Our BOARD

Independent Director
Michael Lane

Michael is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and has been a Principal at Pitcher Partners in Adelaide for over 30 years.

He is an experienced Independent Director in both the for profit and not for profit Sectors and is a Graduate of the Institute of Australian Company Directors. Michael is also an advisor to a private equity fund based in Michigan in the United States.

Michael’s deep financial background and experience compliments the skills of his fellow Directors. In addition, he contributes to all aspects of Zen’s business including developing strategy, management of risk and corporate governance.

He has participated in numerous mergers and acquisitions including advising on funding, transaction structure and documentation.

Director
Norman Pater

Norman is passionate about acting on climate change. Since meeting Al Gore in 2011, Norman has been searching for ways to reduce his own environmental footprint, as well as that of society as a whole. Therefore Norman’s focus is on these key initiatives:

1. restoring 1-million hectares of Australian farmland within 10 years by means of biodiverse plantings;
2. delivering large-scale renewable energy to the Australian grid by assisting ZEN Energy;
3. converting biomass and municipal waste to biofuel and biochar; and
4. helping build new-age industrial hubs and deliver creative solutions to transition heavy energy users to renewable energy solutions.

Norman draws on his entrepreneurial and academic background in software, marketing and business. He has B.Com and MBA degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, has previously listed his IT company on the JSE in 1987 and served on numerous private, public, listed and not-for-profit boards over the last 37 years.

Independent Director
Paula Conboy

Paula Conboy currently serves on the board of directors of PJM Interconnection LLP in the United States and the Energy Market Authority in Singapore. In addition to running her own advisory services business, Paula is Senior Counsel to Sussex Strategy Group Inc., a leading policy and political consultancy, and works with Australian and Canadian clients in various areas of the energy and broadband sectors.

Paula has over 25 years of experience as regulatory economist, consultant, senior executive, adjudicator, chair, and board member. She is the former Chair of the Australian Energy Regulator and member of Australia’s Energy Security Board, working on various energy policies at a time when Australia began what is now the world’s fastest energy transition to net zero. She is also a former Commissioner of the Ontario Energy Board and served as a senior executive in one of the largest municipal owned utilities in Canada.

Chair
Raymond Spencer

Raymond founded Kanbay International in 1989. As Chair and CEO, he led the firm to list on the NASDAQ in 2004. The offering was ranked as one of the top five performing IPOs in that year. Under his leadership, the firm grew to more than 8,500 associates in 14 cities across eight. Kanbay was acquired by Capgemini in 2007. Raymond continued on as CEO of Capgemini’s Financial Services Global Business Unit until 2009 and then as Chair until 2014.

Raymond is currently Chair of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN). He is Founding Partner of RSVP Ventures, overseeing an investment portfolio of companies in the United States and Australia.

He has previously been Chair of a number of organisations including the South Australian Economic Development Board, the South Australian Health and Medical Institute (SAHMRI) a board member of the Information Technology Association of America and Raymond was named a Laureate in the Computerworld Honors Program, distinguishing innovators around the world whose visionary use of information technology produces and promotes positive social change.

He holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Arizona recognising his work on Ethical Leadership and Organisational Culture.

Director
Ross Garnaut

Professor Garnaut has played a critical role in the transformation of the Australian policy and business landscape over the past 40 years.
He remains a leading voice in the national conversation on the energy transition and economic reform.
Read more about Professor Garnaut here https://www.rossgarnaut.com.au/

Our EXECUTIVE TEAM

Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Garnaut

Anthony’s passion, knowledge and experience in the renewable energy market is extensive. Known for his acute observations, critical analysis, and bold decisions, he is respected for both his tenacity and ability to question the status quo. His focus is on harnessing technologies and leveraging financial instruments to ensure clean and green energy is affordable, reliable, and sustainable.

