Executive team

We are a dynamic and outcomes-oriented agency, staffed by highly qualified and experienced people. Our executive team brings diverse experience from across the energy sector, as well as broad experience in:

• Business development
• Policy
• Energy technology
• Finance.

Darren Miller – Chief Executive Officer

Darren Miller has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) since 2018, guiding the agency through a period of change and growth. Under his strategic leadership, ARENA has secured increased funding and is now responsible for delivering $14 billion in grant funding over a 20-year period. Darren’s vision has positioned ARENA as a pivotal player in clean technology innovation, accelerating Australia’s renewable energy transition.

With more than 30 years’ experience across renewable energy, electricity retail, technology, finance and investment management, Darren has led ARENA into new strategic areas including ultra low-cost solar, transitioning Australia’s electricity system, renewable hydrogen, low emissions metals and the transport sector. Darren’s leadership has helped give ARENA a clear and defined purpose to support Australia’s emissions reduction targets and deliver on the country’s renewable energy superpower potential.

Darren is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of New South Wales.

Zoe von Batenburg – Chief Investment Officer

Zoe von Batenburg is Chief Investment Officer at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) overseeing the development, identification and execution of investment opportunities and funding programs that advance innovation in renewable energy technologies.

Zoe has been with ARENA since 2017 and has been a key contributor to driving ARENA’s success and impact in the renewable energy transition. In her previous role as Investment Director at ARENA, Zoe specialised in seeking out opportunities across Low Emissions Metals and industrial decarbonisation. Prior to joining ARENA, Zoe focused on providing valuations and transaction advice in the financial services sector.

Chris Faris – Chief Operating Officer

Chris Faris brings a diverse range of experience to the role of Chief Operating Officer, which he took up at ARENA in August 2021. Chris oversees ARENA’s legal, people and culture, ICT, risk, government relations and corporate reporting functions.

Chris has worked in and around climate and innovation policy since 2000 and has more than eight years’ experience at senior executive level across a number of Commonwealth government departments.

His public sector experience includes international climate negotiations, portfolio agency oversight, intergovernmental negotiations, and regional development. Chris has led Government teams working on the Barkly Regional Deal, international postal negotiations, and international crime cooperation, and represented Australia on the Executive Board of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.

In addition to his public service, Chris’ previous experience includes corporate law, the non-government sector and working with the United Nations in Egypt, Bhutan and Sudan.

Chris holds Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts degrees (University of Melbourne) and Master’s Degrees in International Law (Australian National University) and Public Administration (New York University).

Paul Jenkin – Chief Financial Officer

Paul Jenkin joined ARENA as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in January 2024.

Paul is a commercially focused CFO with extensive experience in top tier financial services organisations including AMP Capital, UBS and BT, across funds management (public and private asset classes), wealth management and asset finance, and spanning responsibility for Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.

Paul has a proven track record as a strategic partner to business leaders in formulating and delivering many and varied key mandates including organic growth projects, successful acquisitions, divestments and business and finance restructures and change projects.

He has strong expertise and hands-on experience across the broad spectrum of Finance and other functions including business partnering and planning, financial and management reporting, operational finance, treasury, regulatory, risk, governance and business services, in large listed and smaller unlisted firms.

Paul is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia.

Giorgina Strangio – GM People & Culture

Giorgina Strangio joined ARENA in November 2024 as General Manager, People & Culture. She brings over 15 years of executive experience leading human resources and corporate functions across the public sector.

Giorgina adopts a strategic and inclusive approach to people and culture, drawing on deep expertise, insights and emerging trends. She has led the successful negotiation and implementation of three enterprise agreements, establishing employment conditions that support workforce attraction and retention. Her leadership has delivered key people strategies and initiative, including strategic workforce planning, leadership and capability development, and integrity.

Giorgina has also driven the transformation of corporate functions to become strategic, customer-centric and outcomes-focused – leading functional reviews, building capability, shifting culture, and enhancing performance through improved reporting and business partnering.

Prior to joining ARENA, Giorgina served as Chief People Officer at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. She holds an Executive Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business in Human Resource Management with Accounting.

Dhruv Vishrani – General Manager Strategy

Dhruv Vishrani leads Strategy and Planning at ARENA where he helps to identify, review and prioritise ARENA’s strategic and investment objectives, keeping an eye on long term impact and helping teams to deliver against those objectives.

Dhruv has more than 10 years of experience at McKinsey & Company where he has served clients and coached executives to deliver sustainable transformative change. He has extensive strategy and execution experience across a range of sectors, especially heavy industries such as mining, cement and energy, across Australia, South East Asia and India.

Dhruv holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow.

Cameron Kelly – General Counsel

Cameron joined ARENA in 2018 as General Counsel, heading up the Legal, Governance and Secretariat team. Cameron’s team provides legal and governance services to all areas of ARENA, including the ARENA Board and committees. Provision of secretariat support to the ARENA Board and committees is also part of Cameron’s responsibility. In addition, Cameron oversees and manages the engagement of all external legal service providers.

A renewable energy specialist, Cameron has particular expertise (both in Australia and overseas) in advising sponsors in project financed large-scale renewable projects. In addition, Cameron has extensive experience working in international carbon markets and has a deep understanding of the energy sector gained both through his professional work and through his PhD studies on comparative renewable energy laws in selected EU and Australian jurisdictions.

Prior to his current role, Cameron was in-house counsel with a private equity developer in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he advised on several hundred megawatts of project financed solar PV and onshore wind transactions in Jordan, Egypt and Turkey. Cameron has previously worked at top-tier law firms in Australia, and has practiced in the fields of environment and planning, projects, construction and energy and resources law.

Cameron is a highly experienced practitioner, with over 15 years experience as a lawyer. Cameron holds a Bachelor of Science (University of New South Wales), Bachelor of Law (University of Technology, Sydney) and a PhD in Law from the University of East Finland.

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