WA SEA Management Committee

Chair: Bob Blakiston, Managing Director, SunPower Corporation Australia

Vice Chair: Greg Denton, Director of Power, Infrastructure and Environment, WorleyParsons

Secretary: Kelli Friar, Manager Strategy Implementation & Integration, Horizon Power

Treasurer: Harry Porrins, Director, Red Cat Marketing Services

Member: Glen Head, Director, HAC Consulting

Member: Matthew Bowen, Partner, Jackson MacDonald

Member: Sean Webb, Business Manager, Geothermal Centre of Excellence, The University of Western Australia

Member: Andrew Disney, Associate, Steinepreis Paganin

Chair: Bob Blakiston (SunPower Corporation Australia) - 

Bob is Managing Director for SunPower Corporation Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian operation of the Nasdaq listed company SunPower Corporation (SPWRA), a manufacturer of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels and solar systems. SunPower acquisition of Solar Sales Pty Ltd on 23rd July 2008 followed a 3 year relationship with Solar Sales as Australasian distributor of SunPower solar panels. Prior to the acquisition, Bob was General Manager and then inaugural Chief Executive of Solar Sales, a post created by the Solar Sales Board to restructure, refinance, and implement corporate governance for an impending IPO float. In 2007, Bob was a member of the Photovoltaic (PV) Working Group commissioned by the then Minister for Energy in response to requests by WA SEA; the PV Working Group, under the auspices of the Sustainable Energy Development Office, examined barriers to the uptake of these grid connected PV systems.

Between 1997- 2005, Bob was General Manager WA ,Post Data , direct mail marketing, bulk mailing production facility processing electronic transactions and paper based essential mail. Previous positions were posts in the beverage distribution business with Johnson Harper, a division of Swan Brewery (a Lion Nathan company) including seven years as General Manager. Bob's early career included 15 years in credit management, in which time served both as State and National President of the Australian Institute of Credit Management Australia, and he remains a life member (awarded 1996) of that Association.

Bob has been WA SEA Chair since 2008. 

Vice Chair: Greg Denton (WorleyParsons) -
Greg Denton manages Worley Parsons Power business in Western Australia, being responsible for a team of project and engineering specialists focused on delivering efficient energy solutions.

Prior to this Greg was General Manager of Trading and Sustainable Energy for Verve Energy, overseeing Verve Energy's participation in the Wholesale Electricity Market and the establishment of its trading activities. He has had a decade of experience in the electricity and gas industries in a variety of consulting, trading and strategy roles, both here and in North America. Highlights include being responsible for implementing the break-up of Western Power, a short stint at Enron, and being involved in the privatisation of South Australia's power industry.

Greg's first career was as a financial planner in New Zealand. He is a Director of three private companies.

Greg has an MBA, and degrees in economics, politics and finance. He is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Greg has been WA SEA Vice Chair since 2008.  

Treasurer: Harry Porrins (Individual) -

Harry has practical experience in working in Associations. He assisted in setting up the Skylight Industry Association Inc (SIAI) and was its founding Chairman. The SIAI is a national Association and he remained as Chairman for a period of four years. Though no longer working in the skylight industry he remains an Associate member and still assist in technical matters when requested.

A long standing member of the WA SEA Board, Harry has been WA SEA Treasurer since 2008.  

Secretary: Kelli Friar (Horizon Power) -

Kelli is Manager Strategy Implementation & Integration at Horizon Power, a WA Government trading entity delivering power solutions to regional WA. Kelli has been working with the executive team at Horizon in the development and implementation of corporate strategies and business decision processes.

Kelli is also chair of Horizon's corporate environmental management committee responsible for setting environmental policies, strategic direction, developing responses to compliance obligations and developing environmental awareness programs and sustainable practices for the employees through to the customer.

Prior to this Kelli worked for BP Australia spanning a number of roles including process engineering, operations, procurement, business development, change management, compliance and leadership roles. Kelli was project manager at the refinery in delivering the first round of cleaner fuels for WA in 2000. Kelli was inspired by the clean fuels revolution where the environment, community and shareholders can all benefit.

Kelli, who holds a BcS in Chemical Engineering, has also been involved in biofuels feasibility strategies for BP. 

Kelli has been WA SEA Secretary since 2009.   

Member: Glen Head (HAC Consulting) -
Glen has developed a significant array of skills as Director of a small Management Consulting firm and has a BSc in Sustainable Development. These include risk management, project management, forecasting and concise report writing. Glen was a Senior Advisor to a Western Australian State Government Minister and was also Director of the Perth Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Trial & Transport Sustainability. These roles have given Glen an intimate understanding of the workings of Government particularly in relation to greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability.

As a Director in the Perth office of HAC Consulting, Glen leads HAC's Western Australian Policy practice, providing high level advice on greenhouse gas emissions, carbon trading and energy efficiency, to government and corporate clients.

Glen is on the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI WA) Climate Change Committee and regularly addresses industry groups and peak bodies on emissions trading, greenhouse gas abatement and energy efficiency.

Glen has been a WA SEA Board Member since 2008. 

Member: Matthew Bowen (Individual) -
Matthew is partner at Jackson McDonald and practises in commercial law with particular emphasis on energy law, competition policy, open access (third party access) and trade practices law.

Matthew has assisted the WA Government in a wide range of legislative reforms in the energy industry from 1994 to the present, including the development of several statutory open access regimes for gas and electricity infrastructure, the gas trading and distribution licensing regime, the 2003 gas industry reforms (introduction of Full Retail Contestability and related amendments) and the 2004 and 2006 electricity industry reforms. He also assisted government and industry in the preparation of the gas retail market rules for WA and South Australia.

Matthew has advised a range of other private and public sector clients on energy contracting, including buying, transporting and selling gas and electricity. He advises clients on legal aspects of a wide range of other agreements and contracts and in relation to third party access to gas pipelines, electricity networks, resource development infrastructure, telecommunication facilities, railways, harbours and water pipelines and regarding competition law and policy generally.

Matthew has been a WA SEA Board Member since 2009.   

Member: Sean Webb (Geothermal Centre of Excellence - University of WA) -

Sean is the business manager and a board member of the Western Australian Geothermal Centre of Excellence. The centre was established in early 2008 (launched in 2009) by the state Department of Commerce to lead world class research and foster geothermal initiatives in WA. The centre is a collaboration between the University of Western Australia, CSIRO and Curtin University.

Before moving to Australia Sean worked in both the finance and the aircraft leasing and operations industries where he gained 15 years of experience, including working directly for the founder of largest commercial aircraft leasing company in the world (Dr Tony Ryan & GPA).

Besides his commercial experience, he holds a BBS(Hons) degree, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Fellowship from the Financial Services Institute of Australia and is a prize winning MBA graduate from UWA.
Sean's previous board experience includes positions on a number of not for profit organisations and a two-year position as chair of a National Sporting Association in Ireland.

Sean has been a WA SEA Board Member since 2009.   

Member: Andrew Disney (Individual member) -
Andrew is a corporate lawyer at Steinepreis Paganin with a focus on energy and resources and a growing practice in sustainable business. He is the immediate past president of the National Environmental Law Association (WA) and joined the WASEA board in 2008.

Andrew has been a WA SEA Board Member since 2008.