The Australian Energy Council has launched our debut Connects event series which will launch in Melbourne on 19 November 2025.
This event will include a presentation of critical findings from a CEO Survey, followed by an interactive panel discussion featuring Shannon Hyde, CEO of ENGIE Australia & New Zealand, Mark Collette, Managing Director of EnergyAustralia, and Nick Maher, Partner at SEC Newgate.
The Connects series are open to members and non-members of the Australian Energy Council. This event has been designed to bring together leading representatives of the energy sector for an evening of insightful discussions between industry leaders, key stakeholders and innovators.
| Ticket type | Price |
| Member | $109 including GST + fees |
| Non-Member | $149 including GST + fees |
Meet the speakers
Louisa Kinnear – Facilitator
Chief Executive Officer – Australian Energy Council
Louisa Kinnear assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Energy Council in September 2024.
Prior to this, Louisa was the Chief Executive Officer at Jacana Energy, the largest energy retailer in the Northern Territory. She has also held senior roles at Synergy, Western Power and Water Corporation and previously worked for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Western Australia.
For the past 15 years, Louisa has helped governments, businesses, and customers across various jurisdictions navigate and benefit from the renewable energy transition. She is a strong advocate for fostering collaboration across the energy sector to ensure a successful transition.
Shannon Hyde – Panellist
Chief Executive Officer – ENGIE ANZ
Shannon is Chief Executive Officer at ENGIE ANZ and also holds direct accountability for its retail business as Managing Director. Shannon joined ENGIE Retail (then Simply Energy) in 2010 developed a deep understanding of the industry through various operational and then senior leadership positions.
Shannon is passionate about the unique role energy businesses play in the decarbonisation of our economy, customer participation in the energy transition, and how data and enabling technologies can deliver benefits in our pursuit of net-zero.
ENGIE ANZ has operated in Australia since 1996 and is part of a global network of 97,000 transition makers across 30 countries with ambition to reach net zero across all scopes by 2045.
Mark Collette – Panellist
Managing Director – EnergyAustralia
Mark joined EnergyAustralia (previously known as TRUenergy) in 2003. Prior to being appointed as Managing Director of EnergyAustralia on 1 July 2021, Mark led EnergyAustralia’s retail business as Chief Customer Officer and led EnergyAustralia’s generation and energy trading business as Executive Energy from July 2015 until May 2019.
He has over two decades of energy and related experience with more than a decade in executive roles covering trading, generation, retail, policy, strategy and mergers & acquisitions. Prior to joining EnergyAustralia, Mark worked in management consulting in Australia, Thailand, and the UK, while also completing an aid project in Mongolia. Mark was a Director of the Australian Financial Markets Association and is a former member of the Reliability Panel. Mark holds degrees in Engineering (Aerospace), Business and Economics and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Nick Maher – Panellist
Partner – SEC Newgate
Nick Maher is a Partner at SEC Newgate, a leading Government Relations and Strategic Communications company.
Nick has served in senior roles in government both in Canberra and Victoria, specialising in energy and infrastructure policy. He was involved in the establishment of the National Energy Market in the late 1990s and over more than 25 years he has been a trusted advisor to Australia’s energy and resources sectors.
Nick is currently working with Australia’s largest companies on the reputational, crisis and policy challenges of the energy transition and his advice is also regularly sought out by peak industry bodies, regulators, and other advisory agencies. Nick brings a highly experienced lens to the political and policy issues facing the industry today.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship opportunities are available, if you would like to discuss partnering with the AEC, please contact our events team direct via email at events@energycouncil.com.au and request a copy of the Sponsorship Prospectus.
