Board

The ARENA Board sets the investment strategies and priorities, oversees the running of our agency, and approves funding for projects up to $50 million.

Appointed members have experience and knowledge in either renewable energy, technology, commercialisation, business investment or corporate governance. This ensures expert administration of funds available.

Download the Board Charter (PDF 215KB)

The Board also has oversight of two committees including:

1. The Risk and Audit Committee: Download the Risk and Audit Committee Charter (PDF 187KB)
2. The People and Culture Committee.

Justin Punch, Chair / Non-executive member

Justin Punch is an experienced environmental investor focused on decarbonisation and conservation, with a 30-year career in private equity, line management and management consulting. He is a co-founder of Assembly Climate Capital and was previously a Director of Tasman Environmental Markets and a Partner at Archer Capital, where he led investments across a diverse range of sectors. He has extensive experience in the management and governance of operating businesses as well as consulting experience with the Boston Consulting Group.

Justin serves as the Co-Chair of the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust. The Trust supports the work of Indigenous ranger groups in Arnhem Land on projects including assisting with landscape-scale carbon abatement programs, conserving endangered landscapes and species, conserving Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage, and improving education outcomes. Justin is also a member of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response Advisory Board.

Justin holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of NSW and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Marianna O’Gorman, Deputy Chair

Marianna is a board director with roles across the public and non-profit sector including on the board of Stanwell Corporation and the McKell Institute Queensland. She brings to the ARENA board expertise in sustainable investment, energy generation, clean tech innovation, and public policy. Her career has included work at the World Bank; in the Australian Government focusing on national climate change and energy policy and on governmental and international climate change negotiations; the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and in public policy think tanks.

Marianna is a mentor at EnergyLab and is a recipient of the Chief Executive Women Sustainability Scholarship and the Ross Garnaut Prize.

Marianna holds a Masters of Climate Change from Australian National University; a Bachelor of Laws from University of Queensland; is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees. She is admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Ruby Heard

Ruby is a descendant of the Jaru people of the Kimberley and is the founding director of Alinga Energy Consulting, providing energy research, feasibility and design services with a focus on affordable and sustainable off-grid systems which improve livelihoods for Indigenous communities.

As part of her previous role as a consultant for Arup, Ruby has designed electrical and lighting systems for iconic buildings in Melbourne and worked on complex solar arrays and microgrid concepts for Google campuses in California.

In 2019 she was awarded as Young Professional Engineer of the Year – Victoria by Engineers Australia and was also featured in their top 100 Engineers Making a Difference list.

Angela Karl

Angela is an experienced investor, energy sector expert and board director, bringing 25 years investment and advisory experience across the infrastructure and utility sectors, particularly in energy transition.

Angela established HMC Capital’s Energy Transition capability, building a significant Australian renewable energy operational and development platform. Prior to this, Angela was a Partner at QIC Global Infrastructure and for over a decade helped grow their energy and utilities portfolio, leading the origination, establishment and asset management of a number of leading Australian energy transition businesses. Whilst at QIC, she held the following positions: Founding Director, Tilt Renewables; Founding Director, Lochard Energy; Founding Director, Epic Energy; Director, Pacific Energy; Director, PowerCo NZ; and member of the QIC Global Infrastructure management investment committee. Angela also has over a decade of M&A advisory experience at both JP Morgan and UBS, where she was the Australasian Head of Energy & Utilities Advisory.

Angela holds a Bachelor of Laws (1st Class Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce (1st Class Honours, University Medal) from the University of Queensland; and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Stephen McIntosh

Stephen McIntosh has more than 37 years of global experience in the resources sector. He spent 33 years with the Rio Tinto Group culminating in the role as Group Executive Growth & Innovation. In that role he had accountability for most of Rio Tinto’s global technical functions including exploration, studies, construction, technical services, information technology, data science, robotics and automation, R&D, asset closure and for the last year he also led the global Health, Safety, Environment, and Security function. This accountability also included areas such as mineral processing, energy projects and latterly decarbonisation projects.

Stephen holds a Master in Science from the University of Auckland, and is a geophysicist by training. He is chairman of Datarock Holdings an AI start-up. He is a senior advisor to EMR Capital, a resources sector focussed private equity group. He is an advisor to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Rewiring the Nation board sub-committee. Stephen chairs the Chalice Mining Project Advisory Committee and also provides advisory services to a number of resources companies.

Elizabeth O’Leary

Elizabeth O’Leary is Senior Managing Director and Global Chair of Agriculture and Natural Assets for Macquarie Asset Management (MAM). Under her leadership, MAM Agriculture and Natural Assets has become one of Australia’s largest diversified agriculture portfolios. The platform has invested heavily in the development of methods measuring, reducing, and removing greenhouse gas emissions across its existing operations while expanding MAM’s investment strategies into natural climate solutions to increase carbon storage in landscapes and wetlands.

She has 20 years of experience in several senior corporate positions across Macquarie.

Elizabeth is an Investment Committee member and Board member of a number of Macquarie-managed portfolio companies, a member of the Nature Finance Council and was a founding member of the Taskforce on Nature-related Finance Disclosures. She contributes to several not-for-profit initiatives and is currently a Director of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation.

Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University.

Dr Dean Travers

Dean has more than 25 years of experience in the energy sector across global markets in mergers and acquisitions, deal structuring, project development and operations.

He has worked across Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe with global electricity utility and energy service company ENGIE. During his time at ENGIE he was responsible for market entry into the UK, upstream biomass production in British Columbia, Canada, and the development of renewable projects in Indonesia. Prior to his departure he was head of renewable development at ENGIE Australia.

Dean is a non-executive director of ACEN Corporation, a listed regional renewable developer headquartered in the Philippines. He also works with New Energy Nexus Ventures investing in climate tech companies based in Southeast Asia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from the University of New South Wales and holds a GAICD of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kushla Munro, Ex-officio member

Kushla Munro is responsible for leading the Climate Change group in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the nominee for the Secretary on the ARENA Board.

Kushla has led the implementation of a wide range of international and domestic climate change initiatives, including a range of Future Made in Australia measures, the ongoing development of Net Zero Plans and spearheading Australia’s international engagement efforts on climate change action, including Australia’s bid to host COP31.

Kushla has been a leader in climate policy for many years, joining DCCEEW in its inception in 2022 as Head of Division, International Climate and Energy, where she led work to develop the policy framework for enhanced international engagement and played a significant role in reestablishing Australia’s reputation in global climate forums.

Kushla has held senior roles in the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where in 2015 she was Australia’s lead negotiator on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Kushla holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Environmental Sustainability (Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh.

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