Our team

Shareholders

We are a Queensland Government-owned corporation.

We have two shareholding Ministers

The Hon. Cameron Dick MP – Treasurer and Minister for Investment
The Hon. Michael (Mick) de Brenni – Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement

Board of Directors

Our directors have considerable Board level experience. Together, they have a unique and diverse set of skills and knowledge which they use to guide the business. Our Board operates in a manner that creates value for our shareholders, customers, partners, local communities and our people.

Paul Binsted

BEc, LLB
Independent Non-executive Chair and Director

Mr Binsted was appointed a director and Chair of Stanwell on 7 May 2020 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Management, and People and Safety committees.

Mr Binsted has had an extensive career in corporate finance and has an interest in macro and micro economics. From 1982 to 2007, he held senior positions at Lloyds Corporate Advisory Services, Schroders, Salomon Smith Barney (now Citigroup) and was the Managing Director and Joint CEO of Lazard.

Mr Binsted has held directorship positions across the energy, renewables, sea ports, mining and rail sectors, including Director of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Chair of its Audit Committee; Council Member of the Australian National Maritime Museum and Chair of its Audit Committee; Chair of Sydney Ports Corporation and the State Rail Authority of NSW; and Deputy Chair of Donaldson Coal Holdings Limited and Paringa Mining and Exploration Company PLC.

He was also a member of the Financial Sector Advisory Council which provided advice to the Government on policies to facilitate the growth of a strong and competitive financial sector; and was a Chief Adviser to the Australian Federal Treasury.

Mr Binsted is a member of the Economics Society of Australia and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Adam Aspinall

B.ENG (Mech), MIEAust, GAICD
Non-independent Non-executive Director

Mr Aspinall was appointed a director of Stanwell on 15 November 2016.

Mr Aspinall is a mechanical engineer with more than 40 years’ experience in the electricity and energy industries and was a leading advisor in the power industry, having consulted globally to the private and government sectors on power generation projects and issues.

His expertise includes electricity and gas infrastructure development, generation and transmission procurement, electricity trading and regulatory compliance.

Mr Aspinall was regularly engaged to assist in international mergers and acquisitions activities, as well as international arbitrations in the role of Independent Expert.

He began his career working for the Queensland Electricity Commission in 1981 and was employed by the generation sector in Queensland for over 24 years, prior to becoming a consultant.

He has previously been the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Stanwell, a non-executive director on the Board of Ergon Energy and Chairman of SPARQ Solutions.

Jacqueline King

LLB (Honours) First Class Honours, MBA, WHS, TDD, GAICD
Independent Non-executive Director

Ms King was appointed a director of Stanwell on 1 October 2015 and is Chair of the People and Safety Committee.

Ms King has worked across the energy, power and construction sectors of industry for over twenty years, with an extensive background in industrial relations, work health and safety, and skills and training. She is currently the Assistant General Secretary of the Queensland Council of Unions with specific responsibility for work health and safety matters.

Ms King is also a Director of Mind Blank, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and the risk of suicide in schools, workplaces and the community.

Marianna O’Gorman

LLB (Hon), MClimChange, GAICD, GAIST, GDLP
Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms O’Gorman was appointed a director of Stanwell on 1 October 2021 and is a member of the People and Safety committee. Ms O’Gorman brings governance expertise in the areas of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG), clean energy technology and public policy.

Her career includes time with the Australian Government in Canberra, at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and at the World Bank in Washington. She has worked on national climate change policy and been involved in many governmental and international climate change negotiations. She has also undertaken research on decarbonisation as a Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Climate and Energy Policy.

Ms O’Gorman mentors founders of early-stage clean technology with Energylab. She is a recipient of the AICD Regional Leaders Scholarship, the Ross Garnaut Prize and the Chief Executive Women Sustainability Scholarship. Ms O’Gorman serves on the board of the McKell Institute in Queensland and on the Chief Executive Women Policy and Advocacy Committee in Queensland.

Karen Smith-Pomeroy

FIPA, SFFin, GIA(Cert), GAICD
Independent Non-executive Director

Ms Smith-Pomeroy was appointed a director of Stanwell on 1 October 2015 and is Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and a member of the People and Safety Committee.

Ms Smith-Pomeroy has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial services sector and was most recently a senior executive with Suncorp Group, including a period as Chief Risk Officer of Suncorp Bank.

She has a specialty in risk management and governance, and detailed experience across a number of industry sectors.

Ms Smith-Pomeroy is currently Chair of Regional Investment Corporation and National Affordable Housing Consortium Limited, and a non-executive director of Queensland Treasury Corporation and Kina Securities Limited (ASX:KSL)

In addition, Ms Smith-Pomeroy is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of South Bank Corporation and an independent audit committee member of the Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.

The Hon. Wayne Swan

BA Hons
Independent Non-executive Director

Mr Swan was appointed a non-executive director of Stanwell on 12 December 2019.

Mr Swan enjoyed a lengthy career in Australian Federal politics, serving as Treasurer of Australia from 2007 to 2013 and Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2013.

Mr Swan was awarded Euromoney Finance Minister of the Year in 2011 for his ‘careful stewardship of Australia’s finances and economic performance’ during the global financial crisis. He was only the second Australian to receive this accolade and the first for almost 30 years.

During his parliamentary career, Mr Swan was committed to tackling climate change by supporting innovation in clean and renewable energy and creating economic incentives for businesses to invest in low and zero emissions technology, leading to new economic opportunities for workers, as the economy transitions to a clean energy future.

He is the author of Postcode: The Splintering of a Nation (2005) and The Good Fight: Six Years, Two Prime Ministers and Staring Down the Great Recession (2014).

Mr Swan is currently the Chair of Diatreme Resources (ASX:DRX), Chair of Cbus Super, a Director of Industry Super Australia, Trustee Member of IFM Advisory Shareholder Board, Director of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, Commissioner on the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation and President of the Australian Labor Party.

He is the author of Postcode: The Splintering of a Nation (2005) and The Good Fight: Six Years, Two Prime Ministers and
Staring Down the Great Recession (2014).

More recently, Mr Swan has co-authored the Report of the Commission on Inclusive Prosperity, commissioned by the Centere for
American Progress and authored a paper on Financing Sustainable Development – What can we learn from the Australian
experience of reform? for the United Nations Social and Economic Commission in the Asia Pacific (UN-ESCAP).

He is also a Commissioner on the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation and President of
the Australian Labor Party.

Executive Leadership Team

We’re led by a team of passionate professionals. They have extensive experience in Australia and overseas, specialising in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Our Executive Leadership Team exhibit Stanwell’s values – we care, we adapt, we deliver – in their leadership style. Our Executive Leadership team – like all our people – are guided by our values in their everyday actions and decision making.

Michael O'Rourke

LLB, BCom, GDip AppFin, GDip CSA
Chief Executive Officer

Mr Michael O’Rourke has more than 25 years’ experience as a senior leader in the energy industry. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Stanwell Corporation in November 2021.

Mr O’Rourke joined Stanwell in 1998 and has held several executive roles in the business, including Chief Financial Officer, where he was responsible for overseeing the financial services, legal, procurement and insurance portfolios. Prior to this, Mr O’Rourke held Executive General Manager roles in the Trading, Strategy and Corporate Services functions, and as General Counsel.

As Chief Executive Officer, Mr O’Rourke leads the Stanwell team to use its existing portfolio to play a key role in maintaining the security and stability of electricity supply, while transitioning to a cleaner energy future.

Having been closely involved in the planning and development of renewable and energy storage assets, Michael has a deep understanding of the energy industry, combined with a strong commercial and safety focus.

Mr O’Rourke holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. He also holds post graduate qualifications in leadership, governance and finance.

