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Hanseung Kum
President at Korean National Institute of Environmental Research(NIER)Mr. Kum Han-Seung has significantly contributed to the development of Korea's environmental policy through his expertise in the field.
In particular, he served as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, where he was responsible for policies on carbon neutrality, climate change, and green transition. He also made significant contributions to the revitalization of Korea's green industry.
Currently, he is the president of the National Institute of Environmental Research, which is composed of the best experts in the environmental field in Korea, and leads the advancement of environmental policies such as addressing the climate crisis.
Joyoung Jeon
Deputy Head of Mission at Korean Embassy in AustraliaMr. Joyoung Jeon commenced as Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) at the Korean Embassy in Canberra in August 2023. He previously served as DHM in Thailand, Indonesia and Argentina. Prior to that, he was Director of Secretariat for Preparation of General Assembly of World Conservation Congress and of Central America & the Caribbean at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Korea. He received his B.A. in International Relations and M.A. in Administration from Seoul National University.
Hon. Martin Ferguson AM
Chairman at Australia-Korea Business CouncilHon Martin Ferguson AM has a long history of public service and work in economic and social policy. From 1984 until 1990 Martin served as the General Secretary of the Miscellaneous Workers Union and from 1990 until 1996 as President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). As a senior trade union official, from 1984 until 1996 he sat on the ACTU National Executive, participating directly in shaping and implementing many of the economic reforms of the Hawke and Keating Governments.
In March 1996, Martin was elected as a Member of the Federal Parliament in the seat of Batman, in Melbourne, which he held until retiring in 2013. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 1996.
During the Howard Government, Martin served in a range of economic shadow portfolios, including Employment and Training; Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Population; Urban and Regional Development, Transport and Infrastructure; Primary Industries, Resources, Forestry and Tourism; and Transport, Roads and Tourism.
Upon the Rudd Government assuming office in December 2007, Martin was appointed the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Tourism, and acted as the Chair of the Standing Council on Resources and Energy and the Ministerial Council for Tourism. He held the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolios until March 2013, when he resigned from the Cabinet.
Martin is a member of an Advisory Board to the Australian Oil and Gas industry association, AEP and is the Strategic Director of Natural Resources to SGH Energy. He also chairs the CO2CRC, is a consultant to the Board of Accommodation Australia and the Minerals Council. He served until recently as the Chair of Clare Valley Wine and Grape Association and was an Independent Director of the Stars Foundation.
Martin was a member of the University of Western Australia’s Industry Advisory Board on Resources and Energy from 2013 until it was abolished in late 2018. From 2014-16 he was an Independent Director of the BG Group in London prior to its takeover by Shell and he chaired the The University College of London’s, Adelaide Campus Advisory Board until it merged with the University of S.A. in late 2017. Martin has an honours degree in economics from Sydney University.
Kushla Munro
Acting Deputy Secretary at Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water AustraliaKushla is currently the Acting Deputy Secretary for the Climate Change Group in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Kushla has worked on climate change issues since 2009, and has held senior roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where in 2015 she was Australia's lead negotiator on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Kushla holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Environmental Sustainability (Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh.
Hwanchin Choung
Director, Global Green Project Team of Ministry of Environment Republic of KoreaMr. Hwanchin Choung has served 20 years in the Ministry of Environment, South Korea. So he has a diverse experience in the field of environment policy and fulfillment.
Also, he has a broad understanding about policy coordinations and business activities. That is why he has an experience in Office of Prime minister, South Korea and private company.
Currently, he is a director of Global Green Project Team, which is not only contributing to solution of global environmental issues and sustainable development, but also trying to be a pioneer of green industry.
Melissa Pang
Head of the Electricity Markets at Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and WaterMel is currently the Branch Head of Electricity Markets at the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. Working in energy since 2013, Mel has held senior positions and led teams across a number of areas in the Commonwealth Government, spanning renewable energy, gas and liquid fuels. Most recently, Mel’s Branch leads key projects such as post-2030 market design, transition of thermal generation, retail markets and the Commonwealth’s Energy Price Relief Plan. Prior to energy and the Commonwealth Government, Mel worked as a consulting engineer in the private sector.
Wonsik Cho
Vice President, Sustainable Technology Business Team at Samsung E&AWonsik Cho is the Vice President of Samsung E&A and is leading the sustainable technology business team. He is responsible for venture investment and collaboration covering technology scouting, scaling up, and commercializing emerging technologies in sustainable areas, such as carbon capture, green hydrogen, SAF, e-Fuels, etc. He is also leading sales and marketing function within Samsung E&A's's sustainable solutions business division.
