Michael Vawser - Managing Director. Asia Pacific

Wind Prospect’s Managing Director, Michael Vawser, has extensive experience in the wind energy industry: beginning with a Masters in Electrical Engineering (researching the grid connection impacts of renewable energy) from 1993 to 1996; and then onto a career with Wind Prospect in the UK from 1997. He carried out the role of Engineering Manager, which entailed not only the development of wind energy sites both onshore and offshore, but also a project management role in the construction and operation of several wind farms both in the UK and Ireland.

While in the UK, Michael carried out considerable research into the wind energy potential in Australia, and after several productive trips back and forth to Australia, was able to fulfill his aspirations by catalysing the formation of Wind Prospect in Australia in 2000, for which he was appointed Managing Director. Michael has been the driving force behind the company's success in achieving over 700 MW of council approvals for wind farms in South Australia, of which 221 MW has been built or is under construction. Michael has also overseen the establishment of subsidiary companies / branch offices in Brisbane, Hong Kong, Beijing and Hamilton, New Zealand.

Wind Prospect Group's Commercial Director, Chris Morris, has 30 years' engineering and commercial experience in the electricity supply industry. He holds degrees from the University of Nottingham where he was also CEGB / AEA Research Fellow.

Chris was responsible, as General Manager, for establishing and growing Powergen Renewables (now E.ON UK Renewables) which focused on onshore and offhore wind energy in the UK and Ireland during the period 1995 to 2003.

During his period as General Manager, Chris increased the value of Powergen Renewables by £100 million in a three year period when it was a joint venture with Abbot Group plc.

As Wind Prospect Group's Commercial Director, Chris is responsible for business planning, commercial and market strategy, risk management and value delivery to shareholders and stakeholders.

Chris has been a Director of the British Wind Energy Association since 1995, was the founding chair of the World Energy Council's Renewable Energy Committee, is an appointed member of the UK Energy Minister's Renewables Advisory Board, and is a member of Loughborough University's advisory board for the Centre of Renewable and Sustainable Energies (CREST).

For over 10 years Phaedra has worked in the banking and finance industry, starting out with a broker firm and four years later moving to New South Wales into a team leader role with a fast-growing UK based motor finance company. During this time, Phaedra took an opportunity to move into the finance underwriting field, which gave her training in financial analysis, credit codes and ASIC as well as general industry experience.

After returning home to Adelaide, Phaedra worked as Finance Coordinator for an equipment finance company. Following the birth of her son in 2001, Phaedra saw an opportunity to venture into something different and she began working as Wind Prospect's Office Manager on a part time basis in January 2002. Now, in 2005, she holds the position of Company Secretary, involved in all the financial and accounting aspects of the company.

James Pennay, currently seconded to subsidiary called IW Power Co. Ltd (IWP, China) as Managing Director, is a Queensland University of Technology Engineering (Hons) and Business graduate.

He worked for two and a half years as wind energy Development Manager for Wind Prospect in the UK from September 2001. During this period, in one of the world’s toughest planning environments, the development team was awarded the British Wind Energy Association's Developer's Developer Award 2003, following the approval of 160MW of wind farm projects, including both onshore and offshore projects.

In April 2004 James moved to Australia to set up the Brisbane branch for Wind Prospect, with the ambition to expand the Group’s Asia Pacific operations. During this period, James was a Board Member of the Australia Wind Energy Association (auswind) and has subsequently established IWP, a Wind Prospect joint venture in China.

He has been based in China since Sept 2005 and is responsible for a vertically integrated wind business, covering development, investment, construction and operations.

Doreen Marchesan - Project Manager

Doreen Marchesan is a Development Manager at the South Australian office. She has had a number of years experience in studying and applying environmental management practices in Australia.

Doreen graduated from the University of South Australia in 1991 and pursued interests in ecological research before completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Impact Assessment at Murdoch University in Western Australia. After completing a Masters in Applied Ecology at the University of Adelaide, Doreen pursued a long-standing interest in renewable energy to join the Wind Prospect team.

