Speakers
The Speakers and Facilitators who will be presenting at the Energy & Minerals Tax Conference 2025 are listed below in alphabetical order, by surname.
Louise Andolfatto
Assistant Commissioner, OECD Programs, Treaties and Advice
Australian Taxation Office
Session: 2A. Pillar 2 and domestic minimum tax
Louise Andolfatto is Assistant Commissioner in the OECD Programs, Treaties and Advice branch of the International Support and Programs business line since July 2023. Her branch is responsible for the ATO implementation of OECD related programs or work, including Pillar Two. She also has oversight of the Treaties Consultation Unit which supports the Government’s tax treaty program and provides specialistRead More...
Johnny-Ray Arias
Tax Manager
Woodside Energy
Session: 1B. Petroleum Resource Rent Tax
Johnny-Ray has over 15 years of experience in corporate taxation, having worked across a range of roles within the Woodside Tax group. Currently Tax Manager for Woodside’s Australian operations and specialising in Corporate Income Tax and Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT), his team provides tax advisory and manages tax compliance arrangements for complex upstream projects in Australia. In his role Read More...
Jane Ballard
Partner, Projects, Energy and Infrastructure
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Session: 4B. Decommissioning and Closure matters
Jane is a partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure team at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. Jane advises clients on transactions and projects in the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors, including upstream oil and gas exploration and production, midstream processing, renewables, new energy and decarbonisation (including decommissioning and CCS) and mining. Within those sectors, sheRead More...
During her time working as an oil and gas lawyer in London, Jane developed a professional interest in decommissioning regulation. As the decommissioning regime in offshore Australia bears similarities to the UK system, Jane has continued that professional interest in her Australian practice and regularly advises clients in Australia on matters relating to decommissioning regulation.
Jason Barnes
Special Counsel
King & Wood Mallesons
Session: 2B: Tax incentives – resources and low emissions
Jason Barnes is a Special Counsel at King & Wood Mallesons. He specialises in income tax, with a particular focus on environmental taxes, the tax aspects associated with renewable energy and decarbonisation projects (such as carbon capture and storage and Australian Carbon Credit Unit generation) and international tax. His practice extends to GST, petroleum resource rent tax, payroll tax, Read More...Jason has consulted with the ATO, Treasury and other tax bodies on several key measures impacting business in Australia, including Future Made in Australia critical minerals and hydrogen production tax incentives. He has a keen interest in tax policy, particularly in how the tax system can help Australia to meet its net zero commitment.
Jack Bisset
Climate Implementation Lead
Australian Accounting Standards Board
Session: 3B. Climate-related financial disclosures
Jack is Climate Implementation Lead at the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB). Jack’s focus is on engaging with Australian preparers and users to build capacity for the implementation of Australia’s climate-related financial disclosure standard and to understand shared challenges. Prior to joining the AASB, Jack was involved with writing the New Zealand Climate Standards at the External Reporting BoardRead More...
Marisa Brennan
Accounting Policy Project Executive – Sustainability & Climate Reporting
ExxonMobil
Session: 3B. Climate-related financial disclosures
Marisa A. Brennan is a finance executive at ExxonMobil, with over 25 years of international experience spanning accounting policy, financial operations, and mergers and acquisitions. Currently based in Australia after nearly two decades abroad, Marisa leads the implementation of sustainability and climate-related financial disclosures for IFRS and AASB reporters across ExxonMobil’s global operations.Read More...
Marisa is recognised for her deep technical expertise in US GAAP, IFRS, and corporate reporting frameworks, as well as her strategic insight into regulatory change and financial governance. Her collaborative leadership style and commitment to excellence have made her a trusted advisor and leader within ExxonMobil.
Beyond her professional work, Marisa serves as Vice President of Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria, advocating for inclusive sporting opportunities and greater accessibility in the community.
John Cornick
Partner, QLD Tax Division Leader and Resource Royalties Leader
EY
Session: 1A. State taxes and royalties
John is a Partner at Ernst & Young, specializing in Resource Royalties. With extensive practical experience in advising on and managing Resource Royalty matters across various resources and jurisdictions, both domestically and internationally, John is a recognized expert in the field.Read More...
