The appointments come on the back of a strong year for GE’s Wind business in Australia. With 980 MW of orders secured in 2017, by 2019 GE will operate more than 430 wind turbines across 8 wind farms nationally.
Having joined GE in 2008, Oswald brings a deep understanding of GE’s Wind operations in the region. He has held several roles within the GE Wind businesses, most recently managing Commercial Operations across the broader Asia-Pacific region, including China, India, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN and Australia. Prior to joining GE, Oswald spent eight years in power plant development, construction and operation at AGL Energy Limited and five years in engineering consultancy with Sinclair Knight Merz.
Oswald will continue in his role as Commercial Manager of GE’s Wind business in Asia, together with his responsibilities as Country Executive for Wind in Australia and New Zealand.
David Lian joined GE in 2011 and has nine years’ experience in the wind industry. He has held roles in engineering, business development and sales and has worked across the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to GE’s success in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and more recently Australia. David’s broad experience and knowledge of the Australian market positions him well to work with developers and customers to optimise their wind projects.
Oswald said: “GE has a strong track record of successful project delivery and wind farm operations in Australia. My focus will be to ensure that we continue to bring world-class technology and solutions for our customers, and that we remain a constructive participant in the energy policy debate in Australia. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Lian said: “I look forward to continuing the momentum we have built in Australia this year. We see Australia as a bellwether market globally, which makes it a challenging but also a rewarding place to do business.”
The appointments will be effective immediately. Oswald will be based in GE Australia’s North Sydney headquarters, and Lian will continue to be based in Melbourne.