EP014: Petrea Bradford, Group Executive Operations, APA Group

Petrea Bradford joins David Smith to discuss her three decade career across energy and aviation, the leadership lessons she gained guiding Qantas through COVID, and what drew her back to the energy sector. Petrea shares insights on leading a national workforce, building a strong safety culture, taking calculated career risks, and the skills needed for the future energy transition. A grounded, practical conversation on leadership, balance, and purpose in a fast changing industry.

In this episode, Dave chats with Anna Collyer — Executive Chair of the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) and one of Australia’s most respected voices on regulation, leadership, and the energy transition.

Anna shares her journey from corporate law to shaping the rules that guide Australia’s evolving energy market. We cover:

⚡ The moment a chance project during Victoria’s privatisation sparked a lifelong passion for energy
 ⚡ Breaking barriers as a young female partner and driving early diversity and inclusion reform
 ⚡ What the AEMC really does — and how its work shapes Australia’s energy future
 ⚡ The pace, complexity and opportunity of the transition to net zero
 ⚡ Why social licence, equity and innovation are vital to progress
 ⚡ Leadership lessons, family balance, and finding joy through sport and music

🎧 Episode 013 – out now!

In this episode, Dave chat with Andy McCarthy — author of Here Comes the Sun, founder and former CEO of Gippsland Solar, and a straight-talking advocate for purpose, people, and the energy transition.

Andy shares a candid journey from leaving school at 15 to building a nationally recognised solar brand in coal country, selling to RACV, and rebuilding after burnout. We cover:

⚡ The moment a single solar panel sparked a 25-year mission
⚡ Starting up in the Latrobe Valley and winning trust as “Andy from Gippsland Solar”
⚡ Scaling fast, selling to RACV, and the cost of carrying it all
⚡ Mental health, vulnerability, and building your “wolf pack”
⚡ Why jobs, skills and community buy-in matter more than slogans
⚡ Networking as a superpower for non-linear careers

⚡⚡ Episode 011 – Jack Curtis ⚡⚡

In this episode, David chats with Jack Curtis, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Neara, about navigating high-stakes career moves, building a global energy tech business, and the power of backing yourself. Jack shares his path from law to investment banking, scaling one of the world’s largest solar companies, and now leading an Australian tech startup that solves critical infrastructure challenges.

In this episode:

In this episode, David sits down with Jennifer Hughes, Executive General Manager of Delivery at Transgrid, to unpack her diverse career journey through the energy sector. Jen shares how she navigated non-linear career moves, why she’s passionate about leadership and diversity, and what excites her most about Australia’s energy transformation.

In this episode:
    🚀How a love for problem-solving led Jen into engineering

    🚀The role of mentors, risk-taking and resilience in career growth
    🚀Leading a 1000-strong team through change and innovation
    🚀Mental health, balance, and building a culture of care

    🚀Why inclusion and collaboration are essential to the energy transition

In this episode, David chats with Kane Thornton, CEO of the Clean Energy Council, about his career journey from IT into clean energy🍃💨, and the role of purpose in navigating career shifts. Kane shares what sparked his passion for renewables, the lessons from 15 years at the helm of Australia’s peak clean energy body, and why looking after your mental health matters - especially in leadership.

🎧In this episode:
    ⚡Making a career shift into the energy industry
    ⚡Leadership lessons from 15 years at the Clean Energy Council
    ⚡The power of purpose and doing work that matters
    ⚡Thoughts on diversity, inclusion, and culture change
    ⚡Mental health and staying grounded as a leader

Episode 008 featuring Mark Branson | Chief Development Officer, Voyager Renewables:

From birdwatching ecologist to leading Australia’s clean energy transformation, Mark Branson brings a refreshingly honest, grounded, and inspiring perspective to the mic in this episode of Powering Your Career.

Host David Smith dives deep with Mark on:
⚡ Building Voyager Renewables from the ground up
🌱 His career shift from environmental science into energy
💡 Lessons from the Sun Cable rollercoaster
🧠 Mental health, cold water swimming, and the value of real mateship
🌏 Why Newcastle is the beating heart of Australia’s energy transition

Mark’s journey is proof that career pivots, purpose-led leadership, and daring to dream big can all coexist—especially in the fast-moving world of renewables.

In Episode 8 of Powering Your Career, David speaks with Mark Branson, Chief Development Officer at Voyager Renewables.

Mark’s journey from ecologist to energy leader is anything but conventional. With senior roles across Australia, Asia Pacific, and the Americas—including time at SunCable, CWP Renewables, and ERM—he’s now helping drive Voyager’s mission to deliver 6 GW of onshore wind, solar, and battery projects across Australia by 2030.

In this episode, Mark shares his take on building trust with communities, why he’s always said yes to opportunity, and how he juggles leadership with being a father of five. He also opens up about what he wanted to be as a kid (spoiler: it wasn’t in energy) and how alpine skiing shaped his mindset.

An inspiring listen for anyone considering a career pivot or passionate about renewables.

In Episode 7 of Powering Your Career, Dave sits down with Heidi Sick – an inspiring and honest voice in the energy sector who was named a 'Top 100 Green Power Player'. Heidi shares her journey from growing up on the Mornington Peninsula to becoming Regional Business Line Director – Energy & Environment at AECOM. With a background in chemical engineering and a career built on saying yes to new opportunities, Heidi reflects on the twists, turns and pivots that shaped her path to executive leadership.

This episode explores:

It’s a real, down-to-earth conversation on leadership, setbacks, and self-belief – and one many of you will relate to.

Episode 006 of Powering Your Career is now live — and in this one, I sat down with Lyndon Frearson, Managing Director at Ekistica, whose unique career journey is matched only by the impact he’s having across some of the country’s most complex energy projects.

Lyndon shares his journey from working at Ford to running one of the most fascinating businesses involved in projects ranging from large-scale transmission to remote community energy systems — and everything in between. A storyteller, systems thinker, and passionate leader, Lyndon brought incredible insight and authenticity to our chat.

Here are just a few standout themes we covered: 
✅ Engineering meets purpose — how curiosity and a willingness to say “yes” shaped a fulfilling and unconventional career. 
✅ Mental health, vulnerability, and why building connection within teams is just as important as technical skill. 
✅ Why we need to rethink Australia’s “energy transition” as an industrial transformation — and the critical role people play in its success.

Lyndon’s reflections on leadership, impact and what drives him personally made this one of the most thought-provoking episodes so far.
 🎧 Tune in to the episode now at: 🔗 https://www.westrecruitment.com.au/powering-your-career-podcast