2006 Speakers

Jeanette Fitzsimons

Government Spokesperson Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Jeanette is the Spokesperson for: Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Fisheries, Forestry, Genetic Engineering, Oceans, Research, Science and Technology including Crown Research Institutes, Sustainable Economics, Transport, Treaty Issues (Assoc.)

Jeanette is currently a Green Party MP; worked as an Environmental Studies and Energy Planning lecturer at Auckland University until 1992; has also worked as a consultant for local authorities, regional councils and government departments on waste management, packaging, climate change, hazardous activities and energy management.

Mr Yasunori Takei

Chariman, Gasoline Subcommittee of JAMA, Japan

Yasunori is project manager for the Toyota Motor Corporation and is also the chairman of the Gasoline subcommittee of JAMA. JAMA is a Tokyo-based trade association representing 14 Japanese car, truck, bus and motorcycle manufacturers. Yasunori has been involved in engine design, material engineering, engine lubricancy and engine coolants during his time with Toyota. More recently he has been involved with fuels, and he has also researched this area extensively.

Professor Martin Mittelbach

University of Graz, Austria

Martin is one of the most important biodiesel experts worldwide and head of Renewable Resources Group of the Institute for Chemistry at the Karl-Franzens University Graz. With over 20 years experience in biodiesel research, production and quality testing. Martin has been involved in over 70 scientific papers in international, reviewed journals, has made four book contributions, editor of two books and authored the first biodiesel handbook.

Martin has been involved in numerous activities in the field of biodiesel including being a member of the European committee for standardisation of biodiesel in CEN and consulting in the development of biodiesel standards in USA, Japan, Korea, Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.

Leah Murphy

Enabling Biofuels Project Manager, MOT, NZ

Leah Murphy is managing the Enabling Biofuels Project for the Ministry of Transport. She is on secondment from the Ministry for the Environment, where she is a member of the Climate Change Implementation Team. She is working on the work stream entitled ‘alternatives to the announced carbon tax'. Her work over the past two and a half years has focussed on the design of the previously announced carbon tax and Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements. She was also involved in the negotiation of a number of Negotiated Greenhouse Agreements with energy or emissions intensive firms. More recently she managed the Negotiated Greenhouse Agreement eligibility process. Leah has a graduate diploma in environmental management from Auckland University. Leah is a chartered Accountant with a private sector financial accounting and tax background.

Melissa Osterhage

Marketing Manager, Gull Petroleum

Melissa is the head of marketing for the Gull Group of Companies, based in Australia. She has been heavily involved in the planning and implementation Gull's biodiesel blend; ‘Gull Bio-D'. Melissa has worked with market research and PR agencies to develop a successful retail launch program and communication strategy.

Melissa holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) and is a AMAMI CPM.

Barry Blackett

Technical Manager, BP Oil NZ Ltd, NZ

Barry is BP New Zealand's Technical Manager for Fuels. He is responsible for changes to the specifications of the fuels marketed by BP and their suitability for use in a whole range of applications. Barry has seen the change from a relatively unregulated local market to a market where New Zealand's fuels must be in keeping with the latest international standards, ie they must be clean burning, fit for purpose in new technology vehicles and must not impair the emission control devices fitted to the latest generation of vehicles. They must also continue to be suitable to use in a vast range of older vehicles and appliances.

Barry is also interested in future fuels including renewables, and the impact of fuels on the world's climate. This interest includes how renewable fuels can be introduced as seamlessly as possible into the marketplace.

Robert Raine

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auckland University, NZ

Robert currently teaches at Auckland University. He teaches thermodynamics, design and mechanics as an undergraduate course and internal combustion engines as a postgraduate course, at Auckland University. Robert's specialities and interests are involved with internal combustion engines - exhaust emissions, combustion processes, alternative fuels and vehicle performance. Robert has also been involved in the analysis of vehicle exhaust emissions and fuel consumption factors, the use of natural gas, biogas and biodiesel in internal combustion engines, computer modelling of emissions formation in spark ignition engines, collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL) and collaboration with the University of Oxford.

Robert has a BSc (Aero Eng), and a PhD from University of Southampton.

Josh Carmody

Partner, Baker & McKenzie, Australia

Josh Carmody is a Partner with the Global Law firm Baker & McKenzie, based in Sydney. He advises on corporate and project based projects and transactions and related fund raising issues with particular focus on the energy, climate change, utilities and renewable energy sectors. He has broad transactional and project experience advising on the development and financing of renewable fuels, renewable energy and greenhouse gas abatement projects across in Australia and Asia. He has also advised on other infrastructure projects in the energy, water, telecommunications and waste sectors.

Dr James Watson

Founder Scientist, Genesis Research & Development Corporation Limited

Dr Watson founded Genesis Research & Development Corporation Limited, New Zealand's first biotechnology company in 1994. He was Chief Executive until December 2004 when he moved to the position of Chief Scientist and is now focused on spinning out a biofuels company from Genesis.

He has been a Director of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (1999-2002), President of the Australasian Society of Immunology (2001) and a Member of the Government's Growth and Innovation Advisory Board (2001-2005). He is currently President of the Royal Society of New Zealand, a Trustee of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Research and Education Advanced Network of New Zealand.

He received his PhD from the University of Auckland in 1967 then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Syntex Corporation in Palo Alto, California (1967-69) and the Salk Institute (1969-75). He has held Professorships at the University of California, Irvine (1976-81) and the University of Auckland (1981-93) serving as Head of the Department of Molecular Medicine (1983-93).

 

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