CERAWeek 2024

Basil Zempilas

Lord Mayor, City of Perth

Basil Zempilas was first elected Lord Mayor of the City of Perth in October 2020 and re-elected in October 2023. He became the 18th Lord Mayor, entering Local Government after a successful and ongoing broadcasting career in television and radio. Basil is also a regular columnist in The West Australian which is Australia’s second oldest newspaper.

As the Lord Mayor, Basil works with Council to provide strategic leadership to the City of Perth. He is committed to a City with more residents, more visitors and more workers, a greener City and a City for everyone, achieved through the framework of a liveable, sustainable and prosperous strategic vision.

Basil is the chair of the Lord Mayor’s Distress Relief fund which under his stewardship, has raised over $40 million in four separate appeals for communities impacted by natural disasters.

Since 2010 Basil has been host of Channel Seven Perth’s Telethon, the world’s most-successful television charity fundraiser. Since its inception, Telethon has raised more than $600 million (AUD) for sick children and medical research and in 2023 raised a record $77.5 million dollars (AUD). 

Bruce Reynolds

Councillor, City of Perth

Bruce Reynolds is an accomplished business owner and community advocate from the City of Perth Western Australia where he serves the community as a City Councillor.

Bruce is deeply committed to the city’s development and the welfare of its residents. His entrepreneurial activities span 27 years of business ownership that currently include founder of Crush Creative, where his team has delivered exceptional design and marketing solutions to major brands and small businesses alike. He is also the owner of Braddock’s Dispensary, a specialty coffee house that serves as a community hub.

Bruce also leads Crush Realty, with an expertise in property marketing, administration and sales. His passion for community service extends to non-profit work he has served as a volunteer, board and chair roles.

As the current president of Rotary City he helps facilitate significant community engagement and fundraising efforts with a dedicated team of likeminded members. 

Michelle Reynolds

Chief Executive Officer, City of Perth 

Michelle Reynolds has been at the helm of the City of Perth since August 2020. With an emphasis on establishing strong foundations, Michelle is focused on creating a City that is more liveable, sustainable and prosperous.

Michelle oversees a capital city agenda with a local lens to drive strong economic development and investment that benefits the City and the State. With the City sharing daylight with over 60 per cent of the world’s population, Michelle has a focus on planning a sustainable global city of the future that supports a vibrant and connected community. The City of Perth is also the gateway to Western Australia and beyond.

Over the last 15 years, Michelle has held several Chief Executive roles and served as both a Chair, and member to multiple Boards and committees. Her career has been defined by her strong leadership of organisations undergoing significant change and reform. 

Stephen Gauld 

Chief Executive Officer, Infinite Green Energy 

Max van Someren

Founder, Net Zero Network 

Max is the founder of the Net Zero Network, a not-for-profit which helps members identify how they can have the greatest impact in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Max specializes in working with industry and government to accelerate the pace of industrial decarbonisation. His background is as an energy systems analyst, R&D team leader and (in a former life) ship designer. He has held leadership roles at KBR, AEMO, Austal Ships and Frazer-Nash Consultancy.

His current professional roles include leading the techno-economic modelling of a Renewable Energy Industrial Precinct (REIP) at Oakajee in the Mid-west for WA+, and the development and implementation of the decarbonisation strategy for Arafura Rare Earths. Max is also Chair of the Engineer’s Australia WA Working Group for Energy Transition.

Max spoke on behalf of WA+ about the SuperchargeWA REIP project at the Perth WECP AGM in November 2023. He will be representing WA+, SuperchargeWA and the REIP project, as well as the Net Zero Network.

Owen Lock

Principal Applications Engineer, Pacific Energy 

Principal Applications Engineer at Pacific Energy, Owen has been actively involved in the global large-scale Battery Energy Storage (BESS) industry since the first MW-scale systems were installed in the USA over 15 years ago. Over this time, he has worked in a wide range of technical and commercial roles for Energy Storage suppliers and manufacturers.

Owen’s involvement with many world-first BESS projects has fostered a passion for the role BESS plays in the decarbonisation of large power systems and transitioning the world to a clean energy future.

In his current role, Owen specialises in the implementation of advanced technologies to decarbonise power systems, form BESS, to Renewables, Hydrogen, digital control systems and power system modelling. 

Peta Ashworth

Director, Curtin Institute for Energy Transition

Professor Ashworth OAM is Director of the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition. She is a renowned expert in energy, communication, stakeholder engagement, and technology assessment. She has researched public attitudes towards climate and energy technologies, including wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS), solar photovoltaic, storage, geothermal and hydrogen, for almost two decades. An accomplished speaker and educator, she actively promotes energy literacy globally and contributes to policy briefings and educational events.

Prior to joining Curtin University, Professor Ashworth was the Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, and Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland (UQ). She was also Chair of the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce and is a member of CSIRO Hydrogen Mission Advisory Board. Professor Ashworth brings over thirty years’ experience working in a range of senior management, consulting and research roles. 

Adrienne LaBombard

Director, Policy & Advocacy, Chamber of Minerals & Energy of Western Australia

As a member of the CME leadership team, Adrienne (Adi) LaBombard is responsible for the development of industry policy positions and supporting the delivery of CME’s policy and advocacy strategy. She works closely with CME member companies and engages collaborating and constructively with government and other stakeholders across a diverse range of diverse range of issues relevant to the Western Australian resources sector. Adi is passionate about genuine consultation and evidenced based and solutions focused approaches. Prior to her current role, Adi managed CME’s Industry Competitiveness portfolio with a focus across the areas of economics and productivity, strategic industry development and infrastructure.

Adi joined CME over ten years ago, commencing in the Environment portfolio in September 2012. Previously, Adi worked with the strategic policy team at the Western Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Prior to relocating to Perth in 2008, Adi worked in Human Resources at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University. 

Glenn Corrie

CEO & Managing Director, Hazer Group Limited

Glenn Corrie is CEO & MD of Hazer Group Limited, a leading-edge ASX tech development company commercialising the Hazer Process, a low cost, low carbon emission hydrogen and graphite production process.

Glenn Corrie holds over 25 years of international energy industry, private equity and investment experience, with a proven track record of successfully leading large listed and PE-backed companies.

Previously CEO of ASX-listed Sino Gas & Energy and UK focussed PE-backed NEO Energy, Glenn has held senior executive positions with Ophir Energy PLC and Temasek International, Singapore’s state-owned investment company responsible for global energy and renewables investments. Between 1998 to 2010, he held a variety of senior positions within Shell International. 

Brodie McCulloch

Director, CORE Innovation Hub