and Research of St Vincent de Paul Society Australia, but has worked in the social services community welfare sector for over 30 years, undertaking social research, policy evaluation and advocacy with a specific focus on essential gas, water and electricity services.

Gavin is also a consumer representative of a number of industry and government committees including: Yarra Valley Water community advisory group; Victorian, NSW electricity and gas distribution company consultative committees; and a member of the AER and ESC customer consultative groups. He is also a Board member of Energy Consumers Australia and a previous member of the AEMC reliability panel and AEMO’s ISP consumer panel.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

16:20

Panel discussion: Redefining the retailer role in distributed energy, batteries and community participation

Speaker Speakers

Robert Lo Giudice,

Gavin Dufty,

Katalin Polus,

Candice Hincksman,

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12:00

Customer-led tariffs: putting customers at the centre of pricing reform

Speaker Speakers

Bec Jolly,

Gavin Dufty,

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Candice Hincksman

Manager Demand & Energy Management
Energy Queensland

Candice Hincksman is a collaborative leader and data scientist with extensive experience across the energy sector. A self-confessed “numbers nerd” with a passion for people, she has built her career on turning complex modelling and data insights into strategies that create real business value.

At Energy Queensland, Candice leads demand and energy management, drawing on her expertise in forecasting, pricing, and network strategy to support the state’s energy transition. Previously, she held leadership roles in network forecasting and pricing at Energex, where she developed and implemented tariff structures and long-term pricing strategies for residential, business, and industrial customers.

With a background spanning academia, commercial, and public sectors, Candice brings a rare mix of analytical rigour and engaging leadership. She is committed to enabling smarter energy systems that deliver for customers and communities.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

16:20

Panel discussion: Redefining the retailer role in distributed energy, batteries and community participation

Speaker Speakers

Robert Lo Giudice,

Gavin Dufty,

Katalin Polus,

Candice Hincksman,

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Shreejan Pandey

Director
Monash Energy Institute

Shreejan Pandey is Director of the Monash Energy Institute, where he convenes leading researchers, industry, and policymakers to spearhead collaborative initiatives advancing the energy transition. His career spans designing wind farms and substations, shaping international standards, and forging partnerships across government, industry, and academia to address the technical, market, and social challenges of a clean energy future.

Speaking at

08:50

Opening remarks from the Chair

Speaker Speakers

Shreejan Pandey,

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Andrea Bernard

Executive General Manager, Retail
ENGIE Australia & New Zealand

Andrea Bernard has extensive expertise in leadership both within the energy sector and other industries. Andrea joined ENGIE in 2019 and has held the roles of Chief Customer Officer Retail ANZ, and Managing Director ENGIE Digital in Paris, ENGIE’s group digital transformation accelerator. Andrea brings a passion for delivering a congruent, cost effective, and digitally enabled customer experience, along with a high performance culture within the teams she leads. She has proven experience championing new energy propositions for customers and ensuring that ENGIE’s global zero-carbon objectives are fundamental to the local strategy.

Speaking at

09:00

Accelerating energy transformation in the age of agentic AI

Speaker Speakers

Andrea Bernard,

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Ed Hyde

Chief Strategy, Transformation & Technology Officer
Genesis Energy (NZ)

Ed joined Genesis in September 2023 as Chief Transformation & Technology Officer. In addition to overseeing Transformation and Technology, Ed also manages our Strategy team and our LPG business. He was also previously responsible for Genesis’ Commercial and Industrial business.

Ed is a proven senior executive with a track record of introducing new technologies and working practices to enable businesses to drive productivity through innovation and disruption, complementing his strong people and commercial leadership experience. Prior to joining Genesis, Ed was Chief Customer Officer at Chorus New Zealand. He has also held senior roles at Spark New Zealand, including Chief Executive Officer for Spark Ventures and Chief Executive Officer for data and insights platform, Qrious.

Ed’s earlier career began in the UK where he held a number of senior roles in the telecommunications industry.

Ed holds a Bachelor of Science in Material Science and Engineering from Manchester University, United Kingdom.

Speaking at

09:30

Harnessing agentic AI in energy retail to enhance customer value while managing emerging risks

Speaker Speakers

Ed Hyde,

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Lisa Hannifin

Chief Customer Officer
Meridian Energy (NZ)

Lisa Hannifin is the Chief Customer Officer and an integral part of the Executive Leadership Team at Meridian Energy, where she leads the strategic direction and operational delivery of the company’s retail business across the Meridian and Powershop brands. Appointed to the role in 2019, Lisa brings over a decade of experience in the New Zealand electricity market and a proven track record in driving people centric transformation.

Her leadership has been instrumental in reshaping Meridian’s retail operations, with a focus on operational effectiveness to enhance customer experience and market competitiveness. Lisa is known for her ability to think laterally, implement strategy at scale, and lead teams through complex change.

Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Management from Lincoln University and has completed executive development at Stanford University and the Institute of Directors. She currently serves on the Board of the Electricity Generators and Retailers Association of New Zealand (ERGANZ) and the Advisory Committee of Utilities Disputes Limited.

