executive committee
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AACC PRESIDENT
Christina Staib is a Senior Client Engagement Lead for the Global CCS Institute, an international non-profit climate change think tank. Ms. Staib previously spent time in energy finance as well as more than 20 years at a major environmental, engineering, and construction consulting firm, most recently as Vice President, Unconventional Oil & Gas. She has held global strategic, business development, and client management roles in oil & gas and other business sectors in the US and Australia. Christina is a graduate of the Florida State University (B.S. Civil Engineering), a Professional Engineer – Civil (Florida), and has a Certificate in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School (BGI Seattle). She has lived in Adelaide and Perth. Christina serves as President for the Australian American Chamber of Commerce - Houston Texas. |
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AACC VICE PRESIDENT & INTERIM BUSINESS PROGRAMS DIRECTOR
Bruce Rutherford is an International Director within JLL’s Tenant Representation practice, and serves as the Global Energy Practice leader for the firm. With over 30 years of experience, his detailed knowledge of the energy industry, Bruce is considered the foremost expert on the energy industry in the corporate real estate services sector. His specific skills include tenant representation, lease restructuring, real estate master planning, monetization of real estate and purchase to lease transactions. Drawing on his experience in business consulting, Mr. Rutherford is an expert in creating real estate solutions to complex business problems. He has applied his expertise in tenant representation, lease restructuring, and offshoring to numerous industries including insurance, banking, law, energy, energy services, and telecom. He has managed city and regional master plans totaling more than 33 million square feet of corporate and regional headquarters transactions. Mr. Rutherford’s expansive market experience includes North America and Asia Pacific, including Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Japan and China, where he has managed JLL business units and client relationships. |
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AACC TREASURER
Paul Habelko is the Manager of Non-operated Joint Ventures for Major Capital Projects in the Gulf of Mexico for Chevron USA Inc. Paul graduated from the Australian National University, Canberra in 1981 with a B.Sc. (with Honours) in Geology. He also holds an MBA from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia and INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France. Upon graduation Paul joined Exxon as a Geophysicist. After completing his MBA at INSEAD in 1991 he worked for Gaffney, Cline and Associates, London, as Senior Consultant in the international energy arena and was engaged on numerous assignments globally including projects for the World Bank and major financial institutions. He joined Statoil (now Equinor) in Stavanger, Norway in 1993 as the Manager of Strategic Planning for the company’s International Exploration and Production division. Later he was the International New Ventures Manager and then Commercial Manager for Eastern Europe. Paul joined Chevron Corporation in 2002 as Commercial Manager for the North West Shelf LNG Project in Perth, Australia. He has since been Manager of Strategy and Planning, Global Gas, in San Ramon, California; and the Manager of the Clair and Jade Fields, Aberdeen, Scotland. He took up his current position in 2015 in which capacity he oversees the company’s non-operated Major Capital Projects in the Gulf of Mexico, including the Mad Dog and Whale field developments. Paul is a long standing member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). Although they “still call Australia home”, Paul and his wife Joanne and their two sons Frederick and Theo, reside in Houston, Texas. |
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AACC SECRETARY
Richard Gibbs was born in Australia and graduated from Melbourne University in 1986 in Genetics and Radiation Biology. He moved to the USA to Baylor College of Medicine, where he performed key work on the molecular characterization of human genetic disease and provided an early leadership role for the Human Genome Project (HGP). In 1997 he founded the BCM Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC), one of five main groups to complete the HGP. The HGSC then led many genome projects for model species and contributed to the Mammalian Gene Collection, the Hapmap Project, the 1000 Genomes Project and the Cancer Genome Atlas. Since 2005, the group pioneered Personal Genomics, beginning with the personal genome sequences of James Watson and James Lupski and then developing the now ubiquitously used DNA exome capture technologies to create the first Genetics Diagnostics Laboratory to be based on whole gene sequencing. The group has made innumerable Mendelian disease gene discoveries and is now focused on accelerating clinical translation of genomics in adult care, via cardiovascular disease risk testing. Gibbs was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2011 and was recognized as one of the 400 most influential biomedical scientists in the world in 2013 (Eur J. Clin. Invest. 2014). |
board of directors
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Stacy L. Feltham is the Head of Legal for BHP’s Petroleum company, the global upstream oil and gas division of an integrated petroleum and mining company. She leads a legal department that provides strategic guidance, delivers legal advice, and manages risk for BHP’s operations, with lawyers located in Houston, Perth, Tucson, San Diego and Mexico City. She is a trusted advisor on complex oil exploration, development and production ventures and has significant international government negotiation experience.
