Dr Lareen Newman
University of South Australia
Dr Lareen Newman is a Senior Research Fellow investigating the impact of digital technologies and the digital divide on wellbeing in Australia. Her qualitative research with people from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds which shows that affordability is one of a number of barriers to Internet use and mobile phone use.
Her work with young people with disabilities also shows that the affordability of disability-assistive technologies can be a barrier for that group. She is now expanding this research to investigate the knock-on effects for eHealth access in rural Australia.
Lareen shares digital divide research and news on Twitter @LareenNewman
Robert Morgan
Yara Valley Water
Robert Morgan, Team Leader - Customer Support Team at Yarra Valley Water has over 6 years’ experience working in the hardship team. Working in an organization that is recognized as an industry leader in the field of hardship and vulnerability strategies to support customers, with strong relationships across corporate, government and the community sector. Robert is responsible for operations and program implementation for customers experiencing hardship and vulnerability.
Karen Hucks
Kildonan UnitingCare
Karen Hucks has worked as a Training and Development Consultant in Kildonan UnitingCare’s Enterprise Partnerships and Development team for nine years. The team has a strong reputation in the finance, utilities, and government sectors across Australia and internationally, helping businesses interact successfully with vulnerable customers. Karen trains in hardship awareness, respectful communication, resilience, dealing with difficult situations such as suicide and domestic violence, energy efficiency, governance, literacy and community capacity. Her work includes review of organisations’ processes and systems, design and delivery of appropriate training and follow-up mentoring and coaching. Prior to Kildonan, Karen worked extensively in adult education and career counselling with indigenous facilities and in several community learning centres. She has also managed health and nutrition projects for tertiary institutions and local councils.
Karen has Masters qualifications in organisational leadership and professional education and training and has completed post graduate studies in health and applied science and career counselling. She is trained in financial counselling and adult literacy and numeracy delivery
Kerry Rowlands
SA Water
Kerry has more than 20 years of business experience holding senior commercial, customer interfacing positions within organisations such as Kimberly Clark Australia and Faulding Pharmaceutical before joining SA Water in 2004. Kerry is committed to customer service excellence and driving a customer focused organisation.
Kerry is currently on the Energy & Water Ombudsman SA Board, is part of the Allwater Alliance Leadership Team and is the chair of the Water Services Association of Australia’s Customers and Community Network.
Briar Hall
Energy Australia
As Leader of Customer Vulnerability and Recovery at EnergyAustralia, Briar Hall is responsible for the EnergyAssist (hardship) program and Customer Resolutions (complaints) area. Joining the organisation in 2013, Briar has transformed both departments by delivering sustainable customer support programs and driving positive customer experience through continuous businessimprovement, community engagement and a high performance culture.
Initiatives including appliance swaps, payment matching and unrecoverable debt waivers have been implemented during Briar’s time at EnergyAustralia resulting in greater support for our most vulnerable customers. Additionally, the introduction of an internal complaints channel and a focus on root cause analysis has resulted in complaints being identified and remediated faster for EnergyAustralia customers.
Prior to joining EnergyAustralia, Briar spent 10 years in the banking industry leading teams that delivered strategic and operational change projects globally in the areas of in Human Resources, Property and Shared Services.
Briar is highly committed to supporting vulnerable customers and providing effective and alternate dispute resolution channels
Jo De Silva
South Australian Council of Social
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ervice
Ms Jo De Silva is a member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s Consumer Challenge Panel and a Senior Policy Officer responsible for energy and water policy at the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS). Jo is also Convenor of the National Consumer Roundtable on Energy and a member of the Energy Consumers Australia Reference Committee. Since commencing these roles, Jo has contributed to a significant number of policy, legislative and regulatory processes.
Jo’s previous experience and her current roles have provided her with good links to a number of consumer organisations, the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, AER, AEMC, AEMO, government departments, Members of Parliament and their staff. Jo’s previous work experience includes Economics and Social Justice Adviser to Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown.
Gavin Dufty
St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria
Gavin currently works for the St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria (Vinnies) managing the policy and research unit. His work focuses on undertaking research and policy evaluation on issues affecting households. Gavin has a particular interest and expertise in domestic utility costs and associated concessions.
The work Gavin undertakes is informed by the day to day experiences of the activities of members and volunteers of the Vinnies.
Gavin is a member of a number of Industry and Government consultative and working groups including, The Victorian Government Ministerial Advisory Committee on Smart Meters; Consumer Affairs - Working Together Advisory Committee; Citipower / Powercor Customer Consultative Committee ; Australian Energy Regulator - Customer Consultative Committee; Australian Energy Market Operator - Energy Market Leaders Forum and AGL Energy - Customer committee.
Gavin was awarded a Centennial Medal in 2001 for Services to the Community.
Una Lawrence
Australian Communications Consumer Action Network
Una Lawrence joined ACCAN in June 2012 in the role of Director of Policy. Una is responsible for managing the policy team at ACCAN, and has background knowledge of self-regulation and complaints handling in telecommunications as the former arbitrator with the Telephone Information Services Standards Council. Una represents ACCAN on the ACCC Consumer Consultative Committee, the TIO Financial Hardship Roundtable Steering Group, and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) Consumer Privacy Network. Una has an honours degree in Philosophy from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and has studied social work and law at the University of Sydney.
