ASI Board
ASI’s achievements were driven by a seven member Board of Directors, led by Ms Jenny Goddard, and including a permanent Executive Director, Mr Mark Twidell. The Board was accountable to the Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism as the representative of the Commonwealth. The Board, pictured below, consisted of Dr Mike Sargent, Mr Jason Coombs, Mr Peter Thomas, Dr Alex Wonhas, Ms Jenny Goddard, Professor Michael Cardew-Hall and Mr Mark Twidell.
Ms Jenny Goddard
Chair
Appointed: 10 August 2009
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce (Honours in Economics), University of Melbourne.
Special Responsibilities: Chair of the ASI Nomination & Remuneration Committee.
Ms Goddard is a professional independent Director and consultant. She has 23 years of experience as an economic policy adviser to the Australian Government, initially in the Treasury and later in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) where she worked until May 2008. Her 11 years in the senior executive in PM&C include four years as a Deputy Secretary with responsibility for economic, industry and environment policy advice and support for the Cabinet process. She also chaired the COAG working group resulting in leaders agreeing to reforms to the national energy market. Ms Goddard is a Director with the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the ACTEW Corporation and a Commissioner with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. She has extensive experience in and knowledge of government policies, processes and administration.
Mr Mark Twidell
Executive Director
Appointed: 9 November 2009
Qualifications: Bachelor of Science (Honours) Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Edinburgh; Master of Business Administration, University of Sydney.
Mr Twidell has over 20 years of experience in the solar industry. He was formerly the Solar Performance Unit Leader for BP Solar’s commercial activity outside of the USA and Europe. Mr Twidell has worked in Australia, India, USA and Europe in solar related management roles. He has served as a Director on a number of BP Joint Venture Boards and represented Australian industry on the boards of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership.
Mr Peter Thomas
Non-Executive Director
Appointed: 10 August 2009
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants; Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Special Responsibilities: Chair of the ASI Audit & Risk Committee.
Mr Thomas is a director of TFG International, a boutique consulting and advisory firm specialising in providing high level consulting services to government and the private sector. Mr Thomas is also a board member of a number of other entities, including Indigenous Business Australia and the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.
Dr Michael (Mike) Sargent AM
Non-Executive Director
Appointed: 10 August 2009
Qualifications: Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) and Doctor of Philosophy, University of Queensland; Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering; Academician of the International Academy for Quality.
Special Responsibilities: ASI Nomination & Remuneration Committee member.
Dr Sargent is a consultant in information technology, energy, environment and utilities issues. Previously he was Chief Executive of Transfield Energy Group, and before that was Chief Executive Officer of ACTEW Corporation from November 1991. Dr Sargent has 50 years of experience in the utility industry in Australia, USA and Canada. He has consulted both in Australia and for the World Bank internationally on research and innovation systems. He has been Chair of a number of Australian Government committees and taskforces in the area of research and innovation. Dr Sargent is also a Director of the Australian Energy Market Operator, a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator and Chairman of the Lighthouse Innovation Centre Limited, a high technology seed fund and incubator. He is an Adjunct Professor of the University of Technology Sydney and of the University of Queensland. Dr Sargent was President of The Institution of Engineers Australia in 1990. In recognition of his service to engineering he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 and was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003.
Mr Jason Coombs CA
Non-Executive Director
Appointed: 10 August 2009
Qualifications: Bachelor of Business Studies (Accountancy and Finance), Massey University New Zealand; Chartered Accountant, New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Special Responsibilities: ASI Audit & Risk Committee member.
Mr Coombs is Director of Strategy at the University of New South Wales, and has experience in finance and business management in both the private and public sector having previously held positions with Energy Australia, GlaxoSmithKline and NHS Executive. Mr Coombs also has experience in technology commercialisation and strategic business planning, including running application based processes for funding and successfully applying for more than $150 million in funding from the Australian Government.
Professor Michael (Mick) Cardew-Hall
Non-Executive Director
Appointed: 10 August 2009
Qualifications: Chartered Engineer; Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK); Chartered Professional Engineer; Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia; PhD, Imperial College, London, 1988; DIC; Bachelor of Science (Honours), Nottingham, 1983.
Special Responsibilities: ASI Audit & Risk Committee member.
Professor Cardew-Hall is currently Pro-Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Advancement at the Australian National University (ANU) and has over 25 years of experience as a chartered engineer, manager, academic and entrepreneur in the engineering, manufacturing and information technology fields. He has held technical and managerial positions with leading UK companies such as GEC and Rolls-Royce Plc. Within Australia he has held a number of academic positions including Professor and Head of Engineering, Deputy Dean and Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at ANU. He is also currently CEO of ANU Connect Ventures, and a Director of Synergetic Services Ltd.
Dr Alex Wonhas
Non-Executive Director
Appointed: 18 September 2009
Qualifications: PhD in Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, UK; Bachelor and Master of Science (Physik Diplom), Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Special Responsibilities: ASI Nomination & Remuneration Committee member.
Dr Wonhas is the Director of CSIRO’s Energy Transformed National Research Flagship. The Flagship brings together CSIRO’s research in the areas of clean, affordable energy and transport technologies. Its work includes the operation of the National Solar Energy Centre in Newcastle. Prior to joining CSIRO he worked for McKinsey & Company and advised several leading Australian and global companies in the areas of resources, energy and climate change.