Energy Projects Panel
Australia’s energy sector is undergoing one of the most significant infrastructure transformations in its history. The rapid expansion of renewable generation, grid-scale storage, and transmission infrastructure is occurring alongside evolving regulatory frameworks, heightened community expectations, and recent disruptions in energy markets that have highlighted the critical importance of reliable project delivery.
The Energy Projects Panel, convened by the Thought Leadership Community of Practice at the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM™), brings together senior project professionals, government representatives, industry leaders, and technical experts to share insights, address challenges, and shape best practice in the delivery of energy-related projects across Australia.
Designed as a trusted and independent forum, the event will enable open dialogue among stakeholders involved in energy generation, transmission, storage, decarbonisation, and supporting infrastructure. Participants will exchange perspectives on the strategic, technical, and organisational challenges associated with delivering complex energy projects at scale.
The session aims to foster collaboration, encourage innovation, and strengthen the capability of the project profession to support Australia’s energy transition while maintaining system reliability, affordability, and long-term sustainability.
Through facilitated discussion, case studies, and expert insights, participants will explore how project leadership, governance, and delivery practices can support the successful implementation of major energy infrastructure initiatives across jurisdictions.
Join experienced practitioners and decision-makers as they exchange insights, share lessons learned, and contribute to shaping best practice for energy project delivery.
To register for an AIPM event, you’ll need to login to your AIPM account. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create an account with AIPM before you register.
Price
- Members: $55 (including GST)
- Non-members: $99 (including GST)
- Registration closes: 28/07/2026, 11:59 PM (Canberra time)
Speakers
John Owens FAIPM CPPE
Managing Director, Perwillowen Advisory Services
John has over 30 years’ experience in working with and for government in policy, intelligence and service delivery, as well as in the private and university sector. He has led divisions and branches across Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade and Finance in a wide range of areas. He has also worked in the University sector and been the CEO of a medium sized Indigenous-owned business providing services to government.
John was an Army officer in the Australian Intelligence Corps prior to his public service career and had postings in Hong Kong, Canberra, Darwin and Melbourne as well as operational service in Bougainville. John has a Bachelor of Arts with Honours Class One in English and a Master’s of Defence Studies (both from UNSW), as well as a Master’s of Management from ANU. He graduated from ADFA, RMC Duntroon, and the Australian Defence Force Language School in Chinese, and has a Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems. John is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Project Management.
Dani Alexander
Chief Executive Officer, UNSW Energy Institute
Dani Alexander is the Chief Executive Officer of the UNSW Energy Institute, which is arguably the largest and most diverse grouping of energy experts in Australia. She is also the interim CEO of the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub, a Director of the Energy Research Institutes Council for Australia, elected to the Board of the Energy Efficiency Council, and an Advisory Board Member of The Energy.
Dani is a passionate advocate for reshaping our energy system to be clean, affordable, reliable and equitable. Her experience in the energy sector is broad having held roles in universities, government, and industrial co-operative research centres. Her background is multi-disciplinary in science and business, reflecting the nature of her work bridging the gap between new technology and transitioning markets.
Dani has a deep and broad knowledge of the energy transition, including renewable energy generation, clean fuels, energy storage, grid integration and energy consumers and markets. Her own research focuses on mainstreaming energy innovation across the value chain, accelerating the technology and commercial maturity of new technologies.
Gavin Cross
Group Leader, Energy Systems at CSIRO
Gavin Cross CPPD is a senior leader in CSIRO’s Energy Systems Program and Principal Digital Lead for Energy. He leads multidisciplinary teams across power systems, energy economics, digital transformation, and enabling infrastructure, bringing a whole-of-system perspective to the planning and delivery of complex energy initiatives.
Gavin combines project governance and delivery discipline with systems thinking to address challenges at scale. His work spans the integration of generation, storage, and transmission, capability and workforce constraints, supply chain and delivery risk, and the coordination of interdependent project portfolios. He works closely with government, industry, and program leadership to translate technical and market conditions into decision-ready strategy, governance, and execution.
With more than 25 years’ experience across technology, research, and nationally sensitive environments, Gavin has held senior roles spanning program delivery, digital strategy, product development, and business leadership. He has extensive experience working across the Asia-Pacific region with government agencies, infrastructure owners, and Fortune 500 organisations, and is known for his pragmatic leadership and ability to operate effectively in environments characterised by scale and uncertainty.
Paul Gleeson
Managing Director, Energy at Aurecon