Former AGL chief appointed to head up Transgrid

Redman, who unexpectedly exited AGL earlier this year after announcing “he could not make a long-term commitment”, will replace Paul Italiano who stepped down from the position in July after more than five years in the role.

“I’m delighted that Brett will be joining Transgrid as we continue to lead the transition to Australia’s clean energy future,” Transgrid chair Jerry Maycock said.

“Brett’s experience in managing complex change and transition issues in the energy industry and his commitment to the development of renewable and sustainable energy projects make him an excellent candidate to lead Transgrid in the new era of transformation of the energy system.

“His commercial acumen and focus on innovation will also be invaluable as we grow Transgrid’s energy services and telecommunications business, Lumea who continue to invest in new technologies including grid scale batteries, energy management systems, and the electrification of transport.”

Redman, who will take up the role on 16 November, served for more than two years as managing director and CEO of AGL Energy, the nation’s largest energy generator and a leading energy retailer of energy with more than 4.5 million customers.

That tenure came to an abrupt end in April when Redman announced he would quit the role just weeks after the energy giant announced it would split its business into two entities with separate strategies.

Prior to being appointed CEO of AGL in December 2018, Redman spent 11 years in senior leadership roles across AGL, including chief financial officer. During this time, he led major transformational investment opportunities, including the creation of the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PowAR) to kick-start large-scale wind and solar development opportunities.

Redman said Transgrid will play a pivotal role in Australia’s decarbonisation journey as the transition away from coal gathers pace.

“Transgrid is investing in world-leading technology as it builds a modern grid for Australia,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team and with local communities to deliver the projects and the innovations that will accelerate Australia’s transition to a cleaner energy future.”

Rick Francis, managing director of electricity network owner Spark Infrastructure which owns a 15% stake in Transgrid, welcomed the appointment.

“His extensive experience in the energy sector and commercial acumen makes him the ideal executive to assist TransGrid in continuing to lead the transition to Australia’s clean energy future,” he said.