The ACCAN policy team works with ACCAN members to develop law reform and policy proposals, using an evidence-based approach to advance the interests of communications consumers. The team engages with industry and government stakeholders, and contributes to ACCAN’s consumer information to enable consumers to make informed choices in a complex market
Dr Greg Ogle
South Australian Council of Social Service
Greg Ogle has worked as Senior Policy and Research Analyst at SACOSS since 2010 and is responsible for the research and writing of SACOSS’ quarterly Cost of Living Updates, which focus on vulnerable and disadvantaged South Australians.
This year, Greg co-authored SACOSS’ major research report on telecommunications affordability for low income Australians. The research was funded by the Australian Communications Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) and Greg spoke at their national conference in September.
Greg has a PhD in political economy from The University of Adelaide and has worked in campaign and advocacy roles in community organisations for 25 years
Sandy Canale
Energy and Water Ombudsman, SA
Sandy is the Energy and Water Ombudsman SA, having been appointed to the position in December 2007. He has extensive general management in a number of large service organisations and experience in a number of disciplines including customer services, corporate affairs and change management.
A significant portion of his career has involved responsibility for the delivery and improvement of customer facing services, customer assistance programs and the resolution of customer related matters.
Sandy is a former Director of the Energy Industry Ombudsman Scheme in SA and has also served as a Director on the Boards of the Energy and Water Ombudsman Schemes of Victoria and NSW. He is currently the Chair of the Centres Advisory Committee for St Vincent de Paul Society SA.
He holds tertiary qualifications in property and business management.
Judi Jones
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
Judi Jones was appointed Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in March 2016.
She has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, management and the law; and holds a law degree and Master of Business Studies with Distinction, in dispute resolution.
Judi is Chair of Australia and New Zealand Ombudsman Association (ANZOA) and was Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner in New Zealand from 2002 to 2016.
In New Zealand she has also been a member of the Security and Reliability Council for the electricity industry, Chair of the Advertising Standards Complaints Appeal Board, Chair of the Consumers' Institute and served on the electricity industry's Grid Security Committee.
Lauren Solomon
AGL Energy
Lauren is the Manager of Retail & Social Policy at AGL and works on policy and program development relating to energy affordability, energy efficiency and broader consumer market development. Lauren also leads AGL’s community engagement for the Retail Energy business and manages AGL’s Customer Council.
Prior to joining AGL, Lauren worked on policy & advocacy for the Clean Energy Council in the areas of energy efficiency and emerging technologies and has worked in a range of policy advisory roles across the NSW Government. Lauren holds an honours degree in Resource Economics from the University of Sydney.
Andrea Linsenmeier
Origin Energy
A qualified accountant with further tertiary qualifications in management and human resources, Andrea Linsenmeier currently leads Origin’s Customer Advocacy teams and administers the Power On program. In addition, Andrea chairs one of the Energy Affordability working group through the Energy Retailer’s Association of Australia.
With 15 years’ experience in the utilities industry, she has held various roles managing international outsourced providers, reporting and analytics functions as well as transformation and integration projects. On a personal note, Andrea is a soccer fanatic and is Chairperson of the Para Hills Knights club in the National Premier Leagues.
Bob Weymouth
Bob concluded his career in the public sector contributing to the management of the enforcement activities of the ACCC in Adelaide, Melbourne and nationally. Bob continued his commitment to consumers as inaugural Chair of the SA Consumer Law Consultative Forum for 4 years. Bob’s interest in the energy sector continued as member of the Consumer Advocacy Panel until it’s demise. Bob is a regular participant as a facilitator with a special interest in consumer issues in the energy sector.
Robert Morsillo
Telstra
Robert Morsillo is a Senior Advisor, Digital Inclusion, in Telstra’s Chief Sustainability Office. He has been working as a consumer affairs practitioner at Telstra since 1995 and is particularly interested in the role of technology in encouraging a sense of connectedness, and in promoting social innovation within the telecommunications industry.
Prior to that he was involved for many years in financial counselling and community legal services. He volunteers as an adjunct Associate Professor in media and communications at Swinburne University of Technology, as a council member of the University of Divinity and as a Director of Infoxchange Australia Ltd.
Adam Wilson
ESCOSA
Adam Wilson was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Commission in August 2014 and has served in the South Australian public sector for nearly 20 years in a range of consumer protection and regulatory roles.
Mr Wilson has been employed by the Commission since 2002. During that time he has been responsible for managing regulatory roles across a range of the Commission’s functions – including consumer protection codes, industry licensing and compliance, community engagement, service and reliability standards and public reporting.
Prior to his appointment at the Commission, Mr Wilson held senior positions in the regulatory development and reform area, including with the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs.
Paula Conboy
Australian Energy Regulator
On 21 July 2014, Ms Paula Conboy was appointed as the full time state/territory member and AER Chair for a five year period from 1 October 2014.
Paula has over 20 years’ experience in public utility regulation in Australia and Canada. Most recently she was a full time member of the Ontario Energy Board in Canada from March 2010.
Paula holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Guelph and conducted her thesis research at LaTrobe University.
Ross Womersley
South Australian Council of Social
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ervice
Ross Womersley has had a long involvement in both the community services and disability sector. Ross joined the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) as its CEO several years ago after more than 25 years working as CE of Community Living Project Inc – an innovative community organisation in the south of Adelaide, providing highly personalised support to people who have a disability to enable them to develop good lives in their local community.
His role with SACOSS has allowed him to deepen and extend his understanding of many of the issues he has always been passionate about as he works to assist SACOSS fulfil its aspirational vision - that there is justice, opportunity and shared wealth for all South Australians.
Ross remains passionate about ensuring we live in a community in which everyone is included and able to access the good things in life.