Before joining EY, John played a pivotal role in developing positions, processes, and reporting protocols for the State/Territory royalty obligations of the QCLNG Project. Since returning to professional services, he has established and leads EY's resource royalties advisory offering in Australia, providing strategic advice to many of Australia’s largest and most respected producers in coal, petroleum, and rare earth minerals.
John has also worked with national and international governments and local industry bodies as a technical expert, offering insights on royalty policy design and implementation. His exposure to multiple royalty regimes, coupled with his industry experience, provides him with unique perspectives on royalty policy and its administration.
Andrew Cornish
Vice President Tax Minerals Australia and APAC
BHP Group
Session: Australian Taxation Office perspective
Andrew Cornish is the Vice President of Tax at BHP Group, responsible for taxes in Minerals Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Andrew is a member of the ATO Large Business Stewardship Group. Andrew is a Chartered Tax Adviser and Chartered Accountant.
Michelle de Niese
Executive Director
Corporate Tax Association
Session: Australia’s economic environment and opportunities for tax reform
Michelle has been the Executive Director of the Corporate Tax Association since January 2015. Prior to taking on the role as Executive Director she was the Assistant Director of the Corporate Tax Association for over nine years.Read More...
Michelle has over 20 years’ experience as an external stakeholder in the development of Australia’s tax policy and law, as well as aspects of tax administration. Michelle served as a member of the National Tax Liaison Group, the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) peak consultative group on taxation matters for over 15 years and was co-chair of the Large Business Stewardship Group for 10 years. She is also an executive committee member of the Australian branch of the International Fiscal Association.
Prior to her time at the Corporate Tax Association Michelle worked at MinterEllison in their Melbourne tax team. Michelle started her career at the Australian Taxation Office, where she worked in the Large Business and International business line and the Tax Counsel Network.
Michelle has a combined Arts Law degree from Monash University. She also holds a Masters in Taxation Law from the University of New South Wales and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Suzie Emery
Assistant Commissioner - Public Groups
Australian Taxation Office
Session: 1B. Petroleum Resource Rent Tax
Suzie Emery is the Assistant Commissioner, Public Groups Engagement & Assurance (Perth) and Oil & Gas strategy and, as part of that portfolio, has responsibility for PRRT strategy and compliance. She has held that role since March 2024. Suzie previously led the Private Equity branch covering a range of strategies impacting the private credit market. She also played a key role in the advisor strategy which Read More...concentrates on the role that intermediaries play in supporting large businesses. Suzie has a range of private practice experience, primarily in controversy and dispute resolution. Since joining the ATO, her focus has been in compliance and assurance programs, aimed at ensuring large businesses pay the right amount of tax in Australia. .
Bill Evans
Former Chief Economist
Westpac Banking Corporation
Sessions: Keynote Address
Australia’s economic environment and opportunities for tax reform
He has worked as a research manager at the Reserve Bank of Australia and Head of Domestic
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Markets at the Commonwealth Bank.
He was director and Head of Capital Markets at Schroder Australia for 8 years prior to being appointed as Chief Economist at Westpac Banking Corporation in 1991.
During that time he served as Chairman of the Australian Business Economists for eight years.
During his time at Westpac he built a wide range of contacts both in Australia and in the major financial centres.
He retired as Chief Economist in October 2023 having established his reputation as a highly regarded economic commentator; forecaster; and analyst.
Jeremy Geale
Partner
MinterEllison
Session: 4A. Division 40
Biography to follow.concentrates on the role that intermediaries play in supporting large businesses. Suzie has a range of private practice experience, primarily in controversy and dispute resolution. Since joining the ATO, her focus has been in compliance and assurance programs, aimed at ensuring large businesses pay the right amount of tax in Australia. .
Eddy Glavas
Acting Chief Financial Officer & Chief Commercial Officer
Amplitude Energy
Session: Accelerating the journey to net zero
B.Acc. FCPA MBA
Eddy joined Amplitude Energy in August 2014 and has more than 20 years of experience in business development, finance, commercial, portfolio management and strategy, including
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18 years in the oil and gas sector.