Speaking at

10:00

Optimising CRM and billing platforms for competitive advantage

Speaker Speakers

Lisa Hannifin,

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Arran Coughlan

Principal
Coughlan Advisory

Arran Coughlan is an experienced management executive with a career spanning the energy, water, and telecommunications sectors. He is Principal of Coughlan Advisory, where he provides expert consulting and fractional executive support, specialising in product design, operational management, governance, metering and data insights, and business transformation.

Previously, Arran was General Manager Customer Service Operations & TasMetering at Intellihub Group, where he led transformation programs and operational excellence initiatives. He also co-founded Bright Spark Power, an Australian energy retailer, and held senior roles at nbn and MyNetFone across fibre product management, sales delivery, and digital platforms.

A GAICD-qualified leader, Arran brings deep expertise in guiding complex portfolios, improving performance, and driving innovation across regulated industries.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:00

Panel discussion: Where should energy retailers invest to unlock value from AI and digitalisation?

Speaker Speakers

Arran Coughlan,

Chris Thompson,

Hayden Barry,

Jitendra Tomar,

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Chris Thompson

Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Amber Electric

Amber was founded by two Aussie mates, Chris Thompson and Dan Adams in December 2017, with the goal of using new technologies to benefit customers and build a more sustainable world.

Chris is motivated by using new technologies to improve people’s lives and Dan is passionate about moving the world towards 100% renewable energy.

Prior to Amber, Chris worked in Iran running Bamilo, Iran’s largest online marketplace and before that was with the Boston Consulting Group. Dan spent the last 10 years working with Tesla, the Boston Consulting Group and building social movements around climate change.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:00

Panel discussion: Where should energy retailers invest to unlock value from AI and digitalisation?

Speaker Speakers

Arran Coughlan,

Chris Thompson,

Hayden Barry,

Jitendra Tomar,

Visit Agenda

Hayden Barry

Managing Director
Nectr

Hayden Barry is an accomplished executive leader with extensive experience driving growth, operational excellence and transformation across energy and telecommunications markets globally. Currently Managing Director at Nectr, he has overseen the company’s rapid scale-up, strengthening operational maturity, building offshore support capabilities, and leading successful market launches in Victoria and the ACT.

With a career spanning three continents, Hayden brings deep expertise in customer operations, compliance, quality assurance and automation. His leadership is defined by building collaborative, high-performing teams and streamlining complex processes to unlock efficiency, scalability and stronger customer outcomes.

Hayden’s career includes senior leadership roles at ACN Pacific, ACN Europe and TPH, where he led operational turnarounds, digital transformation initiatives and significant improvements in service performance. He remains passionate about shaping solutions that anticipate market risks, improve customer satisfaction, and enable long-term business growth.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:00

Panel discussion: Where should energy retailers invest to unlock value from AI and digitalisation?

Speaker Speakers

Arran Coughlan,

Chris Thompson,

Hayden Barry,

Jitendra Tomar,

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Jitendra Tomar

Founder
Localvolts

Jitendra Tomar is the founder of Localvolts, an authorised electricity retailer pioneering peer-to-peer trading in the National Electricity Market. He developed the platform to empower individuals with real-time tools and information to make their own energy decisions, placing the business of electricity directly in the hands of consumers.

Jitendra has built an extensive career across utilities, airlines, government and startups, with a focus on innovation and market transformation. He co-founded Energy Response Pty Ltd, which created the electricity demand response industry in Australia and New Zealand and is now part of the Enel X group.

With a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University, Jitendra combines technical expertise with commercial acumen. He is passionate about enabling new energy models that support greater choice, flexibility and participation in the electricity market.

Speaking at

Panel Discussion

11:00

Panel discussion: Where should energy retailers invest to unlock value from AI and digitalisation?

Speaker Speakers

Arran Coughlan,

Chris Thompson,

Hayden Barry,

Jitendra Tomar,

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Bec Jolly

Director, Energy Equity
Energy Charter

Bec has over 15 years’ experience enabling sectors and communities to work together. Her background spans from all levels of government, not-for-profits and the private sector. She is motivated by systemic changes that work to support all people (leaving no one behind). Fundamentally, she is a community development practitioner who relies on her curiosity to continually learn and her positivity to identify possibilities. This commitment extends to the for-purpose group Hive that she founded in 2008, connecting communities with their services, businesses, institutions and sectors.

Speaking at

12:00

Customer-led tariffs: putting customers at the centre of pricing reform

Speaker Speakers

Bec Jolly,

Gavin Dufty,

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Peter Jackowski

General Manager, Delivery and Operations - Consumer and Innovation
SEC Victoria

Peter Jackowski leads the delivery and operations of SEC Victoria’s Consumer Energy Solutions & Innovation, helping households across the state electrify their homes and reduce energy bills and emissions. A passionate advocate for clean energy and proud Victorian, Peter plays a key role in shaping the SEC’s consumer-facing initiatives, including innovative pilot programs in metro and regional communities.

