Conference Day Speakers
Paul Coster
EVA Marketplace, Founder
Bio
EVA Marketplace is Aotearoa’s marketplace for renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs). EVA’s goal is to create an open and competitive PPA market to support the development of renewables in New Zealand. We assist clients by matching PPA sellers and buyers, facilitating negotiations and supporting green products.
At SEANZ, EVA will provide an overview of New Zealand's emerging PPA market and the important role it plays to unlock renewables development.
Steve Dixon
ANZ, ESG Specialist
Bio
Steve joined ANZ in 2021 as an ESG Specialist for the Business & Agri division, where he works closely with businesses to support their transition to a low-emissions, climate-resilient economy. With over 20 years of experience in sustainability and climate strategy, Steve brings deep expertise from roles at the Ministry for the Environment, Maven Consulting, and as GM Strategy and New Products at Toitū Envirocare.
Throughout his career, Steve has seen firsthand how businesses can unlock significant value by embracing sustainability—not just in reducing emissions, but in driving innovation, efficiency, and long-term resilience.
Steve will be speaking about the important role finance plays in accelerating the solar phenomenon, what finance is available and what those in the industry need to do to access solar finance.
Garth Elmes
Harmony Energy New Zealand, Managing Director
Bio
Harmony Energy NZ is a leading independent developer of renewable energy projects with experience across the full asset lifecycle - from early stage project development, deal structuring and execution, through to construction and asset management.
Duane Fernandes
The Exponential Agency
Bio
Duane is a strategy consultant with 15 years experience advising clients on how to position themselves to take advantage of disruptive technology and emerging business models.
Gareth Gretton
EECA, Lead Advisor
Bio
I am currently working as a Lead Advisor in the Research, Evaluation and Insights team at the NZ Government's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). I focus on sustainable buildings, solar energy, and the TIMES-NZ energy system model.
Robyn Holdaway
Director, Robyn Holdaway Consulting
Bio
Drawing on her past experience as a government policy advisor in Innovation Policy, and as Group Manager of Public Policy at Vector, Robyn has a clear focus on translating objectives to outcomes across the policy and regulatory cycle - with experience in climate and innovation policy. Her presentation 'Designing for Disruption: A policy and regulatory perspective' will focus on whether our current regulatory market paradigm is geared for Aotearoa’s energy transformation, what a new one could look like, and how we might get there.
Robyn has a decade of policy experience across the public and private sectors, including previous experience as a consultant for public policy clients in Wellington as well as for corporate clients in Auckland. At the start of the year she launched her own practice in government relations and public policy consulting - Robyn Holdaway Consulting - with a focus on developing enduring solutions to new challenges through specialist government relations strategy and support.
She has been a World Energy Council Future Energy Leader since 2023 and graduated with Honours (1st) in International Relations from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, in 2015. Her undergraduate degree had majors in International Relations, Political Science, and Philosophy.
Anna Kominik
Electricity Authority/Te Mana Hiko, Chair
Bio
Anna was appointed Chair of the Authority in July 2023, bringing expertise in governance and business leadership. She has worked across public and private sectors in New Zealand and internationally, introducing social change and new technologies to highly regulated environments.
Her governance experience includes chairing the Edmund Hillary Fellowship, the NZ-US Business Council, Asia-Australia representative on the Vertical Flight Society Global Board, and Independent Chair of the Electricity Retailers Association.
Anna is a current director of Dawn Aerospace – a company developing hypersonic space planes. Prior to that, she was a director and Asia-Pacific lead for a US company developing an all-electric, self-flying (AI) air taxi. She has supported startups and scaleups as an investor and advisor for more than a decade and has worked in government and regulatory roles across highly technical sectors, including energy, transport and telecommunications.
