ESG Power50

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The Power50

ESG POWER50 2024 - DOWNLOAD GUIDE

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Detailed explanation of the selection criteria and how to be an ESG Power50 leader

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FS SUSTAINABILITY ESG POWER50

FS Sustainability's ESG Power50 - The 50 most influential corporate ESG Leaders in Australia, is a list containing details of the 50 individuals working in companies that are listed in the Australian Stock Exchange who act on a wide variety of material environmental, social and corporate governance issues.

Individuals listed in the ESG Power50 are the country's most influential ESG professionals according to the readers of FS Sustainability, FS Super - The Journal of Superannuation Management and FS Advice - The Australian Journal of Financial Planning as well as relevant industry associations, and the broader corporate Australian community.

FS Sustainability has once again searching for the ESG Power50, revealing Australia's 50 most influential ESG leaders from ASX-listed companies in 2024.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Criteria

FS Sustainability's ESG Power50 list is made up of the 50 most influential sustainability professionals in the country according to the readers of FS Sustainability, FS Super, FS Advice as well as the broader corporate Australian community.

In the making of this list, we define 'influential' as individuals who have been or continue to be instrumental in shaping how companies integrate key ESG issues into long-term company strategy across financial and non-financial considerations.

These are professionals who actively participate in industry-based activities, community-based projects and/or other initiatives designed to promote the important role that ESG and sustainability play in the country's socio-economic future.

They are professionals who are active in discussing their companies' decisions, people with strong social media following, or those known among their peers and the industry as role models.

Nominations

As part of the selection process, we will extend invitations to relevant industry associations to put forward exceptional members from their organizations. and combine that list with the list of nominations from FS Sustainability editorial and research teams.

Then we opened up the nomination process to our readers, ensuring we cast the net to the widest set of nominees.

FS Sustainability will continue to work with ISS ESG, a leading ESG rating and research company, to ensure that nominees are employed at companies that meet minimum ESG criteria. It is not mandatory to be a participant in an ESG leader, but we incorporated ISS ESG research to validate public-facing statements of sustainability.

Voting

Following this, a shortlist of corporate ESG leaders who get the highest number of nominations proceeded to the voting process, which was once again open to our online readers. They can chose to vote for one or as many ESG professionals featured in the shortlist.

All shortlisted candidates stand as individuals, however we further consulted ISS ESG to screen for potential controversies that would prove in conflict with the aims of the list.

Announcement

The 50 individuals who attracted the highest votes and passed the final editorial vetting screen are featured in FS Sustainability's ESG Power50 Most Influential ESG Professionals Guide, which will be published in May 2024.

THANK YOU TO THE ESG POWER50 PARTNERS

ESG POWER50 2024 - MEET THE CLASS OF 2024

The ESG professionals featured in this guide come from a wide range of companies - some work for the big supermarkets, others work in sustainable finance at the big four banks, while others work in steel, cement or waste management. These professionals also have a variety of educational and personal accomplishments. They all have one thing in common - a passion for positive impact on people and planet while driving economic growth in Australia. They come to ESG from a variety of backgrounds, but they are all working hard to drive our future economy. Meet our ESG Power50.


Amarjot Bagga Iress

Amarjot is a leader boasting over 15 years' experience. She was recognised in the inaugural 2023 FS Sustainability ESG Power50 as an influential leader, driving strategic initiatives, long-term value, and delivering sustainable impact. She developed Iress' 2025 comprehensive environmental and social impact plan.


Amanda Bartley Medibank

Creating and leading shared value is at the heart of what Amanda has done throughout her career. Amanda's career began in auditing, followed by roles in learning and development, corporate responsibility, gender equality and consulting. Amanda advocates for the role businesses can play in facilitating meaningful change.


Tomm Ben-David National Australia Bank

Tomm is head of environmental affairs at NAB. With experience in sustainability policy, government relations, communication and corporate affairs across APAC, he moved into his current role from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He served as a diplomat in Japan and Papua New Guinea.


Anna Bennett Elders

Anna is the executive general manager of strategy, sustainability and innovation at Elders. Anna offers a unique skillset in strategy, management consulting, stakeholder engagement, innovation, risk management, and compliance. Anna previously worked at Australia Post and Bain & Company.

Rosemary Bissett, National Australia Bank


Rosemary Bissett National Australia Bank

Rosemary is responsible for ESG integration and risk management frameworks at the National Australia Bank's. Rosemary has played a key role in early work on sustainability reporting climate risk assessment and implementation of the TCFD, modern slavery reporting and human rights requirements.


Steve Black Insignia Financial

With over two decades of experience in financial services, Steve leads Insignia Financial's ESG strategy and has delivered several key initiatives. These include the company's Climate Active certification for the measuring and offsetting of operational emissions, and its first climate risk report and Reconciliation Action Plan.


Ricky Bridge Downer Group

With over 24 years of experience in corporate sustainability, Ricky has a rounded skill set spanning ESG, sustainability, shared value, environmental management, risk and compliance, due diligence, carbon management and energy efficiency, as well as sustainable procurement practices.


Sue Brown Worley

With over 30 years of advocating for environmental management, Sue has a track record of working to deliver sustainable change in the energy, chemicals, and resource industries. She has an integral role in helping Worley become a global leader in sustainability solutions.


Alicia Burgmann WiseTech Global

Alicia is a passionate advocate for sustainability, and an adept commercial player. Alicia came to the software company two years ago from aviation, with more than 15 years at ASX20 firms and agency experience in risk-based sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement and disclosures.

Michael Chen, Westpac Institutional Bank


Michael Chen Westpac Institutional Bank

As executive director and head of ESG at Westpac, Michael leads the bank's approach to sustainability and risk management. He has played a key role in the bank's climate plan, including using scenario analysis to set long-term targets for climate finance.


Sarah Clarke Mirvac

As group general manager - sustainability at the property giant, Sarah has led the company to eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions, set a net positive Scope 3 emissions by 2030 goal, and halve development waste and costs through leveraging the circular economy.


Yasmina Elshafei Commonwealth Bank

CBA's global carbon market lead Yasmina Elshafei has significant experience in the transition to clean energies. During her 18 months of running CBA's global carbon business, Yasmina has completed several strategic deals designed to fast-track the development of Australia's carbon market.


Lachlan Feggans Brambles

Lachlan has led corporate sustainability strategy at international and ASX-listed organisations over a 20-year career. As senior director of sustainability, ESG and regeneration, Lachlan drives the positioning of the business as a global ESG leader in its five-year strategy.


Steven Ford GPT

As head of sustainability at GPT, Steve delivers the strategies to achieve the company's environmental focus of "carbon neutral now, nature positive next". Steve and GPT are well known for delivering the world's first prime property portfolio verified as carbon neutral.


Kathryn Franklin Qantas

Kathryn has worked in sustainability and ESG for over 20 years. Her corporate affairs experience brings distinct advantages to her sustainability approach, including a keen eye for current and emerging risks, stakeholder engagement, and communication.


Alison George Australian Ethical

Alison leads the ethics investment research team and ongoing development of the company's impact framework and delivery. She has overseen more than 250 engagements since she joined in May 2023, including climate-focused shareholder resolutions with Westpac and NAB.


Luke Gleeson Bellevue Gold

Luke leads decarbonisation in the mineral sector. With the aim of producing premium "green gold", Luke has spearheaded the company's first sustainability report in 2020, 40% female staff in 2021, net zero by 2026 targets for the Bellevue Gold Project harnessing 80% renewables.


Will Hart E&P Financial Group

With over a decade of experience in finance and investment management, Will leads E&Ps efforts to integrate ESG across portfolio construction, research, asset management and corporate strategy. Will works directly with large-scale investors seeking to generate profit and purpose.


Amy Hogan Transurban

With more than 25 years' ESG experience, Amy specialises in driving transformative change across all levels and stages of an organisation. She led the firm's sustainability strategy and achievement of Science Based Targets' 2030 Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions targets seven years early.


Jack Holden Fonterra

Jack has been a sustainability practitioner for over two decades. He has held leadership positions in industry, consulting, and government. The sustainability story is central to his engagement with customers, investors, employees and their families.


Jo Hynes Atlas Arteria

Jo is head of sustainability at Atlas Arteria, a global owner, operator and developer of toll roads with a portfolio of five toll roads in France, Germany and the United States. Since joining Atlas Arteria, she has already had a significant impact on sustainability reporting and strategy within the company.


Ramana James Dexus

Ramana has chosen to work in companies that are clear about the positive impact they can have. Ramana has worked tirelessly to imbue a shared value culture within companies by establishing governance mechanisms and linking them to performance and pay.


Siobhan Leach Ramsay Health Care

Siobhan has been in environmental management for more than two decades. Under her guidance, the brand's healthcare facilities are rolling out renewables, green walls, chilled beams, and more. Siobhan is well-versed in ESG, shared value, corporate social responsibility, risk and compliance.

Hilary Macdonald, Northern Star Resources


Hilary Macdonald Northern Star Resources

From a background in legal, Hilary rose through the ranks to company secretary at the TCFD-aligned ASX100 Aussie gold producer. She is relied on to verify climate disclosures, actions and outcomes, engage shareholders and proxy advisers, and manage greenwashing risk.


Anna Matysek Bluescope

This strategy specialist and high-profile economist is the head of climate change. Anna has built a team of climate experts and set a net zero 2050 goal as well as a midstream target for the global business. She is an ARENA board member and was a lead author on mitigation chapters for the IPCC.

Kirsty McCartney, Westpac Institutional Bank


Kirsty McCartney Westpac Institutional Bank

Kirsty is a key player in the evolving sustainable finance market, and is passionate about its opportunities. Specifically, she is responsible for originating and structuring sustainable products, partnering with customers on several successful 'market firsts' and inaugural issuances.


Lee McDougall IAG

Lee has been driving sustainability and social impact at IAG for over 14 years, and is now head of group sustainability and climate action. Lee chairs the Shared Value Project Leadership Council and previously the Liaison Group of the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience & Safer Communities.


Maria Helena Meinert Cochlear

With over 20 years of experience in sustainability, Maria has developed and implemented sustainability strategies for different sectors and geographies. She is currently the sustainability director at Cochlear, leading the implementation of the sustainability strategy.


Karena Milios Elders

Karena is responsible for the development and execution of Elders' sustainability framework and supporting the delivery of initiatives within the company and the agriculture industry that balance environmental stewardship, social responsibility and productivity.


Charlotte O'Meara Challenger

Charlotte leads the climate risk program, legislative compliance, modern slavery policy engagement, inaugural disclosure of Scope 3 financed emissions, listed equities and corporate bonds, affiliate support, and greenwashing response, and Principles for Responsible Investment reporting.


Michael Parks Treasury Wine Estates

Michael tackles strategy development, execution, governance, stakeholder engagement and reporting. In the past year Michael has activated Australia's largest winery solar installation, engaged growers and other partners to adopt sustainability certification.


Dean Parsons CHEP Australia

Responsible for communicating the value of circular economy, sustainability, and zero waste programmes to stakeholders, Dean is sustainability programmes manager at CHEP. He oversees partnerships with Coles, Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite.


Tom Penny Telstra

Tom oversees the telco's environmental programs across climate change, nature and biodiversity, and circular economy strategy and initiatives. Across three revisions of its sustainability strategy, Tom has shaped the company's environmental ambition and climate commitments.

Brooke Pettit, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank


Brooke Pettit Bendigo and Adelaide Bank

Brooke leads the strategic delivery of the ESG and sustainability business plan and holistic sustainability performance to deliver Bendigo's purpose of feeding into prosperity, not off it, and to help realise Bendigo's vision to be Australia's better big bank.

Richard Pittard, Cleanaway Waste Management


Richard Pittard Cleanaway Waste Management

Pittard has spent more than two decades in the environmental field. Now head of sustainability, he has helped link Cleanaway's sustainability strategy with its enterprise strategy, as well as communicating that strategy to stakeholders.


Blaise Porter Sims Limited

Blaise oversees execution and global integration of environmental and social responsibility, business performance, risks management, and waste reduction. Blaise believes that sustainability is an important differentiator in customer attraction and retention.


Kylie Porter SunRice

Kylie Porter is the group head of sustainability for the SunRice Group, one of the nation's leading branded food exporters. She is responsible for implementing the group's sustainability strategy across climate, water, human rights, packaging waste and community investment.


Troy Powell Orica

Troy has over 24 years' experience in some of Australia's largest ASX100 organisations. Troy works on bridging sustainability and business strategies to drive growth, cost efficiencies, product differentiation, and customer loyalty in hard-to-abate sectors.

Kaitlin Priestley, Pinnacle Investment Management Group


Kaitlin Priestley Pinnacle Investment Management Group

Kaitlin has developed the sustainability function for the Pinnacle group from inception through to function with board-level support and wide group adoption. Her work includes spearheading the group's inaugural sustainability report and its first modern slavery report.


Fiona Reynolds Qualitas

Fiona led the Principles for Responsible Investment as chief executive for almost a decade, chairs the UN Global Compact Network, and serves on the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute board. Fiona now helps ensure that ESG is a fundamental pillar of Qualitas' business.


Justine Rowe Telstra

Justine is chief sustainability officer at Telstra, where she has work for more than two decades, rising through the ranks from legal counsel to executive. She focuses on embedding sustainability from procurement to product and led the firm as an early adopter of the TNFD.


Michael Tangonan AMP

Michael is the organisation's go-to lawyer for ESG-related matters in the superannuation and investments legal team. He has supported policy engagements, the responsible investment program, ESG policy, restricted investments list, product disclosure statement, and other reporting.


Katharine Tapley ANZ

Katharine leads a team that delivers insights and originates solutions across sustainable finance markets. Her team contributes to the lender's strategy aiming to fund and facilitate at least $100 billion in environmental and social outcomes by 2030.


Roslyn Toms nib Group

Roslyn manages legal compliance and risk as a group executive at nib Group. She is across environment, social, governance, ethics, community, and clinical functions. She has focused on aligning the firm's ESG strategy with its mission for health and wellbeing.


Siobhan Toohill Westpac

Over the past year, Siobhan has updated the group's Human Rights Position Statement to include child safeguarding, revised its climate change position to reflect additional 2030 financed emissions sector targets, and strengthened its position on emissions-intensive sectors.

Mary Ann van Bodegraven, Boral/Macquarie Group


Mary Ann van Bodegraven Boral/Macquarie Group

A sustainability director at Macquarie Group, Mary Ann focuses on the impacts of the financial group's operations and the achievement of its 2025 Sustainability Plan. Her role covers strategy, risk management, reporting, stakeholder engagement, and operational initiatives.


James Vesper Goodman Group

James' responsibilities include developing the group's 2030 sustainability strategy, managing compliance programs, ESG performance benchmarks and disclosure obligations. James is committed to building a highly responsible and sustainable business.


Ben Walker ANZ

Ben oversees ANZ's ESG policies and develops targets for key sectors in line with the bank's net-zero banking alliance commitment. The Net Zero Banking Alliance is committed to financing climate action to transition the real economy to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.


Heidi Westlake Origin Energy

Heidi is a climate change, energy, and sustainable development professional with over two decades of experience. She oversees the electricity retailer's Climate Transition Action Plan, which has received an overwhelming majority of shareholder support.

Clair Wilson, Liontown Resources Limited


Clair Wilson Liontown Resources

From being the only ESG professional at the lithium mining developer in 2022 to leading a team of 17 people today, Clair drives strategic decision-making at the board and executive level. She manages diverse functions; from cultural heritage, to climate and decarbonisation.