New appointments to the CEFC board

The Turnbull government has announced several appointments to the board of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), with the new board members said to bring a range of important skills and expertise to the board due to their experience in energy, finance and investment, innovation, corporate risk and governance.

Steven Skala AO will serve as the new chair of the CEFC. Skala has a long career of service including on the boards of private, not-for-profit and government organisations. He is vice chairman, Australia of Deutsche Bank AG and a former leading corporate lawyer. He is also a former director of the ABC and chair of Film Australia.

Leeanne Bond, Samantha Tough and Nicola Wakefield Evans will meanwhile join the board as members, strengthening the gender balance of the board and enhancing its geographical representation.

Bond is one of Australia’s leading engineers and has extensive experience in the water and energy sectors in Queensland and the Northern Territory. She currently serves on the board of Snowy Hydro and is deputy chair of the board of Territory Generation.

Tough has had a distinguished and varied career in the energy and resources industries in Western Australia. She serves on the boards of Synergy and Saracen Holdings, amongst other boards.

Wakefield Evans is one of Australia’s leading corporate and commercial lawyers. She was a partner at King & Wood Mallesons and its predecessors for more than 20 years and now serves on the boards of Macquarie Group, BUPA Australia and Lendlease Corporation.

The government proposes to make an additional appointment to fill a final vacancy on the board in the coming months.

“These new appointees bring an enormous level of experience and skill to the CEFC,” said CEFC CEO Ian Learmonth. “We look forward to working with the new board in the future, alongside our continuing board members, Mr Martijn Wilder and Mr Paul Binsted.”

Learmonth joined the government in thanking departing chair Jillian Broadbent AO, as well as members Ian Moore, Anna Skarbek and Andrew Stock, for their outstanding service on the board, particularly through the establishment phase of the CEFC.

“The CEFC has benefited enormously from their commitment, passion and expertise since we began investing, and they leave an enduring legacy for the CEFC and the Australian clean energy sector,” said Learmoth.

“With the support of our founding board, the CEFC has consistently delivered on our mission to increase investment into clean energy in Australia.

“CEFC investment commitments since inception have now contributed to clean energy projects valued at $11 billion.”