Prior to joining Amplitude Energy, he was employed by Santos as Manager Corporate Development with responsibility for managing multi-disciplinary teams tasked with mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and divestitures.
Prior roles within Santos included: Finance Manager WA and NT, where Eddy was a member of the leadership team that managed a large asset portfolio; corporate roles in strategy and planning; and operational, commercial and finance roles for Santos’ Cooper Basin assets.
Alfie Grigg
General Manager, Closure Excellence
Rio Tinto
Session: 4B. Decommissioning and Closure matters
Alfie is currently General Manager, Closure Excellence - Rio Tinto, having global accountability for the strategic planning and governance of Rio Tinto’s asset closure activities.
Having joined Rio Tinto in 2007, Alfie has held a range of senior legal, regulatory and commercial Read More...
roles across corporate and operational areas of Rio Tinto.
Alfie is currently a non-executive director of ASX-listed Energy Resources of Australia Limited (ERA), and previously served as a non-executive director on the board of the NYSE and TSE-listed Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ) (through which Rio Tinto held its interest in the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia). Alfie has also held director and chair roles on a number of incorporated and unincorporated joint venture boards.
Alfie holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons), and a Bachelor of Business (Management) from Monash University. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Paul Grimes PSM
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Trade and Investment Commission
Session: Times of turbulence: Increasing geopolitical instability and economic nationalism
Dr Paul Grimes brings diverse public sector experience to his role as the Chief Executive Officer of Austrade, spanning senior appointments across state, territory and federal levels of government.
In addition to previously serving as Secretary of the NSW Department of Treasury, and NSW
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Earlier, Dr Grimes was Associate Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Deputy Secretary (Budget Group) in the Australian Department of Finance. He has also served as Chief Executive of the ACT Department of Treasury and as Deputy Under Treasurer (Deputy Secretary) in the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance. Before joining the South Australian public service, he led the Budget Policy Division in the Australian Treasury.
Dr Grimes is a former Chair of the NSW Net Zero Commission and National Archives of Australia Advisory Council. He has served on numerous boards, most recently as Deputy Chair of the NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp), as a member of the Infrastructure NSW Board, and the Greater Cities Commission.
In 2010, Dr Grimes was awarded the Australian Public Service Medal. He holds PhD and Masters degrees in economics from the Australian National University.
Anfeng He
Managing Associate
Allens
Session: 3A. Debt creation and interest
Anfeng assists taxpayers on a range of corporate tax issues, with a focus on advisory and disputes. In his advisory work, Anfeng helps taxpayers navigate the Australian income tax implications of their transactions and business structures. In his disputes work, Anfeng assists taxpayers with the full ambit of tax disputation. He regularly manages audits, information requests and evidence gathering, Read More...
Ezra Hefter
Partner - R&D and Government Incentives, Tax
EY
Session: 2B. Tax incentives - resources and low emissions
Following studies in Law, Chemistry and Extractive Metallurgy, Ezra Hefter has worked in a range of areas, from research to industry, and for over two decades as a specialist in the R&D Tax & Government Incentives area, focused on the energy, resources and technology sectors. Ezra is a partner at Ernst & Young in Perth, part of a team of around 30 R&D specialists in Perth, and 100 Read More...
It has been an interesting career that has seen him working in scientific research at Murdoch University (in minerals chemistry), UNSW (on photonics), and Oxford University (in psychopharmacology), and as a metallurgist in industry -- all this before trading in the steel caps for a suit, and the test tubes for the tax act at EY. He has never looked back on this decision and enjoys all things R&D Tax, though of course, dinner party conversations are a lot more subdued.
With innovation increasingly driving the next generation of discoveries and developments, Ezra is very conscious of the need to have an applied and scientific-driven approach in relation to his work. Ezra is a member of a number of industry organisations, has worked with government and appeared before Senate Committees in relation to Research and Development policy and support for Innovation in Australia.
When not tinkering with his collection of gadgets, Ezra has a range of interests to distract him including old British cars, Perth Fringe Festival, social justice issues, photography, theatre, travel, and all things BBQ (from cooking to eating!).
