Solrose Consulting applies strategic, innovative and original thinking to policy and regulatory problems.

The Consumer Reference Group represents the interests of consumers in the AER's review of its rate of return instrument and in the determination of its regulatory treatment of inflation.

The appointment is with the Monash Business School (Faculty of Business and Economics) in partnership with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. My work focuses on modernising the policy objectives, market design principles and regulatory settings governing the national energy sector.

Independent member of Infrastructure Victoria's Transport Advisory Panel providing peer review of, and strategic advice on, Infrastructure Victoria's research and analysis in supporting of its transport sector work program.

In mid-2019, the Victorian government established a three-person panel to review the manner in which local councils across the State set and administer their rates. The panel is undertaking detailed analysis and extensive state-wide consultation to inform its final recommendations to the government, which are due by April 2020.

As chair of the Essential Services Commission, I adopted the overarching philosophy that service providers (and not the regulator) are responsible for identifying, creating and delivering the services their customers value. This saw me lead a wide-range of reforms to the commission's regulatory frameworks. Our revamped water pricing framework linked suppliers' rates of return with the level of ambition they showed in seeking to deliver better (and more cost effective) services to customers. Our 'PREMO' model of regulation has drawn much attention nationally and internationally. I also led profound reforms to the commission's regulation of the energy sector in Victoria. Our "responsibility-based" regulatory reforms hold energy retailers directly responsible for customer outcomes (rather than traditional tick-the-box compliance). In addition we developed and implement a best-in-class framework for delivering assistance to customers experiencing payment difficulty; adopted a renewed focus on enforcement; and provided more meaningful public reporting on industry performance. Beyond these reforms, I also oversaw the establishment of regulatory frameworks to ensure water and energy customers affected by family violence were treated respectfully by, and received assistance from, their service providers. Under my leadership, we also designed and implemented a rate-capping framework for local government, adopted a market-based approach to determining taxi fares and tow-truck fees, and administered Australia's largest 'white certificate' scheme (the Victorian Energy Efficiency scheme) which saw over $1 billion of certificates created and traded over ten years.

For about 18 months, I headed the secretariat that supported Professor Ross Garnaut undertake a once-in-a generation, independent review into a national response to climate change. As head of the secretariat, I led teams based in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, while coordinating our work program with the work being undertaken by each State government as well as various Commonwealth agencies (eg. Treasury, ABARE and the then Department of Climate Change). Our work program was expansive and detailed covering such diverse areas as climate science, domestic and international policy design; mitigation and adaptation; supported by detailed economic modelling of climate change and climate change policy. The ambition of our work has not been matched in the years since Professor Garnaut submitted his report in September 2008.

On becoming a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic), I inherited perhaps the most diverse and eclectic portfolio of responsibilities in the Victorian government. Each of my divisions was highly specialised in areas of whole-of-sector public administration and coordination. My responsibilities spanned whole-of-government areas including: the Office of the Chief Information Officer, strategic communications, national security coordination, public administration (including developing the Public Administration Act 2004), establishing the Victorian Office of Climate Change and the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, and providing legal and governance advice to the Premier and senior ministers. In addition, I oversaw the department's corporate activities and its links with various external agencies.