The FBICRC was established in 2019 through the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Program.

We bring together 70 participants across 15 research projects and are the largest partnership of industry, government and researchers focused on battery industries in Australia.

Our projects are valued at $120million and span the value chain from mining through to processing, manufacture, services and recycling and reuse of batteries.

Our aim is to capture the significant economic opportunities for Australia from the growing battery industry and address the challenges associated with the energy transition.

MEET THE BOARD

Tim Shanahan

Chairman

Tim is a renowned and highly respected leader. He has made significant contributions to Western Australia during a decorated corporate and civic career and is recognised for creating strong relationships, working with integrity and inspiring excellence and innovation.

Tim has extensive senior executive and board experience through his service as Chief Executive of the Western Australian Chamber of Minerals and Energy, founding Director of the UWA Energy and Minerals Institute (EMI) and the Chair of the Western Australian Regional Development Trust. He was also a founder of the In the Zone geo-political business forum, and the International Mining for Development Centre.

As Principal Adviser to the UWA Vice Chancellor, Tim lead the repositioning of the University’s innovation activities. The successful UWA Innovation Quarter project he helped develop enables researchers, students and academics to engage directly with industry partners and fosters entrepreneurship.

He has a proven record of excellence through his service with RACWA in a range of senior positions including as former RAC President. Tim continues to drive organisational success as a Director of RAC Holdings Pty Ltd, which owns and operates the RACWA’s insurance, motoring, finance, aged care, retirement and tourism business. He is a Councillor and Honorary Life Member of RACWA.

Currently, Tim serves as Chair for Zetta Group (a WA based ICT company), Director of RACWA Holdings, and is a member of the Advisory Board of School of Medicine, Fremantle a The University of Notre Dame.  He also serves as a Director of the Committee for Perth, a research body which aims to inform and advocate for change that improves the cultural diversity, economic prosperity, sustainability and world class amenity of Perth.

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Bruce Godfrey

Board Member

Bruce is an experienced, commercial executive with a proven ability in dealing with the issues and risks associated with commercialising new technology and the management of investment, from embryonic stage to commercial readiness.

Currently, Bruce serves as a Director for Wyld Group Pty Ltd, a successful business advisory and consulting practice primarily focused on the needs of technology-based businesses, their investors, and the government agencies that support their emergence and growth.

Bruce is also Director and Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and Director of Science in Australia Gender Equity Limited. He concurrently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Australian National University’s Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program and as a Member of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advisory Panel.

Previously, Bruce has had extensive experience in the energy sector via the Victorian Renewable Energy Target’s Expert Advisory Panel and the Expert Working Group for the Australian Council of Learned Academies’ report for the Commonwealth Science Council on The Role of Energy Storage in Australia’s Future Energy Supply Mix.

Bruce has chaired two Cooperative Research Centres, the CRC for Biomedical Imaging Development Limited and the Australian CRC for Renewable Energy Limited. He is a Life Member the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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Graeme Hunt

Board Member

Graeme is a respected international executive with a proven track record of shareholder value creation in capital intensive, globally competitive industries. He is a strong strategic thinker and through a professional career spanning more than 40 years led teams to achieve outstanding performance results through organic growth and successful M&A activities.

Graeme holds a Bachelor of Metallurgy and an MBA and served as President of the iron ore, uranium, aluminium and manganese divisions of BHP Billiton Ltd. He subsequently was the CEO and Managing Director of Lihir Gold Ltd and Broadspectrum Ltd (formerly Transfield Services Ltd).

He has served on a wide range of industry and Government boards and is currently the Chairman of AGL Energy and Bis Industries Ltd.

Graeme is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has previously served as Chair of the National Resource Science Precinct and the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance (both bodies are collaborations between UWA, Curtin University and CSIRO), Director of the World Energy Council of Australia, Chairman and Director of the Australian Uranium Association, Chair of the International Manganese Institute, President and Director of the Australian Mines and Metals Association, Vice President of the Minerals Council of Australia and Vice President of the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy.

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Lisa Paul AO PSM

Board Member

Lisa was first appointed Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training in 2004 by Prime Minister John Howard. She was reappointed Secretary of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations by Prime Minister Rudd, and reappointed by Prime Ministers Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull.

After 32 years of non-stop work in the public sector, Lisa decided to pursue further her passions of leadership and continuing to make a positive difference, in the private sector and not-for-profit sector.

In October 2018, Lisa was appointed Chair of headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation.

In May 2019, Lisa was appointed a Director of the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre. To date, Lisa has joined the Boards of two listed companies, one private company and the Federal Government’s Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board. She holds an Enterprise Professorship part-time at the University of Melbourne, is a Counsellor of Bond University, and sits on the Boards of several not-for-profits including Social Ventures Australia.

Lisa was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2011. In 2003, Lisa was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) for coordinating the Federal Government’s domestic response to the Bali bombings.

 

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Mark Woffenden

Board Member

Mark has more than forty years’ experience as a senior executive in the minerals industry. His strong strategic and project management skills have enabled him to successfully lead research and business operations units, change management and process and technology improvement.

His experience in the mining and resources industry includes serving in senior management positions with Rio Tinto subsidiaries, including Hamersley Iron and Comalco. He is a former Director for the Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment and Member of the CSIRO Minerals Exploration and Mining Sector Advisory Committee.

Mark served for five years as Chief Executive Officer at the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia and as a Member of the Premier’s Science and Innovation Council of Western Australia.

He has expertise in leading Cooperative Research Centres, through his service as Chief Executive Officer of the Parker Cooperative Research Centre for Integrated Hydrometallurgy Solutions. He also served as Deputy Chair of the Cooperative Research Centre Association Committee and was Executive Director of the Resources and Chemistry Precinct at Curtin University. Mark is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Corporate Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.

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Sarah Ryan

Board Member

Sarah is a respected non-executive director of ASX20-ASX50 companies, with more than 30 years of domestic and international executive experience.

As a strong analytical thinker, she has generated successful results across the energy, energy technology, investment management and private equity sectors. With degrees in geology and geophysics, and a PhD in Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, Sarah has served in a number of senior energy sector positions.

Her executive career includes 15 years with Schlumberger, the leading oilfield technology company, in various positions across research, engineering, manufacturing, operations, marketing and senior management. During this time, Sarah’s positions included research scientist with Schlumberger Cambridge Research, general manager of one of Schlumberger’s engineering and manufacturing centres, and marketing manager for South-East Asia, based in Thailand.

Sarah was Chief Operating Officer for MTEM, a private equity backed company in the UK which successfully commercialised innovative oilfield technology, before transitioning into investment management, where she was responsible, as an equity analyst and later energy advisor, for natural resources and energy investments worldwide for Earnest Partners, Atlanta, USA.

Domestically, Sarah is a respected Non-Executive Director, currently serving on the boards of ASXlisted Woodside Petroleum, Aurizon Holdings and Viva Energy. She is also a non-executive director on Oslo-listed Akastor ASA, an oilfield services and technology company.

Sarah is a Fellow of the Academy of Technology and Engineering and a member of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Director Advisory Panel.

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Advisor to the board

MEET THE TEAM

Shannon O’Rourke

Chief Executive Officer

Shannon commenced his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre on 1 December 2021.

He is a seasoned executive with 25 years’ experience in the energy sector including senior management roles with Woodside, Chevron and industrial research with Rio Tinto.

His career spans traditional and renewable energy markets with a track record of success in the commercialisation of research outcomes including managing CRC collaborations through the Future Fuels CRC and the CO2 CRC.

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Jacques Eksteen

Chief Scientist

Jacques leads the FBICRC’s comprehensive whole-of-value-chain research program for future battery industries and is responsible for driving high quality research outcomes which address industry needs.  Jacques has been a key member of the CRC consortium since its inception leading much of the consultation with industry and research participants which formed the basis of the successful bid for Commonwealth funding.  Prior to joining the CRC he was Director of the Curtin University Gold Technology Group and held the Chair for Extractive Metallurgy in the WA School of Mines at Curtin University.

He has extensive experience in managing complex research projects in industry and academia.  He is the listed inventor on a number of patents relating to the mineral processing, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes and have published extensively in these areas. He has led a number of other industry and government funded research projects and is a recipient of various awards in research development, innovation and commercialisation.

E: jacques.eksteen@fbicrc.com.au

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Derek Hall

Chief Financial Officer

Derek is a Chartered Accountant, Fellow of the Financial Services Institute and Member of the Governance Institute of Australia. A finance and compliance specialist, he has significant commercial experience identifying key business drivers and bringing cost control and process improvement into sharp focus.

Prior to joining the CRC, he was Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary for a number of publicly listed and unlisted companies, providing corporate advisory and investor relations services across the technology, mining, oil and gas and construction sectors.

E: derek.hall@fbicrc.com.au

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James Westcott

Project Director

James has been a professional engineer for over 30 years, working globally in the oil & gas, aerospace, fuel cells, electric vehicles, hydrogen and renewable energy sectors, in a variety of engineering, leadership and project management roles.

He is a Fellow of  Engineers Australia and served as the WA President  from 2017-18. James is passionate about sustainability, the urgent need for rapid decarbonisation of our economy and the adaptation of our society to the impacts of climate change.

He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from UWA and an MBA from INSEAD in France.

E: james.westcott@fbicrc.com.au

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Trish Miller

Director External Affairs

Trish joined the FBICRC  in July of 2021. Trish is responsible for promoting the FBICRC’s research portfolio, government and stakeholder relations, media relations, branding and marketing communications collateral.

She has extensive external affairs and corporate communications experience in the not-for-profit, private and public sectors across energy, resources, education, ports, transport and retail, gained within regional, national and global settings.

Trish has held senior corporate affairs roles with global, national, and West Australian based organisations including Alcoa, ATCO Australia, Southern Ports, Catholic Education WA and Quick Service Restaurants Holdings (Red Rooster, Chicken Treat and Oporto).

E: trish.miller@fbicrc.com.au

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Abbie Williams

Executive Assistant

Abbie provides direct executive support and coordination for the CEO. She also assists with the management and administration needs of the FBICRC team, the Board chair, directors and advisor.  She provides support across a range of delivery activities such as diary management, travel arrangements and every aspect of day to day requirements.  Abbie has worked as a Personal Assistant for over 15 years in variety of organisations in Western Australia.

E: abbie.williams@fbicrc.com.au

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Rod Thiele

Education and Training Manager

Rod joined the FBICRC as Education and Training Manager in January 2022. He has extensive experience working in and around collaborative research centres, as well as consulting in science education and policy development.

Prior to joining the FBICRC team, Rod was a Principal Policy Officer in the STEM skills team within the Western Australian Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Before that he had a management role within CSIRO Education and Outreach where he drove innovative national programs, including using advanced videoconferencing technologies to increase students’ exposure to contemporary science-related industries.

E: rod.thiele@fbicrc.com.au

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Danielle Griffiths

Commercialisation Advisor

Danielle joined the FBICRC in 2022.  She holds tertiary qualifications in Accounting and Business Law, with many years of experience in the tertiary education sector supporting STEM programs.

With experience in project coordination at the FBICRC, Danielle approaches commercialisation activities with a comprehensive understanding of the project portfolio. In collaboration with CRC participants, Danielle supports utilisation and commercialisation of CRC outcomes, towards the betterment of the Australian battery industry.

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Future Battery