Before joining Samsung E&A in March 2023, Wonsik was the director of technical sales group at Honeywell UOP, responsible for technical proposals, cost estimate and business development taking care of all Honeywell UOP’s equipment businesses including modular refineries, gas processing, hydrogen, mid-stream cryo plant, and licensor proprietary equipment.
He also headed Honeywell UOP’s modular/equipment engineering group as the director of equipment engineering and played a key role in expanding the engineering resources in India, Romania, Belgium, and South Korea covering multi-disciplinary engineering teams including process, mechanical, piping, electrical, instrument and control. Wonsik also supported breakthrough technology development and deployment working with R&D team.
Prior to joining Honeywell UOP, Wonsik was an application and project engineer at SK Ecoplant for 10 years executing refining and petrochem projects in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. He also spent quite a bit of time at multiple jobsites managing field engineering, start-up and commissioning activities in the Middle East and Europe.
Wonsik earned an MBA from Korea University in Seoul and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering from the same university.
Michael Choi
CEO of Ark Energy CorporationMichael Choi is the CEO of Ark Energy Corporation, an Australian renewable energy company and subsidiary of Korea Zinc. Ark Energy specialises in renewable energy generation, energy storage and green hydrogen production. Michael has served as a director of Ark Energy since it was founded in 2021 and was appointed CEO in December 2023. Michael joined the Korea Zinc Group in 2017 as Director of Strategies and Planning and in 2020 was appointed CFO and board member for the group's Sun Metals Corporation in Townsville. He is also a director for Sun Metals and Korea Zinc Australia's Townsville Logistics and Townsville Marine Logistics. Michael began his career as a Financial Auditor at Deloitte & Touche LLP in New York, followed by a financial audit and advisory role at PwC in Korea.
Young-hwan Eun
Director - Energy Transition Technology of Samsung C&TYoung-hwan, Eun joined Samsung C&T in 1994 and contributed for 30 years especially in Power/ Gas engineering sections and led Process and Mechanical Engineering Group.
Now, he serves as Director at Samsung C&T and is responsible for Energy Transition Technology and developing Energy Modelling of Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Business.
He is holding B.Tech and Professional Engineer Certification, US/Korea.
Liz Griffin
CEO of Australia-Korea Business CouncilLiz has been leading the Australia-Korea Business Council as CEO since December 2015, leveraging her extensive background with Asialink Business and KPMG to spearhead initiatives that enhance bilateral trade and investment between Australia and Korea. Her command of the Korean language is both deep and nuanced, evidenced by her completion of a Diploma of Languages (Korean) at Monash University, alongside her studies at Seoul National University. Liz's academic journey also took her to Yonsei University and Sogang University, further enriching her understanding of Korean culture and business practices.
In 2017, Liz's efforts in promoting economic collaboration between Korea and Australia were formally recognised by the Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Sydney with an appreciation plaque. Her dedication to leadership and excellence in governance was underscored in 2021 upon graduating from the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.
Liz is passionate about unveiling the dynamic opportunities that exist between Australia and Korea, particularly in sectors critical to the future, such as energy transition, critical minerals, food and agriculture, and financial services. She is dedicated to educating Australian audiences about the strategic importance of our third-largest trading market, driven by a mission to ensure Australian businesses thrive in Korea, and likewise, Korean businesses find success in Australia. This commitment not only showcases her dedication to strengthening bilateral ties but also highlights her role as a pivotal advocate for cross-cultural business success.
Tim Horneman
Regional President APAC at CWP GlobalTim is the Regional President for Asia Pacific and is responsible for our assets in Australia and activities throughout the Asia Pacific region. Tim is a member of the Board of Directors of CWP's Australian projects AREH and WGEH and has relationships with Asian energy buyers. He has been involved in the financial and commercial management of the construction and operation of ultra large scale integrated energy assets which include the capture of upstream energy, midstream transmission and downstream processing and shipping of product.
Prior to joining CWP, Tim held a number of roles at Origin Energy in green hydrogen and also as Chief Financial Officer and Deputy CEO of the US$25B APLNG joint venture between Origin Energy, ConocoPhillips and Sinopec and was responsible for managing a US$8B project finance facility. Prior to that Tim managed Petronas’ equity interest in the US$18B GLNG joint venture between Petronas, Santos, KOGAS and Total through the construction and operations phase.
Dohyun Goh
Head of Hydrogen Project Department at POSCO HoldingsHe is in charge of POSCO Holdings hydrogen business development, especially focuses on steel related projects including P-AGH(POSCO Australia Green Hydrogen) project in Australia and hydrogen supply to Hydrogen steel making process called HyREX. After joining POSCO as a Gwangyang steelworks engineer, he went through various tasks and departments in POSCO such as steel works energy part, domestic investment management, investment management, new growth planning and He had been dispatched to GGGI(Global Green Growth Institute) Abu Dhabi office to support POSCO&Government to implement green growth and climate change policies. Currently, Hydrogen business has been designated on of POSCO’s core businesses, at the Hydrogen Business Office of POSCO Holdigns He is developing hydrogen, ammonia and CCS business in POSCO. He is also in charge of partnering collaboration with partners for POSCO steel related hydrogen projects and export business. He graduated from Yonsei University with a master's degree in engineer economics, a master degree from Kunkook University in electric engineering, graduated from Inha University with undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.
