Speaker Biographies | IPART

	Dr Ron Ben-David Monash Business School Dr Ron Ben-David is a Professorial Fellow with the Monash Business School. Between 2008 and 2019, he served as full-time chair of the Essential Services Commission, Victoria’s economic regulator. This followed a stint as head of the national secretariat for the Garnaut Climate Change Review, and a decade in senior roles in the Victorian Departments of Premier and Cabinet and Treasury and Finance. Ron is on the boards of ClimateWorks Australia, the Consumer Policy Research Centre and the Regulatory Policy Institute. He is also a member of various advisory boards and panels. In July 2022, he was appointed Commissioner and Deputy Chair of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission. Ron is the Principal of Solrose Consulting. Ron holds a B.Sc (Optometry), B.Comm (Hons), Ph.D (Economics) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
	Tim Buckley Climate Energy Finance, Australasia Tim has 30 years financial markets experience, including providing public interest related financial analysis in the seaborne coal and electricity sectors since 2013, studying energy efficiency and renewables across China and India, and the resulting stranded asset risks in Australia. Tim founded Climate Energy Finance Australasia in 2022, having worked with the global thinktank IEEFA over 2013-2021. Tim was co-founder of a start-up global listed clean energy equities fund with Westpac as a cornerstone investor. From 1998 to 2007 Tim was a Managing Director at Citigroup, Head of Australasian Equity Research, and worked at Macquarie Group in Australia then Deutsche Bank in Singapore. Tim has published over 100 reports on the global energy transition.
	Lucia Cade Chair, South East Water Lucia is an experienced non-executive director with a professional engineering and commercial background. Her portfolio spans utilities, advanced manufacturing, waste recycling, clean energy research and investment. Prior to becoming a non-executive director Lucia held engineering, executive and advisory roles in infrastructure, utilities and professional services working in global technical services, listed companies, significant government organisations and private enterprises. She is the Chair of South East Water and Paintback and a Director of Urban Utilities, Engineers Australia, Carbon Revolution and the Future Fuels CRC. She sits on the Engineering Dean’s advisory Council for Monash University. She was a Global Advisor to the UN Compact Cities Programme from 2015 until it ceased operation in 2021. Lucia holds Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Economics, Master of Engineering Science & Master of Business Administration degrees. She is a Fellow of AICD and Engineers Australia.
	Anna Collyer Chair, Australian Energy Market Commission Anna Collyer is a leading energy expert and the Chair of the Australian Energy Market Commission and Energy Security Board. She has more than two decades of public and private sector experience in energy and has worked extensively on industry reform with energy ministers. Anna has a passion for leadership and change and is a big believer in a learning culture, where experimentation is a necessary part of creating something new. As a partner of Allens law firm from 2001 to 2020, Anna focused on the energy sector throughout its evolution, advised a broad range of clients in the public and private sectors on major projects, and fostered innovation at all levels of the firm, not only in technological developments but also in new ways of working and addressing disruption. Anna has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.
	The Hon. Victor Dominello, MP Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello is a senior Minister in the New South Wales Government and has held various portfolios over the last decade including Aboriginal Affairs, Innovation and Finance. In 2019 he was appointed the inaugural Minister for Customer Service and in 2021 was also appointed the inaugural Minister for Digital Government. Victor firmly believes the use of real-time data and technology are the most powerful ways to improve quality of life and reduce suffering. Victor was a member of the original Crisis Cabinet which led the NSW response to Covid-19 and now sits on the Covid-19 and Economic Recovery Committee. His particular focus has been on delivering digital solutions such as the Service NSW QR code check-in feature and the real-time data analysis which has informed the state’s decision making. Victor has been the driving force behind the roll out of the Digital Driver Licence, the establishment of the $2.1b Digital Restart Fund and the rapid expansion of the Service NSW app to include QR code check-ins, the voucher programs, such as Dine and Discover, Covid-19 test alert notifications and the registration of positive rapid antigen tests. In addition to digital, technology and customer experience, Victor is also obsessed with Batman
	Dr Paul Grimes, PSM Secretary, NSW Treasury Dr Paul Grimes PSM was appointed as the 28th Secretary of NSW Treasury on 29 January 2022. The Treasury Cluster includes NSW Treasury, NSW Procurement, NSW Productivity Commission, NSW Treasury Corporation, iCare (Insurance & Care NSW) SAS Trustee Corporation and Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC). As Secretary, Dr Grimes is responsible for strategic management of the entirety of the State’s finances, budget, assets, liabilities and financial risk management framework and transformation.
	Grant King Chair, Sydney Water Grant King is the chairman of Sydney Water. Grant is an experienced public and listed company director with more than 30 years of executive management experience in the Australian energy industry. He was a long serving Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Origin Energy until his retirement in 2016. He brings expertise in the area of energy markets, climate change and technology. Grant is recognised in the business community for his strategic thinking, and leadership on environmental, social and governance issues. He is also involved in community and philanthropic activities. Grant is the Chairman of the Climate Change Authority, HSBC Bank of Australia, CWP Renewables, GreenCollar, Arventa and Melanoma Institute of Australia, a Non-executive Director of the Origin Foundation, Great Barrier Foundation and O’Connell Street Associates, and a member of the University of NSW Foundation. He also holds a position as Professor of Energy Economics and is Chair of the Energy Institute at the University of NSW. Grant is a former President of the Business Council of Australia.
