New President “energised by opportunities”
The energy transition presents challenges and opportunities, and the Energy Club of WA has a vital role to play in positively shaping the transformation, says incoming President Bernadette Cullinane.
“I can’t think of another time when energy was so much at the forefront of focus and action. It’s on the front page of newspapers across the world, the subject of much-impassioned discussion and debate, and central to the strategies of companies going forward” Bernadette said.
“I am very excited to the elected as the 44th President in the club’s 57-year history. I want to recognise all the past Presidents and their role in making the club into the outstanding organisation that it is today. I would like to sincerely thank the most recent President, Dario Bongiovanni, the officers, governors and the management team for their support and confidence. I look forward to building on the momentum that Dario and the team have put into the club and its major pillars including education, building the pool of talent for the industry and embracing diversity and inclusion.”
Bernadette has extensive experience in the energy sector and is currently the Energy, Resource and Industrials Industry Leader and Energy & Chemicals Sector Leader for Deloitte Australia.
She has more than 30 years of experience across the energy, chemicals and resources value chain and has held senior roles in the industry including with Exxon Company International, Esso Singapore and Accenture.
Bernadette is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a member of Chief Executive Women and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. She has an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York City and has BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering.
Arriving in Australia in 2007 – “just as the LNG boom started” – Bernadette said that when she heard about the then Petroleum Club of WA, she envisaged something akin to the Petroleum Club of Houston: “I thought it was going to be a place of white tablecloths and mainly men discussing deals over lunch.”
She was pleasantly surprised. “I was greeted by a welcoming and social environment,” Bernadette said. “It was lively, and people were always willing to introduce themselves. Over the years, I made a habit of going to as many industry dinners as I possibly could. I always learned something important and useful at the club – insights into new projects, trends, investments, challenges.”
Bernadette became a Life Member in April 2020 and commented that was a recognition she deeply treasures. “The club changed its name to the Energy Club of WA two years ago to reflect the expanding and diversifying horizons of energy and embrace its many new, lower carbon forms that are now becoming technically and economically viable,” Bernadette said.
“The April dinner – The State of Renewables in WA – with guest speakers from the emerging offshore wind and renewable hydrogen industries was a perfect example of the energy evolution.
“I am excited and energised by the opportunities that lie ahead for the Energy Club. We have an important role to play in shaping the future, and I am confident that, working together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact.