Patricia McKenzie (Chair)
LLB, FAICD
Essential Energy Term - 14 April 2016 to 14 February 2022
Patricia is an experienced chair and director in the energy, government, health and not-for-profit sectors. She has considerable expertise and experience in energy market regulation and extensive corporate legal experience.
Patricia is the Chair of Essential Energy and is also a non-executive director of the APA Group, the largest natural gas infrastructure company in Australia.
Patricia was formerly a director of TransGrid, Australian Energy Market Operator Limited and Macquarie Generation; Chair of IEC, Diabetes Australia, Healthdirect Australia, Sunnyfield Limited and The Cromehurst Foundation and CEO of Gas Market Company Limited. Patricia was also a member of the NSW Premier’s Council on Women from 2008-2010.
Patricia will step down from Essential Energy’s Board of Directors on 30 April 2019 to take up a directorship with another Board.
John Cleland (Chief Executive Officer)
BEc DipFinMan CA FFin, GAICD
Appointed 18 July 2016
John is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with comprehensive executive and non-executive experience with large and complex organisations in the infrastructure (rail, ports, energy transmission and distribution), resources and logistics sectors.
John previously held the position of Head of Infrastructure, Coal Division at Anglo American PLC and prior to that he was the CEO of WestNet Infrastructure Group.
Robyn Clubb
BEc CA FFin MAICD
Essential Energy Term – 15 March 2018 to 14 March 2021
Robyn is an experienced director in the rural and financial sectors with extensive senior executive experience in the financial services industry. She is also a Chartered Accountant.
Robyn is a director of Essential Energy and a member of its Audit and Risk Committee, the Chair of the Australian Wool Exchange, and a director of the Craig Mostyn Group, the Rice Marketing Board for the State of NSW, and Elders Limited. Robyn is also a trustee of the Farrer Memorial Trust, and a Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Robyn was formerly the Chair of Boyce Chartered Accounting and the NSW Primary Industries Ministerial Advisory Council, and a director of Beef CRC Ltd, Murray Irrigation Limited, Rural Bank Limited and UrbanGrowth NSW (formerly Landcom).
Robyn has been asked by Essential Energy’s Board of Directors to act as interim Chair from 1 May 2019 until a permanent Chair is appointed.
Jennifer Douglas
BSc/LLB LLM MBA GAICD
Essential Energy Term - 15 March 2018 to 14 March 2021
Jennifer is an experienced director with expertise in customer centred transformation and digital technology. She has over twenty five years experience in the technology and media sector first as a lawyer and then executive including as Executive Director of Telstra’s Customer Office, responsibility for Telstra's $3B Fixed Voice business and start up business Platinum and General Counsel of Sensis.
Jennifer is a director of Essential Energy and a member of its Board Regulatory and Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committees, a director of Hansen Technologies Limited, Opticomm Pty Ltd and Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.
Jennifer was formerly a director of TSM Pty Ltd (Telstra Security & Monitoring), Family Life Inc, Pacific Access Superannuation Fund and Kilvington Grammar School.
John Fletcher
BSc, MBA
Essential Energy Term - 13 October 2016 to 12 October 2019
John has considerable experience in the energy industry, having held several executive positions in AGL, including Chief Financial Officer prior to his retirement in 2003.
John is a director of Essential Energy (including as the Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee).
John was formerly a director of the APA Group, Sydney Water, Alinta Energy, Foodlands Australia, Integral Energy and Australian Pipeline Trust.
Philip Garling
B.Build, FAIB, FAICD, FIE (Aust)
Essential Energy Term - 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2019
Philip has considerable experience in infrastructure construction, development, operations and investment management. Philip served as the Global Head of Infrastructure at AMP Capital Investors and as the Chief Executive Officer of Tenix Infrastructure.
Philip is a director of Essential Energy (including as the Chair of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee), Charter Hall Limited, Charter Hall Funds Management Limited and Downer EDI Limited, and is the Chair of Energy Queensland, Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group and Tellus Holdings Ltd.
Philip was formerly a director of the Asian Giants Infrastructure Fund (Chair), Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, the DUET group (inaugural Chairman and director), Ergon Energy Queensland Pty Ltd (the retail subsidiary of Energy Queensland), Melbourne Airport, the Spotless Group and Wales & the West Utilities (UK).
Patrick Strange
PhD BE (Hons)
Essential Energy Term - 25 November 2013 to 24 November 2019
Patrick has considerable experience working in the New Zealand and international electricity and infrastructure sectors. Patrick has extensive regulated infrastructure industry experience and a successful track record in both management and governance, as well as being a recognised champion of health and safety.
Patrick is a director of Essential Energy and Mercury Energy (formerly Mighty River Power), and is the Chair of Auckland International Airport Ltd and Chorus Limited.
Patrick was formerly Chief Executive of Transpower, New Zealand’s transmission owner and operator, Chief Executive of Vector Limited and an executive with Fletcher Challenge Energy, in the gas and electricity sectors.
Patrick was formerly a director of Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Worksafe NZ, Transpower Finance Limited and Contact Energy Ltd.