Woojin Jang
Vice President of Hydrogen Business at SK ecoplantMr. Jang is a business development expert and has more than 20 years’ experience in civil infrastructure PPP sector with broad knowledge and various experience in numerous domestic and international PPP projects.
He started his career as a business development manager in 2003 by joining the domestic PPP project development team, explored opportunities in transport sector and contributed to successful execution of several large transport projects in Korea.
Then he moved to the international PPP project development team in 2015, he looked for new business opportunities mainly in Europe and Australia beyond emerging markets and managed on-going investment cases as member of board of directors in investment vehicles.
To take advantage of his extensive experience in PPP projects, he moved to global energy business in the January of 2023 and now he is leading the various solar power plant and hydrogen projects globally from marketing activities to create new business opportunities in various energy fields together with the execution of investment.
Clare Pope
Partner, Gilbert + Tobin ; Treasurer, Chair of the AKBC Critical Minerals sub-committee at Australia-Korea Business CouncilClare Pope joined Gilbert + Tobin as a Partner in the Energy + Resources team in 2023. She was a partner in the legal team at PwC, leading the practice in Western Australia.
She specialises in M&A, joint ventures and project development in the mining, energy, power/renewables and infrastructure sectors. Clare is the AKBC Treasurer and Chair of the AKBC Critical Minerals Sub-committee.
Clare holds a Masters of Law from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia. Clare has held non-executive director roles on the ASX listed oil & gas company Entek Energy Limited, as well as roles on other not-for-profit organisations. Clare has also been recognised in various legal directories, including Best Lawyers, Doyles Guide and Asia Pacific Legal 500.
Steve Quilter
Executive General Manager, Growth and Future Energy at Stanwell CorporationMr 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 since 2016.
In a career spanning 30 years’ in the energy industry in both 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 accountable for the origination and oversight of the growth of Stanwell’s diversified renewable generation and energy storage portfolio and the development of Queensland’s premier renewable hydrogen export project – the CQ-H2 project. He is passionate about innovation in the energy industry and the opportunities that the energy transition presents for Stanwell’s team members and our customers and partners.
From January 2022, for a period of eight months, Mr Quilter was seconded to the Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works to work on the development of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and Infrastructure Blueprint.
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.
James Rhee
Managing Director of Progressive Green SolutionsJames Rhee is a proud West Australian professional engineer, with a deep Korean-Japanese heritage. Over two decades, James has been a project developer in the resources and construction sectors - with a special interest in renewable energy. His 2010 design and implementation of Australia’s first major renewable energy system won national and international awards. His design combined solar, wind and battery energy storage (BESS) to deliver renewable energy that supported mining operations.
He was one of the founding executive members of a joint venture with BGC Australia and POSCO E&C for the “Roy Hill” Iron Ore project ECI and the Perth Westin Hotel development. Combining his passion for sustainability, combined with his project development capability, technical knowledge and strong WA industry relationships, James now leads a renewable energy development company “Progressive Green Solutions”. This business is involved in green hydrogen development and the manufacture of green iron/pellets and green ammonia. All products targeted for export and all supported by 100% Renewable Energy Generation.
In 2022, James established a Joint Venture with the Larrakia Development Corporation in Northern Territory “Larrakia Energy” This Indigenous majority owned company will develop renewable energy projects that deliver long-term commercial benefits and skills growth to the Larrakia community.
Throughout, James maintains a very strong social connection with Australia’s Korean Community. Most recently, he served as Deputy Chairman and Fundraising Chair of the Perth Korean War Memorial Committee, raising $2M for the Korean War memorial and outdoor Amphitheatre, with the memorial being inaugurated in Perth’s Kings Park in July 2023.
Fiona Simon
CEO of Australian Hydrogen CouncilDr. Fiona Simon is the CEO of the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC), the peak body for the Australian hydrogen industry. AHC connects the hydrogen industry and its stakeholders in building a secure, clean and resilient energy future that sustainably produces and uses hydrogen within the energy mix. AHC’s members are from a range of sectors, including energy, transport, consulting, banking and technology.
Prior to joining the Australian Hydrogen Council, Fiona worked for close to 20 years in energy policy and regulation, specialising in energy retail competition and consumer protection matters.
Fiona holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has published a well-regarded academic book on retail energy regulation in Australia.