Jennifer Hewett
National Affairs Columnist
Australian Financial Review
Sessions: Resting on our laurels? Australia’s international competitivenes
Australia’s economic environment and opportunities for tax reform
Jennifer Hewett is National Affairs Columnist for the Australian Financial Review. She has been a journalist over several decades for a range of publications, typically covering national and international business and politics. She has worked as a foreign correspondent based in New York and Washington. Originally from WA, she divides most of her time between Sydney and Melbourne. She appears regularly on tv and radio.
Janette Hewson
Chief Executive Officer
Queensland Resources Council
Session: 1A. State taxes and royalties
Highly regarded industry leader, Janette Hewson, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Resources Council.
Janette is a born and bred Queenslander with more than 25 years’ experience in resources at a Read More...
Her past positions include Executive Vice President, Environment, Sustainability & Governance at Santos and senior positions with global resources companies South 32 and Peabody Energy.
Janette has served on the Climate Advisory Panel for the Minerals Council of Australia, and the Boards of the Queensland Resources Council, NSW Minerals Council and Low Emissions Technology Australia. She has a Bachelor of Laws degree from Queensland University of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts (Modern Asian Studies with a major in Japanese language) from Griffith University and is a former winner of Queensland’s Exceptional Woman in Resources award.
Janette is married to Scott and they have two sons and a daughter.
The Hon Kevin Hogan MP
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism
Federal Opposition
Sessions: Federal Opposition Address
Times of turbulence: Increasing geopolitical instability and economic nationalism
Born and bred in regional Australia, Kevin and his wife Karen live on a property near Lismore, where they raised their three children.
After completing an economics degree, Kevin spent more than a decade in Sydney building a
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Committed to his community, Kevin was elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 as the Federal Member for Page in northern New South Wales, and was re-elected in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025. He has served as Deputy Speaker and on multiple parliamentary committees, including chairing the Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue from 2016 to 2018.
Kevin was appointed to the Ministry in 2020 as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister and later also served as Assistant Minister for Local Government, roles he held until May 2022. He is currently the Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism and the Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.
Luke Hutchinson
QGC Tax Manager
Shell Australia
Sessions: Tax reporting and tax transparency
1B. Petroleum Resource Rent Tax
Luke Hutchinson, is a Tax Manager for Shell Australia with responsibility for QGC and Shell Energy, who enjoys finding practical and efficient solutions to complex projects and emerging tax issues. He has over 20 years experience across a broad range of corporate and international taxation matters including M&A, dispute resolution, tax governance and transparency, tax reporting and transfer
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Peter Hyman
Manager Taxation
INPEX
Session: 4B. Decommissioning and Closure matters
Peter currently holds the role of Manager Taxation for INPEX, Japan’s largest E&P business, where he leads the Australian tax function. Previously Peter worked for BHP Billiton Group Tax overseeing the Australian Iron Ore, Stainless Steel Materials (Nickel) and Aluminium businesses, and started his career in EY as part of the private client services team.
Janelle Keatley
Senior Tax Manager
South32
Session: 3A. Debt creation and interest
Janelle is the Australian country lead at South32, and manages global tax transparency and reporting. Prior to joining South32, Janelle was a Director at KPMG Perth where she specialised in providing corporate tax advice to multinationals and Australian listed and private groups. Her experience extends to tax structuring, acquisitions and divestments, cross-border issues and mining Read More...
Dr Ross Lambie
Chief Economist
Minerals Council of Australia
Session: Australia’s economic environment and opportunities for tax reform
VPrior to joining the Minerals Council, Ross spent two years as Chief Economist and Director of Economics and Industry Policy at the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has 10 years’ experience as a public sector economist, including in senior positions as Chief Economist at the Department of the Environment and Energy, and as General Manager, Resource and Energy Read More...
Ross began his career in New Zealand’s Financial Markets where he held positions as a trading team manager and Chief Dealer in interest rate securities for almost a decade. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Economics from the Australian National University.
Victoria Lanyon
Partner
Baker McKenzie
Session: 1A. State taxes and royalties
Victoria Lanyon is a Partner advising on all aspects of Australian taxation law for large multinational corporations. Victoria specialises in advising corporates on managing regulatory scrutiny on key tax risks and on the tax implications of major transactions such a mergers and acquisitions. She has a particular focus on private equity, corporate, and resource clients. She also advises on matters Read More...
