Customer Advisory Panel

Philip is an experienced consumer advocate and regulator, based in Melbourne where he is a United Energy customer. He is principal of Consumer-wise Consulting, working on strategy, policy, engagement and governance. He is a member of the boards of the Clean Energy Council, the Financial Basics Foundation (which he chairs), Consumer Action and Consumers’ Federation of Australia. Philip has held senior roles at the Australian Energy Regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the UK energy regulator Ofgem, as well as three UK consumer organisations.

Hilary’s experience covers energy and carbon markets, sustainability, energy productivity and product development. Her work has centred around creating sustainable futures for heavy industries and infrastructure portfolios in a changing climate; driving strategy and corporate engagement on decarbonisation, renewable energy, and climate resilience. She is currently the General Manager - Strategic Energy Management within the GFG Alliance, responsible for a significant wholesale electricity and gas portfolio and the development and execution of energy strategy and risk management. Hilary is a Board member of the South Australian Hydrogen Technology Cluster (SA-H2H).

Linda Nieuwenhuizen is CEO of the Committee for Greater Shepparton, a local member funded body that connects business government and community to strengthen the region’s food, fibre and freight industries and supply chains, that underpin the Goulburn Valley’s economic prosperity, employment and opportunity. Linda is currently a Director of Goulburn Valley Health, and Deputy Chair of Regional Development Australian – Hume committee and serves on local boards and advisory committees for education and sport. Her career includes executive and governance roles with Goulburn Valley Water, APAL, and CPA Australia and with a range of agribusiness, infrastructure, professional and financial services and government organisations across Australia and in the UK. Linda brings the experiences of regional manufacturing and industry for whom energy is essential to growth, productivity and international competitiveness, as well as the needs of rural and regional communities across northern Victoria.

After training as a social worker, Dean worked in several community development roles followed by more than a decade in energy policy advocacy for the Victorian Council of Social Service before moving to Renew in 2016. As Renew’s Senior Energy Analyst he’s focused on policy analysis and advocacy in national and state energy markets, with an emphasis on making the energy system work better for residential consumers while also reducing its environmental impact. Recent work has been on DER enablement, tariff reform, and consumer protections in emerging energy markets.

Helen is an independent Qualified Professional Researcher and Accredited Statistician, with an Advanced Certificate in Engagement. She is a principal consultant with Bartley Consulting where she undertakes and advises on social research, evaluations, and consumer engagement with a focus on the water and energy sectors. Helen was a member of AusNet Services Customer Forum, representing customer interests in negotiations on its 2021-25 regulatory proposal. She is a current member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) Consumer Reference Group and the AER’s Consumer Challenge Panel which provide consumer-oriented advice to the AER to help it make better regulatory determinations.

Gavin currently runs the policy and research unit at St Vincent de Paul Victoria. Over the past 30 years he has participated in numerous electricity distribution, gas distribution and transmission regulatory resets across Australia. He has also been a representative on the Australian Energy Market Commission’s Reliability Panel and the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan Consumer Panel. He's currently a representative on the Australian Energy Regulator’s and the Essential Services Commission Victoria Customer Consultative Groups and a board member of Energy Consumers Australia.

Pauline Ugle is a member of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Latje Latje Peoples representing the First Peoples Advisory Committee (FPAC).

Pauline holds a Bachelor of Social Work and has worked in the community services field for the last 25 years. From 2017 – 2021 Pauline supported the Dja Dja Wurrung Enterprises businesses expansion, now, serving on the Board of the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation.

Pauline lives in northwest Victoria with her daughter and works at Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-operative managing the Social and Emotional Wellbeing team. Pauline hopes to respectfully represent the voice of the First Peoples who walked before and beside her.

Jo is a strategic energy market leader with over 25 years’ experience in gas, electricity and environmental policy working across markets in UK, European, Australian and NZ regions. With a strong values base and passion for improving consumer outcomes, Jo is currently carrying out a range of freelance strategy and advisory roles for a mix of government and market bodies and participating in distribution network consumer and innovation committees.

Jo led a major body of work for the Energy Security Board with stakeholders and consumer groups to design proposals supporting the effective implementation of Consumer Energy Resources, and recently led AEMO input on government governance reviews, as well as overseeing the divestment of Victorian planning and connections functions to VicGrid.