Under his leadership, ZEN Energy’s national footprint of customers, energy and asset portfolio has grown significantly. In the 5 years since ZEN obtained its electricity retail license, they have brought together a community of sustainability-driven customers, renewable energy suppliers and capital partners. ZEN’s customers include the South Australian Government, CSIRO’s sites in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory and the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC) which comprises twenty-five local councils in New South Wales. Under Anthony’s leadership, ZEN has now contracted renewable energy and environmental certificates from 17 solar and wind farms and is actively growing their firmed renewable energy supply. Anthony has had a diverse career including positions with Oxford University and the University of Melbourne as a Lecturer and Research Fellow in Chinese History.

Chief Financial Officer
Phillipa Chen

Phillipa Chen is responsible for all finance functions at ZEN. Her role spans ZEN’s group-wise financial strategy, oversight of all financial planning and analysis, capital management, financial reporting, and investor relations. As CFO, she holds a specific responsibility for working with the ZEN executive team to develop and enhance ZEN’s long term business strategy.

Phillipa has spent the last 16 years with the Macquarie Group, establishing, investing, and managing infrastructure and energy-focused funds, overseeing credit exposure and market risk, and building new funds and businesses including renewable energy development platforms with a global remit.

She brings deep capital market experience in M&A, investing, debt and equity raising, as well as institutional-level governance and operational rigour. She has worked in both Australia and China and was previously a Non-Executive Director of the Port of Newcastle.

Phillipa holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Law and a Masters in Finance and Banking from the University of Sydney. Phillipa is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 

Chief Governance Officer
Glenn Garnaut

Glenn has nearly thirty years of multinational financial management experience across a range of market sectors. Prior to joining ZEN, Glenn was based in New York as group CFO of the aerospace and engineered products division of Arconic (previously Alcoa).

Chief Operating Officer
CAROLINE EVANS

Caroline Evans is responsible for leading the operations of ZEN as it embarks on its next phase of growth. She is responsible for all business operational areas of ZEN including Data & Analytics, Program Management Office, People and Culture and Brand, Marketing and External Affairs.

Caroline worked for EnergyAustralia as General Counsel and Company Secretary, and in senior leadership roles in Technology and Programs during a period of significant change in Australia’s energy policy as the national emission trading scheme was introduced. She is an experienced multifunctional executive, having held senior roles leading people and systems transformation, legal and regulatory, performance, risk and strategic delivery functions across the logistics, utilities, entertainment, and financial services industries.

Most recently, she has worked with JOST & Co, delivering management consulting services focussed on building strong organisations in a changing world. Caroline joined the ZEN team in 2023.

Chief Information Officer
Christopher Smyth

Chris has more than 20 years’ experience in the Australian and New Zealand energy sectors, having previously had operational, analytical and management roles at AGL, International Power and Contact Energy. Since joining ZEN in 2017, Chris has played a key role in enabling our entry to the National Electricity Market, and establishing processes, systems and analytics to support ZEN’s ability to deliver on its promises to customers.

Executive General Manager – Markets
James Mcintosh

James is a seasoned electricity trader with twenty years’ experience in the National Electricity Market. His past roles include senior trader at International Power, head of trading for AGL, head of energy with RWE Supply and Trading (Singapore) and portfolio manager with Attunga Capital. James is responsible for ZEN’s energy trading strategy and has played an integral role in ZEN’s success.

CE, ZEN Energy Retail Pty Ltd
Geoff Titus

Geoff has twenty-five years’ management experience in the energy market, where he has been a consistent advocate for customer-focused business practices. Geoff led ZEN through its transformation from a solar hardware sales business to a renewable retailer.

General Manager, Brand & Marketing.
Emily Kucukalic

At ZEN Energy, Emily Kucukalic is responsible for leading the brand and marketing function along with ZEN’s expansion of its small market and residential services.

She is also the owner and MD of the Brand New You Group, Australia’s number one personal branding agency, which she founded in 2009.

Prior to founding Brand New You, Emily was the Group Head of Brand and External Relations at AGL Energy and a member of the Executive Team. Before joining AGL, she was the Director of Marketing and Communications for EDS across Asia Pacific including Japan, China and India.

Emily was a finalist in the Telstra Young Business Women’s Awards, an EY Entrepreneurship prize winner and a recipient of the Australian Marketing Association’s awards for Marketing Excellence in 2017 for work she delivered with her client Westpac.