Douglas Halley (Chair)
BCom MBA
Essential Energy Term – 25 August 2020 to 24 August 2024
Doug is an experienced Chair and director with expertise in corporate strategy, treasury, financial management and business development. He has over 30 years of experience in commercial enterprises and investment banking.
Doug is the Chair of Essential Energy and a member of its Audit Committee. He is a director of Hygrovest Ltd (ASX HGV).
Doug was formerly the Chair of the Australian Enterprise Holdings Ltd Advisory Board, DUET Group Ltd, Foyson Resources Ltd, Mikoh Ltd, Television and Media Services Ltd and Vocation Ltd, and the Finance Director at Fairfax Media Ltd. He was also the CEO of Thomson Publishing in Asia Pacific and the Chief Financial Officer at Goodman Fielder.
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 is a director of Essential Energy and a member of its Board Regulatory Committee, and the Deputy Chair of Energy Networks Australia.
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.
Terri Benson
BBus (Act), CPA, GAICD
Essential Energy Term – 28 April 2022 to 27 April 2025
Terri is an experienced director in the energy, water and engineering sectors with extensive senior executive financial, regulatory, strategic planning, regional operations and human resources management expertise.
Terri has held a range of executive and non-executive director roles in utilities, infrastructure, regulators and in the public sector and is currently the Managing Director of Birdon’s Australian Operations. She was also previously the Managing Director of the Victorian Government’s water services company, South East Water, Chief Executive Officer at SEQ Water and Managing Director of Essential Energy.
Terri was formerly a non-executive director of the Centre for New Energy Technologies, Water Services Association of Australia, CBHS Health Fund, DUET Group, Energy Networks Assocation, and Chair of the Energy and Water Ombudsman of NSW.
Robyn Clubb
BEc CA FFin MAICD
Essential Energy Term – 15 March 2018 to 14 March 2024
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, the Chair of its Risk and Cyber Security Committee and a member of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee. She is the Chair of the Australian Wool Exchange and Pro Ten Limited, a director of the Craig Mostyn Group, Elders Limited and a Board member of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation.
Robyn was formerly the Interim Chair at Essential Energy from 20 June 2019 to 19 June 2020 and Acting Chair of Essential Energy from 20 June 2020 to 24 August 2020, Chair of Boyce Chartered Accounting and the NSW Primary Industries Ministerial Advisory Council, and a director of Beef CRC Ltd, Murray Irrigation Limited, the Rice Marketing Board for the State of NSW, Rural Bank Limited and UrbanGrowth NSW (formerly Landcom). Robyn was also a trustee of the Farrer Memorial Trust, and a Councillor of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Jennifer Douglas
BSc/LLB LLM MBA GAICD
Essential Energy Term - 15 March 2018 to 14 March 2025
Jennifer is an experienced director with expertise in customer centred transformation and digital technology. She has over twenty five years of 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, the Chair of its Board Regulatory Committee, and a member of its Risk and Cyber Security Committee. She is a director of GUD Holdings Limited, Judo Capital Holdings Limited, Judo Bank Pty Ltd, Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation and St Kilda Football Club.
Jennifer was formerly a director of TSM Pty Ltd (Telstra Security & Monitoring), Family Life Inc, Pacific Access Superannuation Fund and Kilvington Grammar School.
The Hon. Duncan Gay
Essential Energy Term – 25 August 2020 to 24 August 2023
Duncan is an experienced director and brings extensive parliamentary and government sector experience to the Board. He has held numerous ministerial roles including Minister for Roads and Ports, Minister for Roads and Freight, Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight and Minister for the North Coast.
Duncan is a director of Essential Energy and a member of its Board Regulatory Committee and Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee. He is the Chair of the MU Group and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, a director of the Bush Children’s Education Foundation and Sir Earl Page Trust.
Duncan was formerly a director of the ARC Asia-Pacific Consortium and Citrus Group.
Vanessa (Fernandes) Sullivan
BEc(Hons), GradDip(AppFin), GAICD
Essential Energy Term – 25 August 2020 to 24 August 2024
Vanessa is an experienced non executive director and executive in the energy, low emissions, sustainability and water sectors. She has over 20 years’ commercial, financial and strategy experience, working with both government and private sector organisations, including as a Climate Change Leader and Utilities Leader, and undertaking significant market reforms in both energy and water, including low emission energy transition strategy and delivery.
Vanessa is a director at Essential Energy, the Chair of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee and a member of its Audit Committee. She is a director of AGL Energy Limited, Eco Markets Australia, Niche Environment and Heritage, Sunwater, an advisory Board member for Centacare (a Not For Profit disability and family services provider), an independent member of Hydrogen Taskforce and a member of Hydrogen Australia’s Expert Reference Panel.
Vanessa’s previous roles include non-executive director of Energex, non-executive director Smart Energy Council, executive director Lyon, and leadership positions at Ernst & Young.
