ARENA reshuffles board with four senior appointments

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has unveiled a refreshed board, appointing Marianna O'Gorman as chair and Elizabeth O'Leary as deputy chair in the first all-female leadership team in the agency's history.

The appointments, announced by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, take effect from July 18. O'Gorman succeeds outgoing chair Justin Punch, who has led the agency since July 2020.

The board refresh also includes the appointment of Lara Olsen and Kobad Bhavnagri as directors, while existing board members Ruby Heard and Dean Travers have been reappointed for further terms. Long-serving director Stephen McIntosh will step down.

Acting chief executive Zoe von Batenburg said the appointments come at a pivotal time for Australia's cleaner energy transition.

"ARENA plays a critical role in accelerating the development and adoption of renewable energy technologies, and strong leadership at the board level is essential to us delivering on this mission," Batenburg said.

She said O'Gorman's experience across clean emergency investment and public policy, together with O'Leary's financial and sector expertise, would strengthen the agency's governance.

"We're delighted to have a female chair and deputy chair leading the board for the first time in ARENA's history," she said.

Von Batenburg also welcomed the addition of Olsen and Bhavnagri, saying they would bring "additional expertise and fresh perspectives to support the agency's work in accelerating Australia's transition to net zero emissions."

O'Gorman joins with experience spanning sustainable investment, climate policy and clean technology, having held positions with the World Bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Government. She also co-founded the McKell Institute Queensland.

O'Leary is a senior manager director at Macquire Asset Management and previously led its global agriculture and natural assets business, overseeing decarbonisation initiatives and nature-based investment strategies.

Meanwhile, Bhavnagri joins from BloombergNEF, where he spent 16 years analysing the global energy transition, while Olsen brings executive experience from Tesla, South East Water and Boston Consulting Group.

Vin Batenburg also acknowledge the contribution of Punch and McIntosh.

"I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of outgoing chair Justin Punch and director Stephen McIntosh, who have helped guide the agency through a period of growth and impact and have been instrumental in shaping AREAN's strategic direction," she said.