Audrey Zibelman, CEO and Managing Director of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), has announced her plan to step down at the end of 2020.
Ms Zibelman has led AEMO for nearly four years, and is leaving AEMO to take up a newly-created leadership role at X, the moonshot factory – a subsidiary entity of Alphabet Inc, the parent entity of Google.
Ms Zibelman will be leading an early stage team working to develop new technologies to enable safe, reliable and affordable clean energy.
“It has been a great privilege to lead AEMO as Australia experiences and embraces a rapid transformation of the generation mix,” Ms Zibelman said.
“Understanding, confronting and solving the myriad new challenges the energy transition requires is a vital task and one AEMO is playing a leading role in addressing.
“AEMO is an amazing organisation and what Australia is learning and accomplishing through the energy transformation is critical not only for our nation, but is being watched by the rest of the world.
“The decision to leave my colleagues here and the many friends I have made both in and out of the industry in Australia was far from easy.
“However, what I have learned in Australia is how important advanced computing, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is to our industry.
“The opportunity to support these needs as part of the team at X is for me a compelling opportunity to support the power sector both here and globally as we navigate to greater electrification of our economy and a diverse, decarbonised power system.”
AEMO Chairman, Drew Clarke, said, “The AEMO Board is very sorry to see Audrey leave. She has been an outstanding leader through a time of significant change and has made a major contribution to the Australian energy transition.
“We wish Audrey every success in her new global energy role.”
The board will commence a search for her successor immediately.