She holds a Master’s Degree from Northwestern University, was a Rotary International Scholar and has an Executive Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. She has worked for two New Zealand Prime Ministers and the Commonwealth Secretary General, and was a Commonwealth Foundation Emerging Pacific Leader
Hayden Mackenzie
Invest NZ, Head of Energy Investment
Bio
Hayden Mackenzie is the Head of Future Energy Investment at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise – New Zealand’s international economic development agency. Hayden focuses on the attraction and acceleration of investment into renewable energy and industrial projects in New Zealand.
Hayden supports New Zealand businesses in their investment preparation, ensuring they are investment ready and prepared to meet with investors. He works closely with investors and developers from across the world to smooth their entry to New Zealand.
Matt Shanks
Bio
Matt is the MD and co-founder of Lightyears Solar and has more than 15 years’ experience in transmission, distribution and power generation in the Asia Pacific region, including solar and BESS projects in NZ and offshore. He knows New Zealand has the capability and resources in place to deploy solar and BESS at scale to meet our energy and carbon zero targets, and is inspired by the opportunity to bring local talent and innovation to bear in the pursuit of these goals.
Matt’s areas of specialty are power system earthing, HV power cables and substations, project and engineering management. He
is passionate about building great teams, making things happen, getting things built, and being part of New Zealand’s solar story. Matt is a Member of the Institute of Directors and holds degrees in electrical engineering and jazz music. Alongside his career in energy, Matt fills many of his weekends and evenings as a sought-after bass player.
Anton Trixl
Partner, Anderson Lloyd
Bio
Anton is a specialist energy and infrastructure lawyer with over 20 years’ experience advising clients on projects and transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors in NZ, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Since 2019, he has advised clients on the successful development of over 12 new wind and solar projects in New Zealand, with a combined capacity of over 700MW and over $1 billion of investment. Anton has been the lead author of the New Zealand chapter of The Renewable Energy Law Review since 2020, and is a member of the Society of Construction Law New Zealand and New Zealand Wind Energy Association.
Anton will speak about the New Zealand specific challenges of developing utility scale solar projects in New Zealand.
Ryno Verster
DSO Programme Director, Powerco
Bio
Ryno and his team are orchestrating Powerco’s transformation from an electricity Distribution Network Operator to a Distribution System Operator (DSO). This programme is a foundation of Powerco’s future-ready network strategy. It reflects the emerging role of electricity distribution utilities in a more holistic approach to energy and particularly how we will partner with our customers to achieve optimum future energy solutions.
Hon Simon Watts
Minister for Energy
Gareth Williams
Manager, Innovation Pathways
Brendan Winitana
SEANZ Chair & CE
Bio
Brendan is an independent director and chair of SEANZ. With a background in governance, senior management and strategic planning, Brendan has held CEO and director roles in imaging solutions, IT and content management businesses as well as his own consulting practice specialising in industry and sector transformation and change and resulting new business models. His passion lies with SEANZ and the outcomes it seeks based on the expected exponential industry development to help drive the low carbon economy.
Industry Day Speakers
Kristin Gillies
Manager Media, Communications & Digital
Bio
Kristin joined the board in 2016 to develop our communications strategy. Past roles in the not-for-profit sector have led Kristin to a career in digital communications and strategy. Kristin is motivated by the possibility for distributed renewable energy to increase energy democracy and contribute to resolving the climate crisis.
Phil Smith
Profitable Tradie, Chief Operating Officer
Bio
Phil is the COO and Director at Profitable Tradie - a worldwide organization focused on helping great Tradespeople become great Business Owners. Having helped over 2500 businesses, Phil is an expert on helping the Trades industry create more money, time and freedom
Gareth Williams
Manager, Innovation Pathways
Brendan Winitana
SEANZ Chair & CE
Bio
Brendan is an independent director and chair of SEANZ. With a background in governance, senior management and strategic planning, Brendan has held CEO and director roles in imaging solutions, IT and content management businesses as well as his own consulting practice specialising in industry and sector transformation and change and resulting new business models. His passion lies with SEANZ and the outcomes it seeks based on the expected exponential industry development to help drive the low carbon economy.
SEANZ 2025 supported by
Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
Events, Awards, and Expo Partners