	Mr Mark Pesce Futurist Mr Mark Pesce co-invented the technology for 3D on the Web - laying the foundations for the metaverse - has written eight books, including Augmented Reality: Unboxing Tech’s Next Big Thing, was for seven years a judge on the ABC's The New Inventors, founded postgraduate programs at USC and AFTRS, holds an honorary appointment at Sydney University, is a multiple-award-winning columnist for The Register, pens another column for COSMOS Weekly, and is professional futurist and public speaker. Pesce hosts both the award-winning 'The Next Billion Seconds' and 'This Week in Startups Australia’ podcasts. Pesce brings his skills as a futurist to diverse sectors of the economy, including business ranging from CBA, World Bank, Essential Energy and v2Food, while also mentoring startups working at technology’s bleeding edge. Mr Mark Pesce appears by arrangement with Claxton Speakers International
	Laura Sandys, CBE Chair, UK Energy Digitisation Taskforce Laura Sandys CBE is chair of the UK Government’s Energy Digitalisation Taskforce driving change in energy and is chair of the British Standards Institute Advisory board on Net Zero. She is also an Independent Director at SGN Network chairing the ESG Committee and on the board of the Energy Systems Catapult and Highview Power. She was Chair of the Northern Ireland Expert Panel on Energy Transition and was a member of the Advisory Panel for the Government’s Cost of Energy Review, and is on the Ministerial Council for Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage. She is founder of the Food Foundation, co-founder of POWERful Women and former Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency. She was previously a Member of Parliament for South Thanet, and described by The Times as ‘one of the sanest of all MPs’ and as ‘lateral-minded, original and free-thinking’.
	Lauren Solomon Senior Researcher, AI Governance, UTS Human Technology Institute Lauren has produced leading research on the digital transformation of markets, and has advised on public policy design in regulated markets for over fifteen years in the not-for-profit, corporate, and government sectors. She was inaugural CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre from 2017-2021, and represents consumer interests in digital policy design via the Australian Government National Data Advisory Council and Digital Experts Panel. Passionate about the people side of essential markets, Lauren supports cross-sectoral collaboration, diversity of thought, and advocates for implementation of human-centric systems, policies and practices. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Resource Economics (Hons) from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Diploma in Psychology from Monash University, and completed the Executive Program for Non-profit Leaders at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
	Martin Stewart-Weeks Principal, Public Purpose A strategic thinker, organisational consultant, policy analyst, facilitator and writer, Martin’s work draws on 35 years' experience spanning government, the "for purpose" or social sector and the corporate sector. He works at the intersection of policy, public sector reform, technology and innovation. Martin has held Director roles in the Australian Public Service, was a Chief of Staff in a federal Minister’s office and was part of the Office of Strategic Planning in the NSW Cabinet Office. Martin was a member of the independent review of NSW regulatory policy, chaired by former Premier Nick Greiner, which reported in 2017 and provided the basis on which the NSW Productivity Commission was established. For the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIERA), Martin facilitated discussions about regulatory responses to the “gig” economy and provided advice about strategic responses to new data and digital-driven regulatory risks and opportunities.
	Louise Sylvan, AM Consumer affairs expert Louise has significant experience in consumer affairs policy analysis and advocacy. Louise is Chair and Director of The Energy Consumers Australia Board. She is Chair of the Reliable Affordable Clean Energy (RACE) for 2030, Cooperative Research Centre, a non-executive Director of The Australian Centre for Social Innovation; and member of the Advisory Panels of the Net Zero Australia project, the Australian Privacy Foundation. Louise is a policy adviser to the Australian Risk Policy Institute. Formerly Chief Executive Officer of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, Louise was also a Commissioner of the Productivity Commission and Deputy Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) where she was appointed for her expertise in consumer affairs.
	Dimitri Zenghelis University of Cambridge Dimitri Zenghelis is Special Advisor for the Wealth Economy Project, which he previously led, at the Bennett Institute, University of Cambridge and is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. He is a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and is Chair of the Responsible Wealth Committee at Capital Generation Partners. He was until recently Head of Policy at the Grantham Research Institute at the LSE and Acting Chief Economist for the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. Previously, he headed the Stern Review Team at the Office of Climate Change, London, and was a lead author on the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, commissioned by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown. He was also Senior Economic Advisor to Cisco's long-term innovation group and an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House. Before working on climate change, Dimitri was Head of Economic Forecasting at HM Treasury, providing regular briefings to the Chancellor Gordon Brown and Prime Minister Tony Blair. He advises governments, financial institutions and international organisations (including the UN, World Bank and regional development banks) on macroeconomics, sustainable growth, climate change and innovation. He advises governments, financial institutions and international organisations (including the UN, World Bank and regional development banks, the Mayor of London and the UK Committee on Climate Change among others) on macroeconomics, sustainable growth, climate change and innovation. He is a TEDx Speaker and corporate leadership trainer.