With more than 20 years’ experience spanning digital transformation, energy innovation and strategic business advisory, Peter brings a unique lens to the energy transition. Peter is also an Industry Mentor at RMIT University, where he shares his expertise in AI strategy and emerging technologies. Peter holds an MBA from RMIT with Distinction and is a graduate of the AICD. Peter is energised by the opportunity to drive real impact, and help deliver a more sustainable, equitable energy future for all Victorians.

Speaking at

13:30

Empowering households through electrification and innovation

Speaker Speakers

Peter Jackowski,

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Luke Blincoe

Chief Executive Officer
Supa Energy

Luke Blincoe is a bold voice in energy retail, known for challenging the status quo and championing decentralised solutions that drive cost and reliability benefits for communities. As CEO of Supa Energy, he is reimagining energy economics through proprietary technology that empowers households and businesses to participate in and profit from the energy transition.

Luke brings a formidable track record as a disruptor, having led Electric Kiwi, The Energy Collective and ReAmped Energy—each focused on improving affordability and fairness in electricity retailing. He has held executive roles at Genesis Energy and Mighty River Power, where he helped launch customer-centric brands like GLOBUG.

With more than two decades of leadership across both the corporate and start-up energy sectors, Luke is energised by transformation and is deeply committed to reshaping energy systems so they work better for people, not just providers.

Speaking at

14:20

Harnessing AI to optimise decentralised assets

Speaker Speakers

Luke Blincoe,

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Todd Pemberton

General Manager Retail
Pacific Blue Australia

Todd Pemberton joined Pacific Blue as General Manager Retail in June 2025. Todd leads the Retail function with end-to-end accountability for the development of the short and long-term strategic direction, day to day business operations, and commercial and financial performance of the Retail business. Todd has significant experience in the energy sector, and has successfully led teams across a range of retail functions such as customer experience, pricing, product, analytics, billing and complaints.

He is additionally on the Board of Directors for Latrobe Valley Enterprises, a not-for-profit company that aims to remove barriers to the workforce and empower people living with disability with skills development and access to meaningful employment opportunities.

Todd holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School.

Speaking at

15:20

Reducing customer churn to build loyalty and long-term revenue in energy retailing

Speaker Speakers

Todd Pemberton,

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Brendan French

Chief Executive Officer
Energy Consumers Australia

Dr Brendan French is a leading consumer protection and dispute resolution expert, with extensive executive experience across corporate, academic, public, and community spheres.

Prior to joining Energy Consumers Australia as CEO, Brendan championed consumer interests as the Commonwealth Bank’s Executive General Manager Customer and Community Advocacy and before that as Deputy Ombudsman at the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON). He also taught in the Law School at Western Sydney University, was a Board director for a number of consumer and charitable organisations, and is a published author of academic and popular texts. Brendan holds a doctorate in the History of Ideas and has been awarded for his innovative work on fostering trust between community, corporates and government.

Speaking at

15:50

Coming back from the brink: a new way of regulating energy to restore trust, customer outcomes and the bottom line

Speaker Speakers

Brendan French,

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Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope

Chief Executive Officer
Financial Counselling Victoria

Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope is the CEO of Financial Counselling Victoria, where he champions the financial counselling profession and advocates for the needs of vulnerable Victorians experiencing financial difficulty. Zyl is a strategic leader dedicated to advancing social and economic justice in professional and voluntary capacities.

Zyl previously served as the elected CEO and then the Chair of the member-based student services organisation, PARSA, and was the Operations Manager for Care Financial Counselling, based in the ACT. Zyl has supported various community organisations as a voluntary Director. He is currently a Director of the Arthur Shakespeare Foundation for Scouting.

Zyl holds a Master of Laws from the Australian National University, a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from Australian Catholic University, and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Zyl has 4 young children and values the flexibility of the community sector in championing fair working arrangements for all peoples’ unique circumstances.

Speaking at

16:20

Benchmarking best practice for hardship responses to protect customers in payment difficulty

Speaker Speakers

Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope,

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Ryan Wavish

General Manager Innovation, ENGIE Retail
ENGIE Australia & New Zealand

Ryan is the General Manager Innovation at ENGIE Retail where he has been on a mission to build the business model of the future. He is an experienced energy sector professional with over 15 years’ experience in the Australian market and is determined to make a difference in accelerating the transition to net zero. He is a leading expert in the product, technology and business model innovations enabling consumers to participate in this transition.

Speaking at

16:50

International collaboration on hardship response to support vulnerable customers

Speaker Speakers

Ryan Wavish,

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Jason Perera

APAC Commercial Director - Customer Value & Transformations
Gentrack

Jason Perera is a seasoned leader in customer centric digital transformation, with a strong track record of delivering impactful technology programs across the ANZ utilities sector. He brings deep expertise in aligning digital solutions with business outcomes, helping organisations evolve through smart, people-focused change.
With extensive experience designing and implementing CRM solutions for both B2C and B2B customers across a wide range of industries, Jason offers practical insights into how businesses can unlock customer value through scalable, tailored strategies.