The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Australian Government
Session: Australian Government Address
The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, and Federal Member for Fenner in the ACT. Prior to being elected in 2010, Andrew was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard, having graduated from the University of Sydney with first class honours in Arts and Law. Read More...
Andrew is the father of three sons - Sebastian, Theodore and Zachary, and lives with his wife Gweneth in Canberra. He has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1991.
Jasmine Leonard
General Manager Asia Pacific Taxation
Rio Tinto
Session: 4A. Division 40
Biography to follow.
Greg Leyden
Australia Cluster Tax Manager
ExxonMobil
Session: 1B. Petroleum Resource Rent Tax
Greg Leyden is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Taxation Institute, and Head of Tax for ExxonMobil Australia with responsibility for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands. He has over 35 years of taxation experience including in the ATO, advisory, and in industry. He has worked with ExxonMobil Australia for over 20 years with a key focus on PRRT.
Amy Lomas
Chief Economist | Partner, Capital Projects & Infrastructure
PwC
Session: Times of turbulence: Increasing geopolitical instability and economic nationalism
As PwC Australia's Chief Economist Amy is the public voice for PwC on economic conditions and issues that matter to Australia's prosperity and the business community. This includes connecting the economic thought from across the global PwC network to bring international economic and geopolitical insights and country-specific expertise to the Australian context. Her goal is to
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She is also an Advisory Partner specialising in heavy infrastructure and capital projects planning for transport, mining and energy; and is particularly passionate about regional infrastructure development. This included dedicating 6 years to the board of Pilbara Ports, where she finished as Deputy Chair in 2024.
Amy worked for ten years in the WA Treasury including as Director of economic and revenue forecasting, leading WAs involvement in the design of the national emissions trading scheme and as an advisor to the Treasurer. She was also an Executive Director at the former WA Department of State Development where she was responsible for a range of state-wide and strategic economic development policies and initiatives.
She lives in Western Australia with her partner and daughters.
Alia Lum
Partner, Tax Policy Lead
KPMG
Session: 2A. Pillar 2 and domestic minimum tax
Alia is a tax partner at KPMG with more than 20 years of experience in corporate and international tax, specializing in BEPS 2.0. She is KPMG Australia’s Tax Policy Lead. Alia has previously undertaken secondments to London, Singapore, the Board of Tax and the Australian Federal Treasury Revenue Group.
Tim Lynch
Partner
MinterEllsion
Session: 4A. Division 40
Tim Lynch, is a tax partner at MinterEllison Consulting, specialising in providing tax advice in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestments, structuring, financing and capital management for Australian and multinational clients across all sectors, but primarily in the resources and renewable sector.
Sid Marris
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Minerals Council of Australia
Sessions: Welcome
Accelerating the journey to net zero
Sid Marris has had an engaging career that has covered journalism, business and politics.
He worked in various reporting and management positions at The Australian newspaper from 1991 until 2008, in Sydney and Melbourne before returning for the newspaper to Canberra.
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In February 2017 he joined the Office of Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull as senior adviser for energy, resources, climate change, heavy industry and Northern Australia.
Late in 2018, he returned to the Minerals Council, working on policy issues such as the future workforce and innovation, state and Territory relationships, as well as advising on strategy. In 2021, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
He serves on the board the Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance – a tripartite body identifying skills gaps and facilitating stronger collaboration between industry and training providers.
Sid has an Executive Master of Business Administration from QUT and an honours degree in Arts from Macquarie University.
Samantha McCulloch
Chief Executive
Australian Energy Producers
Sessions: Welcome
Federal Opposition Address
Times of turbulence: Increasing geopolitical instability and economic nationalism
Closing address
Samantha McCulloch is the Chief Executive of the Australian Energy Producers.
An internationally recognised carbon capture, utilisation and storage expert, Ms McCulloch has a highly informed view of the critical role the oil and gas industry continues to play in meeting global Read More...
Before joining Australian Energy Producers, she spent 7 years at the Paris-based International Energy Agency, including as head of the CCUS Unit.
