S5 I Ep 1 I People Powering Australia’s Energy Shift I SOapbox: Voices of the Energy Transition

In the latest episode of the SOapbox podcast, our host John Bougias, Principal Consultant at Spencer Ogden, is joined by three industry leaders shaping Australia’s clean energy future: Merinda Harvey, ANZ Human Resources Business Partner at OX2 Adam Gifford, Head of Engineering at Potentia Energy Manjeet Hooda, Director of EPC at Envision Energy Together, they explore the people dynamics behind Australia’s renewable energy transformation. From skills shortages and workforce strategies to hiring challenges and international labour trends, this conversation dives into what it takes to power the energy transition and who will do it. Discussed: 03:35 – What skills are in demand across Australia’s renewable energy sector? 07:45 – Remote sites and FIFO rosters: What’s working, and how can we make these roles more appealing? 10:02 – Merinda shares the HR lens: Crafting a compelling employee value proposition 12:10 – Manjeet weighs in on why camp amenities – from food to Wi-Fi – really matter 15:51 – Retention strategies that actually work in renewables 18:00 – Building a culture of collaboration – even when teams are remote 20:17 – Matrix orgs, hybrid projects, and giving teams autonomy: Manjeet’s take on driving high performance 22:45 – Tapping into global talent: Where international skills can add immediate value 23:24 – Adam explores the balance: Transferable engineering skills vs. navigating local regulations 24:33 – Manjeet on the scale of Australia’s engineering shortage – and the need for smarter migration policy 25:53 – Merinda on relocating global talent: What works and what doesn’t 28:17 – Are we investing enough in homegrown talent development? 29:06 – Scholarships, paid internships, and early pipeline building: Adam’s real-world example 29:46 – Manjeet highlights the growing gap in skilled and unskilled blue-collar roles You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

In the latest episode of the SOapbox podcast our host Mindy Prefling, and guest host Ella Cann, Team Manager at Spencer Ogden is joined by Copia’s Chief Development Officer, Ryan Galeria and Amber Rogers, Senior Manager for People & Culture.  With many companies announcing a return to office for four or five days a week and a move away from the hybrid split, what does this look like from a company culture perspective? That is what we explore in this episode: re-creating that office culture, introducing the culture to new hires, advice for dispersed workforces and what companies can do to cultivate a deep and lasting culture.  Discussed: 01:18- The workforce and workplace post-COVID 02:50- How companies can make the return to office transition smoother while keeping employees motivated 06:40- What does ‘fun’ look like in the office?  07:30- The meaning of company culture in today’s environment and how to introduce it to new hires 09:20- Advice for candidates to assess cultural fit during an interview 12:55- How to communicate culture to candidates so that candidates feel excited and aligned with the company’s mission 21:17- Advice to someone joining a business with a dispersed workforce  22:50- How companies can ensure new joiners adapt to the company culture 30:40- What companies can do to cultivate a deep and lasting culture 34:54- Culture eats strategy for breakfast  36:10- Activities and traditions that Ryan has seen work well to create a positive office environment 46:06- Creating a culture that’s more than just happy hours and social events You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

In the latest episode of the SOapbox podcast our host Mindy Prefling , is joined by industry experts Doseke Akporiaye, Executive Director, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) and Zoe Berkery, COO, CleanCapital. They examine the renewable energy industry through a DEI lens, looking at the progress made, challenges and further opportunities. The conversation explores if organizations are pulling back on initiatives, why it makes business sense to invest in DEI, how AI might be utilized and the success of CleanCapital and WRISE’s very own initiatives. Discussed: 00:57 – The current trends and challenges in achieving DEI in the industry 09:14 – Are organizations pulling back on initiatives?13.45 – Is there a lack of policy in the industry17.07 – Ways DEI initiatives have been implemented in the last 5 years and the impact 23.15 – How AI is being utilized to promote DEI 26.40 – The benefits of diversity in the workplace 30.34 – Key milestones our guests would like to see in the industry moving forward35.14 – The DEI transition is like the energy transition 40.38 – CleanCapital's allyship and internship programmes 44.59 – WRISE’s industry initiatives You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

Mindy Prefling is joined by Jade Scheele from Vestas, Karlis Povisils from Apex Clean Energy and Melissa Peterson from Ørsted, who share their professional experiences, personal growth stories, and strategic insights into servant leadership and recruitment within the fast-paced world of renewable energy.They discuss... ▶ Strategies for effective recruitment ▶ The importance of servant leadership ▶ How to build and sustain high-performance teams ▶ Tips on navigating career growth and development Why listen? ▶ Gain insights into the intricacies of team dynamics in a rapidly evolving industry ▶ Learn from the experiences of industry leaders, the challenges of team building and how these lessons can be applied to your own career path ▶ Understand what it takes to build and lead high-performing teams You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

Mindy is joined by Karlis Povisils, SVP of Development at Apex Clean Energy to discuss how to effectively lead a team to success. Karlis has been responsible for building his team from the ground up which now stands at 60 people so it’s safe to say he has a lot of valuable experience to share on this topic! He discusses his journey with building that team including the challenges he faced and what he learnt along the way.You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

In our next episode of SOapbox, we explore unconscious bias and how we can work to get rid of our own unconscious bias especially when it comes to hiring.  Katya Weaklim, HR Director, North America Envision Digital discusses her own personal battles with being a victim of unconscious bias and how we can start to break old traditions when it comes to hiring.  You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

Episode 2 of Season 3 see’s Mindy sit down with Chelsea Stone, Vice President, Service Commercial in North America at Vestas.  This insightful episode covers the importance of representation in the renewables industry and the challenges that come with moving into a leadership role. Chelsea discusses her personal challenges and what she had to unlearn in order to develop in her career. Find out what it was by listening.  You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

Season 3 kicks off with a discussion around the importance of diversity when developing your team.  In this episode, Mindy is joined by Nova Clean Energy’s, Head of Development, Jenn Goodwillie who discusses how the renewables market is still in the process of developing a diverse talent pool and how companies within renewables can start to make small changes to help this pool grow and develop.  You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

This insightful conversation covers leadership, being vulnerable in a modern corporate environment, learning you can’t have control over everything, and growing your confidence. Georgia has been with Spencer Ogden since she started in the Academy in Singapore in 2014. Since then, she’s worked her way up to Associate Director (New York) at Spencer Ogden, where she manages a team of more than 40 people. Listen along for an inspiring story of career growth.You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.

How do you merge two great organizations without sacrificing team morale?Find out now on season 2 episode 6 of the SOapbox Series, featuring Steve Doyon, CEO of Onward Energy.Onward Energy was formed after the successful merger of Novatus Energy and Southwest Generation. Steven tells us all about how to lead a growing team during a time of major change.You can listen to and download the SOapbox from most popular podcast apps, subscribe so the latest episodes are directly available. Follow us on LinkedIn for more industry leading content in the energy sector.