Introducing the AER Board

The AER is governed by an independent Board of 5 members representing the Australian Government and the states and territories.

As Australia’s energy system transitions to renewable energy sources, strong strategic leadership is required to ensure it remains secure, reliable and affordable for consumers.

The AER Board embraces this challenge by:

  • Providing early guidance and direction on issues of strategic importance
  • Using statutory powers to make decisions, including on legal proceedings
  • Setting the organisation’s risk appetite
  • Leading stakeholder engagement
  • Overseeing AER performance.

The CEO and Senior Leadership Team are responsible for day-to-day management of the AER. The CEO reports to the Chair.

For more detail about the AER Board roles and responsibilities, visit our latest Board Charter.

Read the AER Board Charter

 

Meet the Board members

Chair - Clare Savage

A corporate head shot of AER Chair, Clare Savage, looking at the camera, against a white background.

Clare Savage was appointed Chair of the Australian Energy Regulator in October 2019 and is Chair of the Energy Advisory Panel (formerly the Energy Security Board). In September 2024 Clare was also appointed as Chair of the Regulator Leadership Cohort.

Over more than 20 years, Clare has acquired significant leadership experience in the Australian energy industry. She has a passion for the energy sector and a commitment to its development, particularly through this current transition.

Prior to joining the AER, Clare was Deputy Chair of the Energy Security Board. Prior to joining the ESB, Clare held a variety of roles including senior executive positions within EnergyAustralia spanning corporate strategy; business development; policy & government affairs; and public affairs. 

Prior to this Clare held a range of positions at the Energy Supply Association of Australia including Chief Executive Officer. Clare commenced her career in the public service – initially in the UK and then at the Federal Department of the Treasury.

Clare has a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics) and a Bachelor of Arts (Politics and History) from The University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Deputy Chair - Justin Oliver

Corporate head shot of AER Board member Justin Oliver

Justin Oliver has been involved with the AER since February 2020 and was appointed Deputy Chair in June 2024.

Justin was formerly a partner of MinterEllison, specialising in competition law and energy regulation.  

Prior to joining MinterEllison, Justin was the head of the ACCC’s regulatory law practice, advising on all aspects of energy, communications and transport regulation, and became the head of legal for the Australian Energy Regulator upon its creation in 2005.  

Justin has also worked as a senior lawyer in the Victorian Premier’s Department. 

For two decades, Justin has acted for governments, regulators and industry participants involved in all parts of Australia’s energy sector.   

Justin holds a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Monash University. 

Jim Cox PSM

Corporate head shot of Jim Cox, AER Deputy Chair.

Jim has been involved with the AER since 2013 and was Deputy Chair from June 2020 to June 2024.

Jim has held positions with the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Social Welfare Policy Secretariat of the Department of Social Security.  

He was Principal Adviser to the Government Pricing Tribunal of New South Wales from 1992 to 1996, and then led the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for 17 years from 1996 to 2013. 

Jim has written extensively on economic and social policy issues throughout his career. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Australia Day honours list in 2011 for outstanding public service to IPART. 

Jarrod Ball

Corporate head shot of Board member Jarrod Ball

Jarrod Ball was appointed to the Board in May 2023. 

Prior to this, Jarrod was Chief Economist at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) leading their economic research and advocacy.  

He has more than 20 years of experience in public policy, government relations and economics, working across state and federal governments and major Australian companies such as EY and BHP.  

Jarrod has provided economic and policy advice to governments across the energy, transport and telecommunications sectors, including as a lead adviser on microeconomic reform in the Victorian Government. 

Jarrod has also held several board and committee positions across government and business and until recently was an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin Business School. 

Jarrod holds a Masters in Economics from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Queensland. 

Lynne Gallagher

A photo of Lynne Gallagher

Lynne Gallagher was appointed to the Board in June 2023.  

For more than 15 years, Lynne has championed major reforms and systems design change in Australia’s energy sector, to achieve better outcomes for people and communities.  

Prior to joining the AER, Lynne was the Chief Executive Officer of Energy Consumers Australia, the national voice for households and small businesses.  

During this time, she led the development of the most extensive set of ongoing energy consumer research in Australia and was a leading contributor to the internationally path-breaking Digital Energy Futures research program. 

Before working in the energy sector, Lynne held senior executive leadership roles in business, including in the finance, infrastructure and superannuation sectors, and in the public sector, including Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Treasury. 

Lynne holds a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University and has completed Harvard University’s Applied Behavioural Insights for Public Policy program and the Executive Leadership Program at Mt Eliza Business School. 

Chief Executive Officer - Anthea Harris

Corporate head shot of AER CEO Anthea Harris

Anthea has a long and distinguished career in the Australian energy and climate change industry. 

Anthea was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Security Board (ESB). Prior to this, Anthea was Deputy Secretary of the Energy Group within the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. 

Anthea has previously been Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Change Authority, having established this agency from the ground up, and has held senior roles within the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. 

Anthea also led the Secretariat for the National Emissions Trading Taskforce and has previously worked at the Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs and Resources, Frontier Economics, the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Productivity Commission. 

Photographs must be properly attributed. Requests or inquiries regarding photographs should be addressed to our media team: mediaataer [dot] gov [dot] au (media[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au)