Latest news with #Chalkley
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Wired For Change: Endeavour Energy's Strategy For A Net-Zero Future
Between now and 2030, the energy network will change faster than it did in the last century. That's according to Guy Chalkley, CEO of Endeavour Energy. Chalkley was sharing his thoughts on navigating the energy transition at the recent SAP for Energy and Utilities 2025 conference in Rotterdam. 'Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision, and change,' he said, quoting Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group. The topic of aviation was clearly on his mind—perhaps because he lives in a country where it takes five hours to fly from one side to the other. Endeavour Energy, the major network operator in New South Wales, Australia, delivers electricity to over 2.7 million people across the eastern coast of the country. 'We've typically added about 20,000 new customers each year,' Chalkley said. 'But what's really benefited Endeavour lately is a strong push—both from the federal and state governments—to move more people to Western Sydney.' Chalkley went on to explain that in ten years, 7 out of 10 new jobs and 7 out of 10 new residents will be based in Western Sydney. 'But it's not just about moving people—they're building the full infrastructure to support the move,' he said. 'A big part of this is the new Western Sydney International airport, which is acting as a major catalyst for all the development happening in the area.' Most airports are located in the middle of cities, so flights usually stop by 11 p.m. due to noise restrictions. Building a new airport in Western Sydney changes that. The new airport will operate 24/7 and be a major logistics hub. Amazon has already set up its central Australian distribution center there, along with many major supermarket distributors. The new airport will also open up access for international airlines, which currently struggle to get landing slots at Sydney's main airport. In addition, a brand-new city—Bradfield—is being developed around the airport and is expected to grow rapidly. The new airport is a transformative project for Australia's logistics and freight sectors, offering enhanced capacity, continuous operations, and integration with broader economic initiatives in the region. All of these developments come with a substantial demand for energy. Managing a complex energy system Endeavour Energy The energy ecosystem is complex. It includes transmission infrastructure to transport energy from generators such as wind or solar farms to supply stations. It includes electricity distributors such as Endeavour Energy to transport energy from the supply stations to the local substations, as well as retailers who handle billing and invoicing. It now also includes privately generated power and distributed energy resources (DER) to manage electricity that is generated and shared locally. With the rise of solar panels and home batteries, many households are now playing a direct role in creating and distributing energy. DER refers to the devices that can generate, store, and control energy to ensure its consumption at a particular time. The contribution of a single household to the network might seem insignificant, but the combined energy flow can have a significant impact on the network load. In this new scenario, energy is flowing two ways—from the customer to the network and vice versa, creating a challenge for traditional networks that were not designed for the two-way flow of power. Many adjustments are required to smooth the flows of fluctuating power and ensure power reliability. However, DER offers great benefits. When well managed, it allows more renewable power onto the network, which is often cost-effective. 'We are leveraging technology and data to plan the grid of the future where batteries, microgrids and solar integrate seamlessly with the traditional distribution network to power communities for a brighter future,' Chalkley explained. The company supplies an area over 25,000 square kilometers, with more than 430,000 power poles and streetlight columns, 202 major substations, and 32,600 distribution substations. They are all connected by nearly 60,600 kilometers of underground and overhead cables, more than the distance from Sydney to London and back. The network also integrates with renewable energy sources including 200,000 residential solar connections, industrial solar and embedded large-scale batteries. 'We're working with customers, stakeholders, and regulators to help deliver a clean energy future where smart meters, batteries, and solar enable customers to generate, store, and sell back electricity into the grid,' he said. For this reason, the company is deploying more than 80 community batteries throughout the network to alleviate some of the pressure on energy costs while increasing access to renewable energy. Chalkley highlighted the fact that such a vast network can't be reliable without being resilient to climate change. 'There's a growing dependence in society on electricity as we electrify everything,' he said. 'We have a detailed strategy for making our networks resilient against weather events like floods, bushfires, and increasing urban heat.' At Endeavour Energy, resilience is defined by the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover, and learn from major disruptive events. The resilience strategy includes: To achieve this level of resilience the company's strategy is fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 'From a distribution perspective, we're in a good place to actually effect change, as we're probably the link that allows other businesses to change,' Chalkley concluded. Because sustainability is not just an environmental issue, the company is engaging more with the community and customers. It is also investing heavily in innovation and in employee training to build the necessary skills and mindset for the future. Prepping for a net-zero future Endeavour Energy 'As a distribution company, our goal is to facilitate the transition to renewable energy to secure a more sustainable future,' he said.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairfax India names Debbie Chalkley as new CFO
