Commission membership

Commissioner - David Swift

Mr Swift was appointed as a Commissioner on 1 August 2019 and as Chairperson 1 October 2021.

Mr Swift has worked in the electricity industry for many years, initially in South Australia. He has worked on, or been involved in, the national energy markets in various roles since the late 1990’s. He is also currently the Deputy Chair of the Energy Security Board.

Mr Swift was a member of the executive leadership team of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) from its inception until 2019.  AEMO has responsibility for operating the electricity and gas markets in eastern and southern Australia and a range of planning and forecasting roles related to these markets.  Since November 2015, AEMO’s responsibilities have extended to Western Australia.
Prior to the formation of AEMO, Mr Swift was the Chief Executive of the South Australian Electricity Supply Industry Planning Council (ESIPC). He has had a strong involvement in working to integrate renewable energy into the national grid, during his time at both ESIPC and AEMO.  He led AEMO’s “Future Power System Security Program” to ensure that the security of Australia’s evolving energy markets is maintained with the changing generation mix.

Mr Swift is now the Deputy Chair of the Energy Security Board, which was established by the CoAG Energy Council to coordinate the implementation of the reform blueprint produced by Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel AO, and to provide whole of system oversight for energy security and reliability to drive better outcomes for consumers.  Additionally, he is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Cigre, the International Council on Large Electric Systems.

Acting Commissioner - Lynne Williams

Dr Williams was appointed as a Commissioner in September 2013 and as Acting Chairperson in September 2014.

Dr Williams worked as an economist in the public sector for over 30 years. She currently sits on several boards related to public policy and undertakes small consultancies.

She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in January 2017 for contributions to economic and public policy, and in March 2018 was given the Alumni of Distinction Award (Faculty of Business and Economics) for her contributions to the University of Melbourne.

Dr Williams previously held senior executive positions in both the Victorian and Federal public services, including the Victorian Treasury and Finance, Premier and Cabinet and Industry departments, and the Federal Productivity Commission and Bureau of Immigration, Multicultural and Population Research.

Dr Williams is a Commissioner with the Commonwealth Grants Commission, chairs the Victorian Judicial Entitlements Panel and is a member of the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB). She also chairs the Audit Committees for the VLSB.

Dr Williams has degrees in economics from the University of Melbourne, the London School of Economics and Monash University. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), Principle Fellow and Board member of St Hilda’s College (University of Melbourne), and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Commissioner - Garry Goddard

Mr Goddard was appointed as a Commissioner on 1 October 2021.

Mr Goddard is a professional economist, policy and regulatory analyst, and strategic commercial adviser, running his own consultancy practice.

He has over 25 years’ experience as a senior executive in both the Commonwealth and South Australian public sector and as a Ministerial Chief of Staff.  Mr Goddard is a former Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Commercial Officer at the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, where he led the successful delivery of several large and complex microeconomic reform / commercial projects.  Mr Goddard has also worked for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the strategic, regulatory and financial consultancy firm Charles River Associates Asia Pacific Pty Ltd.  He is an experienced practitioner in microeconomic reform, energy policy and regulatory processes, including economic regulation, pricing principles and access regimes.

Mr Goddard is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Social Sciences at the University of Adelaide – working mainly with the Stretton Institute of Public Policy and the Hugo Centre for Population Studies.

Mr Goddard’s tertiary qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Flinders University of South Australia and a Senior Executive Program in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Commissioner - June Roache

Ms Roache was appointed as a Commissioner in May 2014.

Ms Roache is an independent non-executive director with extensive business experience having held several senior executive roles including Chief Executive of SA Lotteries, and a number of governance roles including Vice President of the World Lottery Association and Chair of the Asia Pacific Lottery Association.

She currently holds the positions of Chair and a Board member of the South Australian Forestry Corporation, a Board member of the History Trust of SA and a Director of COTA SA.

Ms Roache has a degree in accounting from the University of South Australia, a graduate certificate in management from Monash Mt Eliza Business School and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, CPA Australia and the Institute of Managers and Leaders. 

Commissioner - Mark Darras

Mr Darras was appointed as a Commissioner on 1 January 2023.

Mr Darras is a former corporate lawyer and adviser (Ashurst Lawyers), and an experienced company director. Mark has served as a Director, and in leadership roles at various Boards including Australia Post and Australia Post Superannuation, John Holland Engineering and John Holland Queensland, and the South Australian Forestry Corporation.

Mr Darras was formerly the Chairman of the Commonwealth Government's $7billion Telecommunications Universal Services Management Agency, and has also served as a Member of the Australian Takeovers Panel.  

Prior to his appointment to the Essential Services Commission, Mr Darras was the Independent Chair of the NSW Government's Advisory Board for Strategic Release, and is currently a Director of the Southern Rural Water Board. 

 Mr Darras is from South Australia's Riverland, was schooled in Renmark and has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (University of Tasmania), a Master of Laws (ANU), and a Bachelor of Education (Uni of South Australia). 

CEO - Adam Wilson

Mr Adam Wilson has over 20 years of experience in the legal and regulatory fields, including as Chief Executive Officer for the Essential Services Commission.

Mr Wilson was previously the Director, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and prior to this practiced law and held senior positions in the legal, regulatory development and reform areas including senior roles with Attorney Generals in South Australia.

Mr Wilson also contributes internationally in the economic regulation sector, including as a keynote speaker.

Mr Wilson holds a Bachelor of Laws and Arts, and is an alumni of Oxford University SAID Business School.  

Director, Consumer Protection and Pricing - Natasha Cheshire

Natasha has over 20 years of experience working within both public and private businesses in the utility and regulatory sectors, including in banking, energy, water and economic regulation.

Natasha leads the Consumer Protection and Pricing group at the Commission, which is responsible for price regulation, access regulation, licensing, and setting consumer service and reliability standards.   

Natasha holds a Bachelor of Banking and International Finance, and is an alumni of University of Melbourne Business School and Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Director, People and Corporate - Amelia Jarrett

Amelia is an experienced executive who has worked in mental health, health and housing and been the CEO of a medium sized charity. She has demonstrated skills in managing people, major projects and organisations and enjoys supporting people to flourish at work.

Amelia leads the corporate services group at the Commission which provides workforce, finance, ICT and administrative support to the Commission. The team enables organisational effectiveness and has a strong focus on engagement and supporting a high-performance culture.

Originally Amelia started her career as a mental health Occupational Therapist before managing mental health services and then working in NSW Health and various Government departments in SA managing large scale change projects. She has post graduate qualifications in adult mental health, business and management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Director, Monitoring and Evaluation - Vicky Knighton

Vicky has 19 years of experience working within both public and private businesses in the energy and water utility sectors, with a focus on compliance and regulation.

Vicky leads the regulatory monitoring and evaluation group at the Commission, which has a focus on monitoring and verifying the performance of regulated businesses to deliver long-term benefits to consumers.

Vicky holds a Bachelor of Applied Science together with a Graduate Certificate in Business Technology.

Assistant Director, Regulatory Data and Analysis - Kim Weimer

Kim has over 20 years of experience working in the public and tertiary sectors in data analysis, organisational performance reporting, compliance and quality assurance.

Kim leads the Regulatory Data and Analysis group at the Commission, which has a focus on enhancing the Commission’s analytical capacity and capability to inform regulatory monitoring, evaluation and decision-making.   

Kim holds a Master of Science (Physics), Master of Education and Master of Business Administration.