Catherine Cook

BBus (ProfAcc), MCommLaw, CPA
Chief Financial Officer

Ms Cook joined Stanwell in August 2022 and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer.

As Chief Financial Officer, Catherine leads the corporate finance function for Stanwell. This includes group finance and insurance; tax, treasury and settlements; procurement and supply; quantitative risk and analytics; internal audit; financial strategy, joint ventures and portfolio investments.

Prior to Stanwell, Catherine was Deputy Chief Financial Officer at Thiess, a global mining services provider. Catherine’s an experienced and inclusive leader and is known for partnering with operational and functional leaders to develop and execute strategic business outcomes.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Business (Professional Accounting), Masters of Commercial Law and is a Certified Practicing Accountant.

Sophie Naughton

BA/LLB, GDipEd, GAICD
Executive General Manager Energy Markets

From February 2021, Ms Naughton has held the role of Stanwell’s Executive General Manager Energy Markets. In this role, Ms Naughton is responsible for Stanwell’s trading and market interfaces, Stanwell Energy’s retailing to C&I customers, and the regulation strategy, analytics and modelling functions.

In December 2019, Ms Naughton was appointed Executive General Manager Business Services. As Executive General Manager Business Services, Ms Naughton was responsible for Stanwell’s business strategy development, community and stakeholder engagement, information and business systems, human resources management and organisational development.

Since joining Stanwell in 2011, Ms Naughton has held management roles across human resources and industrial relations and completed a teaching degree.

Ms Naughton holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. Prior to joining Stanwell, she worked as a lawyer, then in human resources leadership roles across a range of industries and in both the public and private sector.

James Oliver

MBA, BE (Mech) Hons 1, MIEAust, CPEng, NER, RPEQ, IntPE (Aus), GAICD
Chief Operating Officer

Mr Oliver was appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer in May 2019. He is an experienced senior business manager, with strong project management experience, and a Master of Business Administration, focusing on organisational leadership.

In his role as Chief Operating Officer, he oversees Stanwell’s operations and provides leadership and direction for both the Operations Leadership Team and wider business. Mr Oliver’s responsibilities also include delivering asset strategies, policies, systems and operational risk management controls to facilitate the achievement of Stanwell’s short and long-term business objectives.

Mr Oliver joined Stanwell in 2003 and has held a number of operational roles throughout the business, including General Manager Operational Excellence, Stanwell Power Station Site Manager, Stanwell Power Station Production Manager and Stanwell Power Station Engineering Manager.

Steve Quilter

BEng(Mech),MBA
Executive General Manager Growth and Future Energy

Mr Quilter was appointed Executive General Manager Growth and Future Energy at Stanwell in December 2021. Prior to this he held the role of Executive General Manager Energy trading and Commercial Strategy.

Mr Quilter joined Stanwell in February 2012 as Swanbank Power Station Manager and was appointed General Manager of Stanwell’s gas and hydro generation portfolio in May 2013.

In a career spanning more than 20 years in the energy industry both in Queensland and New South Wales, Mr Quilter has worked in various operational roles including senior engineering and management positions.

In his current role, he is responsible for the origination and oversight of the growth of Stanwell’s diversified generation portfolio and the development of Queensland’s premier renewable hydrogen export project.

From January 2022, for a period of eight months, Mr Quilter was seconded to the Queensland Dept of Energy and Public Works to work on the development of the Queensland Energy Plan and Infrastructure Blueprint.

Glenn Smith

ADip Business Management
Executive General Manager Business Services

Mr Smith joined Stanwell as General Manager People and Culture in early 2020 and was appointed Executive General Manager in February 2021.

As Executive General Manager Business Services, Mr Smith is responsible for Stanwell’s business strategy development, community and stakeholder engagement, information and business systems, Human Resources management and organisational development.

Mr Smith is an experienced executive in human resources, employee relations and external affairs. His industry experience is broad, covering both publicly listed, private companies and the public sector across a range of industries in the resources, contracting, manufacturing, service and utilities sectors.