Fairfax India Holdings has appointed Debbie Chalkley as chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately. Chalkley has been a part of the Fairfax organisation for more than 13 years, most recently serving as the CFO at Onlia Insurance. Prior to this, she held various roles at Northbridge Financial, including as vice-president in both the finance and information technology departments. The current CFO of Fairfax India, Amy Sherk, has been named as the CFO of Fairfax, the controlling shareholder of Fairfax India. Sherk will continue to play a role at Fairfax India as vice-president, ensuring a smooth transition for Chalkley and contributing to the company's long-term growth. Fairfax India founder Prem Watsa said: 'Fairfax India is fortunate to have had the benefit of Amy's leadership, expertise, dedication and financial acumen for the past six years. I have no doubt Amy will continue to thrive in her new role as CFO of Fairfax. 'We are also excited to welcome Debbie to the Fairfax India team and look forward to working with her during the next phase of Fairfax India's growth. As I have said many times, we are lucky to have the executive depth within the Fairfax family to continue to execute sound succession planning.' Fairfax India invests in public and private equity securities and debt instruments in India and Indian businesses, or other businesses with customers, suppliers or business primarily carried out in, or dependent on, India. The company disclosed a net loss of $41.2m (C$59.41m) for the fiscal year 2024, a stark contrast to net earnings of $371.8m in 2023. Meanwhile, Fairfax Financial, the controlling shareholder of Fairfax India, reported a decline in net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2024, with a 14.7% decrease to $1.15bn from $1.32bn in the same quarter of the previous year. The full-year figures also reflected a downturn, with net earnings falling by 19% to $4.2bn in 2024 from $5bn in 2023. However, operating income for property and casualty insurance and reinsurance increased to $6.5bn in 2024, up from $5.7bn the previous year. "Fairfax India names Debbie Chalkley as new CFO " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Campaign ME
17-02-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Ogilvy appoints Deputy CCO for EMEA, new Creative Lead for Ogilvy UK
Ogilvy has appointed André (Dedé) Laurentino, the current Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy UK, as the Deputy CCO for Ogilvy EMEA. His role will be to support key creative efforts across fifty offices in thirty five countries, alongside Dr. Stephan Vogel, Regional CCO for Ogilvy EMEA. Additionally, Laurentino will continue to serve as Global Creative Lead for Nestlé, one of the agency's largest and longest-standing global clients. Also, Ogilvy UK's Chief Executive Creative Director Jules Chalkley will assume oversight for Ogilvy UK's creative department. Laurentino has served as CCO of Ogilvy UK and a member of Ogilvy's Worldwide Creative Council since 2018, having initially joined Ogilvy UK in 2014 as Global ECD for Unilever. During his tenure, working in close partnership with Jules Chalkey Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy, said, 'Dedé and Jules are a brilliant creative force, and their partnership over the past several years has been instrumental to Ogilvy UK's creative resurgence. Dedé's global perspective and award-winning track record make him the perfect choice to partner with Stephan as he continues to drive our creative partnership with Nestlé.' 'Jules' deep understanding of the UK market, coupled with his passion for creating work that truly connects with people, makes him the ideal leader to continue Ogilvy UK's creative momentum. Nothing makes me happier than seeing both step into expanded roles within our network where they can truly expand their impact and influence,' Taylor added. Born in Brazil, Laurentino spent a decade as one of the country's most awarded art directors before transitioning to copywriting in 2003, quickly earning equal acclaim and accolades. His international career has seen him craft award-winning campaigns for a diverse range of global brands, earning him 43 Cannes Lions, as well as numerous Clios, D&AD and One Show pencils. Laurentino, said, ' I'm beyond thrilled to join Stephan and Patou in leading EMEA, a region that has consistently delivered outstanding creative work for Ogilvy. It's a dream come true. And to continue to work with Nestlé, and so many of their iconic brands, makes me see creative opportunities anywhere I look. Don't pinch me, or I might wake up.' Chalkley, also one of the most awarded creatives globally, assumes responsibility for Ogilvy UK's creative product at a time of great momentum for the agency. Since joining, Chalkley has been instrumental in driving culturally relevant and impactful work. Prior to Ogilvy, Chalkley created celebrated campaigns for IKEA, M&S, Land Rover, Virgin Atlantic, Missing Type and Made in the Royal Navy. Chalkley, said, 'Ogilvy is a global icon of creativity and London has an incredible new energy. To be a part of that and to lead one of the most creatively diverse communities in the UK and to drive our cultural relevance is a wonderful opportunity.' Under Laurentino's and Chalkley's creative leadership the UK agency also diversified their client portfolio, adding brands such as Molson Coors, Dulux, Pets at Home and Valeo Foods to their roster. A testament to their creative excellence are campaigns including 'Maaate' for the Mayor of London, which garnered two Grand Prix awards and the prestigious Grand Prix of all Grand Prix at The Drum Awards, Jameson, Coca Cola at the Olympics, Sipsmith, Relate and many more. James Murphy, CEO, Ogilvy Group UK, concluded, 'I'd like to thank Dedé for his incredible contribution to Ogilvy UK and I'm thrilled to be working more closely with Jules, whom I've known and admired for years. His leadership and creative vision will be invaluable as we continue to deliver impactful and effective work for our clients.'
