2025 Speakers

Tony has been Director of the Energy Program since 2011 after 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles.
From 2009 to 2014 he was also Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut climate change review.
In January 2018, Tony was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly in the areas of energy policy, climate change and sustainability. In October 2019, Tony was elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

As Director of Climate Energy Finance Australasia Tim has 35 years financial markets experience, including providing public interest related financial analysis on the energy transition since 2013, studying China, India and Australia.
Tim founded Climate Energy Finance Australasia in 2022, having co-founded and worked with the global energy finance think tank IEEFA over 2013-2021. For 17 years Tim was a Managing Director at Citigroup, Head of Australasian Equity Research. Tim has published over 100 reports on the global energy transition.

As CEO of Gas Energy Australia, Jordan is a dedicated leader advocating for the role of renewable forms of LPG in the energy transition, ensuring consumers have access to secure, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solutions. With deep expertise in the gas industry, Jordan has a track record of driving policy and advocacy efforts to support decarbonisation through renewable gas uptake, mirroring the transformation seen in the electricity sector. Beyond this role, Jordan actively contributes to renewable gas technology and business strategy innovations, leveraging extensive experience
in commercial operations, innovation, and optimisation. Passionate about building a future-ready energy landscape, Jordan is dedicated to addressing the challenges of developing a new industry and unlocking the potential of renewable gas.

Simon is a leader in the energy transition, with over 30 years of experience developing energy projects in more than 75 countries. As Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer at Energy Estate, he leads large-scale renewable and decarbonisation initiatives encompassing onshore and offshore wind, solar, hydrogen, ammonia, and sustainable fuels across Australia, New Zealand, and other international markets .
A fervent advocate for sustainable energy solutions, Simon champions the cause of delivering enduring and sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders. Simon’s approach as a systems thinker involves designing clean energy ecosystems that accelerate decarbonisation and support the growth of new industries.

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Dr Liz Smith is the Research Partnership Development Manager for the Land & Primary Industries Network, which is housed at Western Sydney University. She is a passionate advocate for projects that will allow landholders and primary industries to decarbonise while also preserving ways of life on the land and return on investment for our country's providers. She is also the Bid Director for the Agrisolar Cooperative Research Centre, which is in the bidding process to become a CRC. In leading the bid for the Centre, she has accumulated over $45M in partner contributions across over 50 organisations, and is excited to see what will happen if the Federal Government grants the CRC the opportunity to succeed. Liz resides in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, and has a red kelpie ‘Fizzle’ who regularly accompanies her as the LPI mascot when visiting landholders and farmers all over NSW.

Jarrod Irving is the General Manager of Renewable Gas and Fuels at LMS Energy, where he leads strategic initiatives in biogas-to-biomethane and biofuels project development. With over 14 years of energy industry experience, his expertise spans regulatory frameworks, project development, and commercial structuring for renewable gas projects. He serves as Chair of the Renewable Gas Alliance at Bioenergy Australia, is an active member of GreenPower's Renewable Gas Certification steering committee and sits on the AG-010 Committee developing the Australian Standard for natural gas
specification.

Scott is a highly respected civil engineer and project manager, having worked in the Queensland public and private sectors. He has extensive experience delivering projects across various industry sectors, including roads, bridges, precast concrete, railways and aviation. Working on complex and challenging projects, Scott enjoys building strong partnerships between government and the private sector, with a focus on delivering strong regional development to support and grow the community. Since May 2023, Scott has been engaged by Townsville City Council as the Program Manager for the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, working with State agencies and private proponents to attract investment into the precinct.

John Sadler is a seasoned renewable energy executive with extensive experience across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. He has held senior leadership roles at Roaring 40s (Hydro Tasmania), ACCIONA, CWP Renewables (now part of Squadron Energy), and Epuron Australia (now Ark Energy), where he was instrumental in advancing major wind and solar developments. With a strong background in project construction, development, and asset management, John has led on-the-ground delivery of projects from concept to operation.
Over the course of his career, John has managed the construction of landmark wind farms including Capital (NSW), Tararua (NZ), and Burgos (Philippines). He also played a key role in the development of high-profile projects such as Snowtown, Musselroe, Waterloo, MacIntyre, and Karara wind farms. His project pipeline includes the origination of more than 10GW of renewable energy across the region—making him one of the most experienced developers in the sector.