Ms McCulloch has more than 20 years of policy, industry and technical expertise from previous roles within government, industry associations and the private sector in Australia and internationally.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Wollongong, as well as a Master of Public Policy from the Australian National University.
Karen McWilliams FCA
Sustainability and Business Reform Leader, Advocacy
Chartered Accountants ANZ
Session: 3B. Climate-related financial disclosures
Karen McWilliams is the Sustainability and Business Reform Leader in the Advocacy team at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). She is responsible for shaping and influencing business reform issues of relevance to Chartered Accountants, including insolvency, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, corporations law, climate change and sustainability matters.Read More...
In Australia, Karen chairs the G100 Sustainability sub-committee and represents CA ANZ on the ASX Corporate Governance Council and the Advisory Board of the Deakin Business Value Creation Centre. Globally, Karen represents CA ANZ on the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) Sustainability working group, the Capitals Coalition Advisory Board and the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Accounting Bodies Network. She is also a technical adviser to CA ANZ’s representative on IFAC’s Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group.
Karen is also a non-executive director on the UN Global Compact Network Australia Board and chair of their finance, risk and audit committee and is a member of the Australian Government’s Nature Finance Council.
With over 20 years’ experience in a variety of business and advisory roles, she started her career in the specialist field of audit and has held positions with Worley Parsons, Ernst and Young, and Deloitte in London.
She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Master of Arts in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Jason Medd
Director Offshore and Decommissioning
Australian Energy Producers
Session: 4B. Decommissioning and Closure matters
Jason is responsible for Australian Energy Producers offshore environment, health and safety and decommissioning policy and advocacy. His 26-year career includes senior positions within government petroleum policy and reform, covering unconventional oil and gas exploration and development, geothermal energy, hydrogen, environmental regulation, decommissioning, and stakeholder engagement. His industry Read More...Lily Morton
Lawyer
Gilbert + Tobin
Session: 3B. Climate-related financial disclosures
Lily is a lawyer in Gilbert + Tobin’s Banking + Projects group, specialising in Climate Change and Sustainability. She advises on climate law and finance, including the development of clean energy and sustainability projects, carbon contracts and other environmental product transactions. Lily also assists clients with ESG and corporate governance matters, in particular advising on climate reporting,Read More...
Prior to joining Gilbert + Tobin, Lily was the Associate to the Hon. Justice Preston AO FRSN SC, Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, and Associate to the Hon. Judge W J Neville at the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Australia. Lily holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University (ANU).
Robyn Murphy
Senior Tax Manager
Santos
Sessions: Transfer pricing update
Tax reporting and tax transparency
Robyn Murphy is a Senior Tax Manager at Santos with over 20 years’ experience in the corporate tax profession, in both Big 4 and 8 years at Clough Engineering. Robyn has been at Santos for the past 9 years and has a focus on tax compliance and reporting for the Santos group which now includes BEPS Pillar 2 implementation.
Hamish O'Brien
Manager, Global Tax Advisory
Rio Tinto
Session: 2A. Pillar 2 and domestic minimum tax
Hamish is a Manager in the Global Tax Advisory team at Rio Tinto, where he is responsible for providing strategic tax advice across a wide range of global initiatives. With expertise in international tax policy, Hamish plays a key role in navigating complex regulatory environments and advising on the implications of evolving global tax frameworks, including BEPS 2.0. Hamish also recently
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Jennifer Parker
Vice President Corporate Affairs
Lynas Rare Earths
Session: 2B. Tax incentives - resources and low emissions
Jennifer Parker is Vice President Corporate Affairs, responsible for Lynas Rare Earths’ internal, media and financial communications, community and stakeholder engagement, and ESG impact and reporting.
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Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in management roles in both consulting and in-house environments. Prior to joining Lynas in August 2021, Jennifer was a Director at Cannings Strategic Communications (responsible for Lynas’ outsourced communications from 2018-2021) and previously held roles as Corporate Communications Manager at ASX-listed REA Group, Marketing & Communications Manager at Salvos Legal, and Senior Corporate Communications Manager at digital media joint venture AOL|7.
Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of Sydney and a Master of Arts Communications Management from the University of Technology Sydney.
Samantha Robertson
General Manager of the Critical Minerals Office
Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR)
Session: 2B. Tax incentives - resources and low emissions
Samantha Robertson is a Senior APS Leader known for her achievements across industry, employment, health, aged care, and research. With a focus on public sector reform and policy implementation, she has led multidisciplinary teams, overseen major reforms, and managed programs supporting vulnerable communities. Samantha has delivered new initiatives, managed high-value tenders, and prioritisedRead More...
Prof Alex Robson
Deputy Chair
Productivity Commission
Session: Resting on our laurels? Australia’s international competitiveness
Alex Robson commenced a 5-year term as a full time Commissioner and Deputy Chair of the Productivity Commission in March 2022.
Professor Robson has a broad range of experience in academia and the public and private sectors, Read More...
Prior to that, Professor Robson served as Australia’s Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
He also served as Senior Economic Adviser and Chief Economist to the former Australian Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, and has held a number of other positions, including Managing Director at FTI Consulting; Director at Deloitte Access Economics; Director of the Economic Policy Analysis Program at Griffith University; Lecturer in Economics at the Australian National University; and as a graduate economist at the Commonwealth Treasury in Canberra.
Professor Robson’s teaching and research has been in the fields of advanced microeconomics, game theory, public economics and public choice, law and economics, and macroeconomics.
Professor Robson holds a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) from James Cook University and a Master of Arts and PhD in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, USA. His research has been published in several international journals, including Economic Theory, Public Choice, the Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance, and Economic Modelling. His law and economics book, Law and Markets, was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2012.In addition to his role of Deputy Chair, Professor Robson is also working on the Creating a dynamic and resilient economy and Building a more skilled and adaptable workforce inquiries, and National Competition Policy analysis 2025 study.
Professor Robson leads the Productivity stream of work and co-leads the Industry and Trade stream of work at the PC.
Professor Robson has worked on:
Greg Singh
General Manager - Taxation
Whitehaven Coal
Session: Tax reporting and tax transparency
Greg Singh is the General Manager - Taxation for the Whitehaven Coal Limited group, where he is responsible for the management of the group’s tax compliance, advice, and governance. Greg has over 27 years of full-time experience and was previously a Senior Tax Manager with Anglo American for 13 years, Senior Taxation Adviser with Placer Dome for 2 years, and was with EY in the corporate tax division in Read More...
Dominic Smith
Tax Director - Coal
Glencore Australia Holdings
Session: 2A. Pillar 2 and domestic minimum tax
Biography to follow.
Darren Stevenson
Chief Executive Officer
Senex Energy
Session: Times of turbulence: Increasing geopolitical instability and economic nationalism
Darren has held leadership positions with Senex Energy since 2012, building the company from a small Cooper Basin oil business to a material east coast natural gas producer committed to delivering essential energy for life.Read More...
He is a veteran of Queensland’s natural gas industry, having delivered major capital expansion projects over the past 30 years, and was responsible for commissioning some of the very first connections between Surat Basin gas fields and the South East Queensland market.
Darren is recognised for his proactive leadership in landholder and community engagement. His dedication to regional support, creating youth employment opportunities, and fostering win-win solutions has led to lasting connections and partnerships.
He is passionate about the role that reliable energy plays in supporting Australia’s continued prosperity, including the essential role of natural gas to support the energy transformation.
David Stevenson
Assistant Commissioner Public Groups
Australian Taxation Office
Session: Australian Taxation Office perspective
David Stevenson is an Assistant Commissioner in Public Groups currently leading the ATO’s Energy & Resources Strategy along with the Brisbane based Engagement & Assurance income tax and GST teams. David has over 20 years of experience across various roles in the private sector and ATO.Nick Talintyre
Australian Regional Lead – Finance
Glencore Australia Holdings
Session: Accelerating the journey to net zero
Following eight years at KPMG in the audit and legal practices, Nick joined Xstrata Coal in 2003 in the global finance team based in Sydney. Since 2013 Nick has been the Australian Regional Lead Finance for Glencore’s Australian operations with responsibility for financial, treasury, tax and other corporate functions. This has included extensive involvement in M&A support for various transactions both within Australia and Read More...Ellen Thomas
Partner, Practice Group Leader – Tax
Allens
Session: 3A. Debt creation and interest
BA/LLB (Hons), Law, Masters of Laws (LLM)Ellen Thomas is the Head of Tax at leading international law firm Allens. A prominent tax expert, she has deep experience across the resources, energy and renewables sectors. She specialises in the Read More...
