Board of Directors
Mr Russell Higgins AO is the Chair of the Board of the Global CCS Institute and brings extensive corporate and government experience in the energy sector in Australia and internationally. He is a non-executive director of APA Group, Telstra Corporation Limited and SunRice Limited and was Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources from 1997 to 2002. He also led the APEC work in the energy sphere for many years.
Ms Tina McMeckan brings to the Global CCS Institute substantial energy market experience, having served on the boards of a number of energy-related corporations, including Alinta Ltd, United Energy Ltd and Snowy Hydro Trading Pty Ltd.
Dr Makoto Akai of Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology brings a great deal of technical knowledge and expertise associated with the energy sector and specifically carbon capture and storage.
A further four members will be appointed to the skills-based board once formal operations of the Global CCS Institute commence.
CEO
Nick Otter is the CEO of the Global CCS Institute, an Australian Government funded initiative to accelerate the deployment of CCS technologies, worldwide.
Nick's experience in the energy and environment sector spans 37 years. In this time, he has facilitated the development of environmental technologies relating to carbon capture and storage, and emissions reductions.
Prior to his work at the Global CCS Institute, Nick held a senior, strategic role as the Director of Technology and External Affairs within ALSTOM Power, a major world-wide supplier of power generation equipment, systems and services.
Nick acted as an energy advisor to the UK Government for over a decade. He also chaired the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Carbon Abatement Technologies for fossil fuel that has been actively involved in setting the UK strategy for CCS.
In this role he was also the UK Technical representative of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, an international charter targeting the exploitation of CCS attended by 23 countries.
For several years, Nick has had a strong involvement with the European Commission. In this capacity, he worked on energy and environment related issues and advised on the content and direction of the Energy Framework Research Programmes and those for the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.
Nick was also heavily involved in the creation and operation of the ZEP European Technology Platform on Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plant which had a significant impact on the European policy actions on CCS.
Nick was awarded an OBE for services to the energy industry in January 2003.
International Advisory Panel (IAP)
James Wolfensohn was appointed to be the global ambassador for the Global CCS Institute in April 2009.
James Wolfensohn (1933) is Chairman of Wolfensohn & Company, LLC, Chairman of Citigroup International Advisory Board (since 2006), and Adviser to Citigroup's senior management on global strategy and on international matters.
In 2006, Mr. Wolfensohn established the Wolfensohn Center for Development at The Brookings Institution to pursue his interest in lifting people out of poverty in the developing world by linking knowledge and action with real, scaled up, and lasting impact.
Mr. Wolfensohn was President of the World Bank Group (1995-2005). He was Special Envoy for Gaza disengagement for the quartet of the Middle East (2005-06), President and CEO of James D. Wolfensohn Inc., Executive Partner of Salomon Brothers, New York, Executive Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Schroders, London, President of J. Henry Schroders Banking Corporation, New York and Managing Director of Darling & Co., Australia. He is Chairman Emeritus of the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC (1996) and of Carnegie Hall. He was Chairman of the board of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University (1986-2007). He is an Honorary Trustee of the Brookings Institution and was Chairman of the Finance Committee and Director of the Rockefeller Foundation, member of the board of Rockefeller University and Director of the Population Council, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Century Association in New York. Mr. Wolfensohn was President of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Society and Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Fellow of the American Philosophical Society. He has B.A. and LL.B. degrees from the University of Sydney and a M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Business. Mr. Wolfensohn is the recipient of many national and international medals and awards in recognition of his public service and his support for the arts.