AER Board
The Australian Energy Regulator is an independent statutory authority and a constituent part of the ACCC. It is made up of one Commonwealth member and two state/territory members. They are appointed by the Governor-General for terms of up to five years, and one of them is appointed as chair of the AER.
We have provided photographs of the AER Chairman and Board. These photographs are owned by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). You are permitted to download and publish the photographs subject to the following conditions:
- You may not use the photographs in a manner that suggests their association with or endorsement of any product, service or event, unless you seek and are granted prior permission.
- You may not redistribute or sell the photographs.
- You may not create improper works with the photographs.
The photographs must be properly attributed. Requests or inquiries regarding photographs should be addressed to the ACCC Publishing Unit.
Chairman - Andrew Reeves
Andrew Reeves was appointed as the Chair of the Australian Energy Regulator in July 2010, following his appointment as a Board Member in July 2008. Andrew joined the AER at the time that the AER commenced the economic regulation of the electricity and gas distribution sectors.
Prior to the AER appointment, Andrew was Commissioner of the Tasmanian Government Prices Oversight Commission and Regulator of the Tasmanian electricity supply industry, responsible for technical and economic regulation of the sector, including performance standards and prices for distribution services and retail tariffs. Other Tasmanian responsibilities included the regulation of the Tasmanian natural gas industry and investigations of the pricing policies of water authorities, the public transport operator and the provider of motor vehicle accident personal injury insurance. The Commission also carried out occasional investigations of energy prices and analysis of proposed energy sector reforms at the request of Government.
Until 2005, Andrew Reeves was an Associate Commissioner in the Energy Division of the ACCC. His previous Government appointments included Director Energy Policy and mineral and petroleum development in Tasmania.
His first professional discipline was Engineering, with post graduate qualifications in Economics.
Mr Reeves succeeds the inaugural chair Mr Steve Edwell.
Andrew Reeves Hi-Res image for reproduction (655.2 KB)
Board Member - Edward Willett
Edward Willett was re-appointed in June 2008 for a five-year term. Before his appointment to the ACCC, he was the inaugural executive director of the National Competition Council for seven years.
Before that he worked as an assistant commissioner with the Industry Commission and helped develop the federal Department of Industry, Science and Technology’s role in business law and regulation, spent three years as deputy head of the Commonwealth Office of Regulation Review and was involved in other Industry Commission inquiry work and research.
He also spent three years with the New Zealand Ministry of External Relations and Trade as an adviser on international economics and trade and eight years as an economist with the Department of Defence. Mr Willett has degrees in law and economics and a postgraduate diploma in international law.
Ed Willett Hi-Res image for reproduction (343.63 KB)
Board Member (part time) - Cristina Cifuentes
Ms Cristina Cifuentes has been appointed as the new part-time Member of the Australian Energy Regulator and Associate Commissioner of the ACCC for five years from 27 October 2010.
Ms Cifuentes succeeds Mr Andrew Reeves in this position, after his appointment as Chairman of the AER in July 2010.
The Ministerial Council on Energy, comprising representatives from all the states and territories as well as the Commonwealth, recommended Ms Cifuentes be appointed on an acting basis in September, and this has now been ratified as a five year term.
Ms Cifuentes has formal qualifications in law and economics and her membership of the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal between 1997 and 2006 gives her a breadth of experience in energy networks and market regulation. She also currently holds a number of directorships including with the Hunter Water Corporation and First State Super Trustee Corporation.
Cristina Cifuentes Hi-Res image for reproduction (673.98 KB)
Office of the AER - Chief Executive Officer - Michelle Groves
Michelle Groves is the chief executive officer of the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). She has held this position since May 2005. Michelle has over fifteen years experience in implementation of national competition policy, energy market reform and utility regulation.
Prior to joining the AER, Michelle worked at the National Competition Council, principally in the areas of energy reform and third party access to essential facilities. She also has experience in the state government sector having worked for the Western Australian Government from 1988 to 1993.
Michelle has degrees in history and law from the University of Western Australia and a masters of law from the University of Melbourne.
