Doug Halley (Chair)
BCom MBA, FAICD
Essential Energy Terms – 25 August 2020 to 24 August 2024;
and 28 August 2024 to 27 August 2027
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.
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
Appointed in 2016, John has led Essential Energy through significant internal transformation and energy sector change and volatility, focusing on the evolving requirements of customers across regional, rural and remote NSW.
John is a board member and past chair of Energy Networks Australia, the peak industry body representing electricity and gas networks across Australia.
John is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA), a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has tertiary qualifications in economics and finance.
Prior to joining Essential Energy John held senior positions in the infrastructure, resources and logistics sectors including Head of Infrastructure, Coal Division at Anglo American PLC and CEO of WestNet Infrastructure Group.
Grant Every-Burns
BE (Hons), FAICD
Essential Energy Term: 31 October 2023 to 30 October 2026
Grant is an experienced director in the energy sector with extensive senior executive and director expertise in the operation and maintenance of large power generation facilities, including 15 years at the Chief Executive and Managing Director of Macquarie Generation. Grant became a Director of Hydro Tasmania in 2012 and subsequently served as Chair for nine years until July 2023.
Grant is a director of Essential Energy, member of its Audit Committee, and a member of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee and Risk and Cyber Security Committee.
Grant also previously held directorships of the National Safety Council of Australia and the Energy Association of Australia; and has served as a non-executive Director of the National Generators Forum Limited.
The Hon. Duncan Gay AM
Essential Energy Terms – 25 August 2020 to 24 August 2023;
and 28 August 2023 to 28 August 2026
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, Chair of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee and a member of its Board Regulatory 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.
Michelle Lawson
BCom (Accounting), FCA, FGIA, GAICD, FAusIMM, JP
Essential Energy Term: 6 June 2025 to 5 June 2028
Michelle is a senior finance executive with experience across a variety of industries and sectors, including private and non-profit organisations.
Previously, Michelle held several executive roles in mining and infrastructure, including senior financial roles for Glencore, BHP, and Coal & Allied Industries. She began her career as an accountant with Ernst & Young and followed by Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC).
Michelle is a director of Essential Energy, Chair of its Audit Committee and member of its Safety, Human Resources and Environment Committee.
Michelle is also currently the Chief Financial Officer and Diocesan Financial Administrator for the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. She also serves on the boards of Banksia Villages, Mark Hughes Foundation, and the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy and is an independent external member of the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee for the Central Coast Council.
Katherine Pounder
BA, International Studies and Politics (Hons), Tinline Scholar
Essential Energy Term: 6 June 2025 to 5 June 2028
Kate Pounder is a technology policy expert and senior executive who has worked across the public, private and non-profit sectors. Kate was the inaugural CEO of the Tech Council of Australia (“TCA”), the peak group representing Australia’s tech ecosystem.
Before the TCA, Kate was a Managing Director at Accenture and AlphaBeta Advisers, specialising in strategy and analytics, and a consultant at McKinsey & Company specialising in the public sector.
Prior to her consulting work, Kate spent 15 years working in technology policy roles with the Australian Industry Group, National ICT Australia (NICTA), Network Ten and the Australian Government. Kate holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours), majoring in international studies and politics, from the University of Adelaide.
Kate is a director of Essential Energy, Chair of its Risk and Cyber Security Committee and member of its Board Regulatory Committee. She also serves on the boards of several organisations, including RNA Australia, the NSW Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (Powerhouse) and the Tech Policy Design Institute.