Jacques van Rhyn
IP Advisory, International Tax & Transfer Pricing | Partner
Deloitte Tax Services
Session: Transfer pricing update
Jacques van Rhyn is an international tax and transfer pricing partner, based in Brisbane Australia. He has a focus on energy and resources, IP and EPC/M companies. Jacques has been in professional practice for 37 years, including 27 years in international tax and transfer pricing practices in “Big Four” firms, and 10 years practising as a commercial attorney in an in-house capacity and for his own account.Read More...
Jacques has managed several multijurisdictional cross-border projects for multinational groups, from both a compliance perspective (documentation reports) and a planning perspective (for example, business model optimisation, structuring, and the establishment of group transfer pricing policies, designing transfer pricing policies for major oil and gas capital projects and large mining companies).
Jacques has been listed in Euromoney/Legal Media’s Guide to the World’s Leading Transfer Pricing Advisers in both South Africa and Australia, as well as in the Guide to the World’s Leading Controversy Lawyers. He has published various articles on international tax and transfer pricing, mining and oil and gas, and contributed to various IP publications.
Jacques has led a number of significant transfer pricing cases, audits, MAP cases, and negotiated favourable unilateral and bilateral advance pricing agreements in several jurisdictions. To ensure timely and efficient resolution of disputes for clients, Jacques develops and implements strategies of engagement with revenue authorities to help obtain favourable settlement outcomes in a collaborative manner.
Jacques’ experience includes:
- Global transfer pricing policy design, implementation and operationalisation of policies;
- Global Project leader for Oil Major on CbC, Masterfile and Local File preparation;
- Identification of Intangibles in E&R industry, transfer pricing policy design and tax authority disputes;
- Use of transfer pricing methodologies in managing State Royalty disputes;
- Advise on and design global LNG trading models, advising on pricing policies for trading spot and long-term contracts;
- M&A and business reorganisations, international structuring, the development of transfer pricing strategies, and obtaining rulings for clients in relation to complex technical areas, including Intangibles planning;
- Post-merger integration and alignment of global TP policies, supply chain and pricing;
- Pricing of commodities such as LNG, coal etc., establishment, pricing and defence of trading and marketing operations;
- Advising on shipping structures, pricing, and contractual terms and conditions;
- Resource rent taxes; and
- Attribution of profits to permanent establishments.
Chris Vanderkley
Special Counsel, Tax
PwC
Session: Tax reporting and tax transparency
Chris leads PwC's Tax Transparency and Governance practice. He has assisted more than 300 of the firm's clients in implementing their tax governance framework (with supporting documentation) and supported them with their ATO Top 100 PCR reviews and Top 1000 SAR/CAR reviews. Chris was a member of the Federal Government's Board of Taxation. He has 35 years of experience as a tax professional, and is a chartered accountant and a chartered tax advisor.Adrian Varrasso
Partner, Head of Tax
MinterEllison
Session: 4A. Division 40
Adrian is the head of MinterEllison's tax practice. He is a corporate tax specialist with extensive experience in commercial transactions across a full range of sectors.
Adrian is a member of the Executive of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, Read More...
Prof Stephen Wilson
Energy Management, School of Mechanical & Mining Engineering
University of Queensland
Session: 2B. Tax incentives resources and low emissions
Stephen Wilson is managing director of Cape Otway Associates, which provides commercial and policy advice on energy and resources, economic analysis and strategy. Stephen’s career in energy after mechanical engineering school has traversed an arc from the customer and energy efficiency end of the value chain through networks to generation and up to primary resources. Stephen’s Read More...
Details are correct at time of publication. Subject to change at anytime, without notice.
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The Energy and Minerals Tax Conference is hosted by
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+61 2 8357 8344
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