AGL locks in head of New Energy and ‘organisational transformation’

AGL Energy has confirmed the position of Marc England as head of the utility’s New Energy division, the focal point of a major company restructure in response to the changing shape of global energy markets.

England’s re-appointment to the key role – following a spill of all senior executive positions – was confirmed in an announcement covering various executive appointments, including that of Alistair Preston as Executive General Manager Organisational Transformation.

As we have reported here before, the remit of AGL’s New Energy division includes metering, solar, disruptive technologies (storage, electric vehicles etc), and emerging technologies. It also includes energy services.

New AGL CEO, Andrew Vesey – considered by market analysts to be an expert in nascent technologies – has reportedly challenged England and his team to match the incumbents in revenue and profits over time.

On Friday, the new division showed the first signs of meeting this challenge, with the launch of AGL’s first battery storage product in Australia – ahead of schedule – making it the nation’s first local energy retailer to stake a claim in the hot new market.

In an interview with RE, England reiterated AGL’s view that its main role in the future will be to provide consumers with a “home energy ecosystem,” that offers choice, flexibility and control, at as low a cost as possible.

As for Preston, who has been appointed to lead the utility’s transformation, it is interesting to note that he hails from the same big US utility that Vesey once headed up: AES.

Preston, who has over 20 years’ experience in the energy sector, was AES’s chief financial officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa. AGL says he will start at the utility on June 01.

Also appointed was Brett Redman, who takes up the role of Chief Financial Officer leading the Finance and Technology Group; and Stephen Mikkelsen to the role of Executive General Manager Energy Market Operations, effective immediately.

Paul McWilliams will continue as Company Secretary.

AGL said other appointments in the company’s leadership structure were still subject to the conclusion of an internal and external search.