Doreen is responsible for the development of the Hallett Hill, and Willogeleche Hill clusters of the Greater Hallett Wind Farm site. She is also assisting in wind farm project development in the UK and Ireland.

Andrew Dickson - Project Manager

Andrew began his professional career in the Royal Australian Navy in 1987, where he was an Electrical and Electronics Engineering Officer for 10 years.

In 1997 he left the Navy and became involved in large scale events management in Australia and the USA, before deciding that he wanted to get hands-on with technology again. He then joined an internet company in Sydney as Technical Manager for three years.

To extricate himself from Sydney, Andrew paddled a kayak 2,200km down the River Murray in 2001, before settling in Brisbane and working in business development for a small manufacturing company.

Masters studies in Science and Technology Commercialisation brought Andrew back to Adelaide in 2002, and an interest in renewable energy led to a new career with Wind Prospect, where he is Development Manager for the Barunga project and IT Manager.

John Rock - Senior Project Manager

John is an experienced senior project manager of multi-disciplinary projects involving all phases of management. He migrated to Australia from South Africa seven years ago and since arriving has managed a range of engineering projects, including major wind farm developments in Tasmania.

In South Africa, John worked for a major electrical utility for fifteen years in various distribution roles. Soon after joining Wind Prospect in 2005 John was for the Canunda Wind Farm construction and commissioning of the 23 2MW turbines. He is now in Ireland project managing four wind farm construction projects.

Adrian has 18 years of engineering and commercial experience in manufacturing and the renewable energy industries, the last 7 of which have been in the wind industry. He graduated in 1986 from Swinburne Institute of Technology, having completed a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering with distinction. After 7 years as an engineer in the food and paper industries, he went on to complete a Masters of Engineering from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, with a focus on renewable energy systems.

Adrian's time in the wind industry has resulted in a broad base of knowledge development across all aspects of the industry including wind turbine prototype development, development of wind farms from initial prospecting through to financing, as well as time spent on the turbine supply side of the business, including the preparation of tenders and technical support.

Adrian's most recent assignment prior to joining Wind Prospect was to manage and train the GE Wind engineering team in Shanghai, providing direct engineering support for all of Asia.

His area of developed specialty has been the design of wind farms, including energy optimisation, construction and wind turbine load requirements. He has over the years also been an active participant in the development of Australia's fledgling wind industry, including two years as a member of the AusWEA board.

Carole commenced employment with Wind Prospect in July 2004. She has had over 25 years experience in all types of office duties, in particular finance, travel administration and customer service.

In her role she oversees the office administration of the Adelaide office, and supports all Adelaide staff in administration tasks. She will also be the administration person for the Wind Prospect Pty Ltd ISO 9000 quality system when it is formalised in Australia.

Michael's role in the company is to assist in the collection and analysis of wind monitoring data in South Australia. He will also be involved in the operations of the Canunda site as it comes online.

Currently he is finishing his Bachelor of Engineering combined with a Bachelor of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Adelaide University.

Ed has an academic background in both business and environmental management with an MSc from Lancaster University, UK. He has worked with Wind Prospect developing and reviewing specialist wind energy schemes in the UK.

Following a year outside the company, he is now working in the Brisbane office undertaking a similar review of the markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ricky joined Wind Prospect in February 2005 and is now working with Alex in the new Hong Kong office. He will assist Alex on potential wind power projects, working as developer for clients and also developing further business opportunities for renewable energy development.

He is Chinese, born and educated in Hong Kong. He graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Mechanical Engineering degree and later studied business at Imperial College in London for one year. His work experience involves mainly power generation related work in Hong Kong, China and the Philippines.

Louise was born and bred in Wales, UK. An experienced retail manager of a leading furniture and home accessories retailer in the UK, Louise is very much changing track with her role at Wind Prospect. Having recently migrated with her family, her aim was a complete lifestyle change away from the stresses of her demanding career, with more emphasis placed on fun and family life.

Louise is assisting Phaedra on a part time basis with some of the accounting aspects of the company.