Before joining BHP, Stacy worked 10 years with ExxonMobil and before that a regional law firm in Canada. Stacy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, a Law degree from the University of Alberta in Canada, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Long Island University in New York. She has been a member of Boards and Committees for various legal associations such as the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and the Canadian Petroleum Law Foundation, and charitable organizations such as Stages Repertory Theatre and the American Heart Association. |
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AACC CULTURAL PROGRAMS DIRECTOR
Sean Hanrahan is the founder and Managing Partner of Platypus Brewing, a craft brewery and brewpub established in 2016 and located in Houston Texas. Prior to the establishment of the brewery Sean spent 18 years with BHP and independent management consulting working in both Australia and USA in the capacity as a commercial executive and Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestments. Sean has over 27 years’ experience across a multitude of natural resource commodities including oil and gas, copper, uranium, gold, silver and metallurgical coal. Prior to BHP Sean worked in Chartered Accounting in Brisbane, Australia. Sean graduated from QUT, Brisbane Australia, with a Bachelor of Business degree (Distinction), subsequently completed a Masters of Business Administration with a major in international finance, and is a member of CPA Australia. |
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Nicholas Gole is Head of Energy Principal Investments for Macquarie Capital’s Infrastructure and Energy Group in the Americas. In this role Nicholas is responsible for balance sheet investments by Macquarie Capital in the energy sector across the Americas.
Nicholas has participated in numerous transactions as both principal investor and financial advisor, these transactions have included both development and operating assets across a broad range of sectors. Most recently Nicholas was lead on the Gulf Coast Ammonia project where Macquarie Capital was both the developer and financial advisor in a first of kind petrochemical transaction. Further Nicholas was a lead advisor to Freeport LNG on their development of three liquefaction trains on Quintana Island Texas, which closed in late 2014 and represents one of the largest non-recourse project financing in recent years.” |
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Sean Kelleher is the Senior Group Director of Finance for Worley in the America’s. In this role Mr. Kelleher is the Operational CFO responsible for providing finance and commercial services as well as business partnering support to operational leaders for Worley’s businesses throughout the USA, Canada, Central and South America. Prior to this Sean was responsible for the Major Projects and Integrated Solutions businesses globally. Sean has over 15 Years’ experience across a multitude of energy sectors including Oil and Gas, Minerals and Metals, Power and New Energy and has experience with consulting efforts through to major capital projects.
Prior to Worley Mr. Kelleher held numerous senior finance positions with GrainCorp in Australia. Sean holds a Bachelor of Business degree (Accounting) from the University of New England and is a member of CPA Australia. |
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AACC SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR
Colin McHattie is Director of Technical Assessment for Halliburton's Integrated Asset Management group, based in Houston Texas. He is responsible for evaluating and developing worldwide oil and gas projects for which Halliburton can provide consulting, project management, oilfield services, and funding. These projects include mature and underdeveloped conventional oil & gas fields as well as new unconventional plays. Colin graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Geology) from the University of Western Australia and has 37 years of petroleum industry experience in technical and commercial functions, business development, large-scale oil, gas, and LNG project development, emerging technologies, prospect generation, reservoir characterization, field development, and asset management in over 30 countries. Colin served on the AACC Energy Conference committee 2011-15 (Co-chairman 2012-14), and on the AACC Board of Directors since 2013. |
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Eric Schmauch is the new Regional Sales Director for United Airlines based in Houston, Texas. In this role, Mr. Schmauch will oversee the corporate sales & strategy for the company’s long-time hometown hub in Houston as well as expanding geography including Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Although growing up in Missouri City, TX, Mr. Schmauch has spent most of his United career in the Midwest in various leadership positions. Most recently leading the Rocky Mountain Sales effort as well as their worldwide Specialty Sales area including Meeting and Incentive, Government and Military, University Sales, as well as developing a brand-new industry leading Acquisition sales team focused solely on new business development. Prior to that he was the Director of Sales in Chicago as well as 23 years in various other leadership positions for Continental Airlines. Schmauch has been on the Board of Directors of the Houston First Corporation for several years, has been married to his wife Mary for 29 years, and they have two wonderful children, Veronica and EJ who both live in Dallas. |
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Dietrich Von Biedenfeld is Assistant Professor/Chair at the Marilyn Davies College of Business at the University of Houston – Downtown (UHD), specializing in business law, supply chain management and business ethics in the Faculty of General Business, Marketing and Supply Chain Management.
Dietrich is serving his fifth term on the West Columbia City Council, first elected in 2012, and is currently Mayor Pro Tem. Dietrich is Past President of the Brazoria County Cities Association and is a trustee at Columbia United Methodist Church. In 2018 Governor Greg Abbott appointed Dietrich to the Public Transportation Advisory Committee for the State of Texas, and previously he served a four-year term on the Texas State Council on Purchasing from People with Disabilities. Dietrich received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Houston and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi. Dietrich has appeared on the local Fox 26 Isiah Factor current affairs show and local NPR radio numerous times to discuss current events and recently to discuss race relations including commentating for NPR’s live stream of Houston’s organized march in early June. |
ex officio board members
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AUSTRALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL & SENIOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT COMMISSIONER AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT AND TRADE COMMISSION (AUSTRADE)
Benson Saulo is a descendant of the Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara Indigenous nations of Western Victoria, and New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea. Mr Saulo is the first Indigenous person to be appointed an Australian Consul-General. Mr Saulo has a background in banking, investments and social impact. As Consul-General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Mr Saulo is the Americas industry lead for Health, and leads the health team across the US, Mexico and Canada. Prior to his appointment, Mr Saulo was the Head of Partnerships - Investments at Australian Unity a Wealth and Capital Markets business. Mr Saulo’s focus was exploring private investing into Indigenous businesses to scale their impact through employment, financial empowerment and governance. In 2011, Benson was appointed the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations in which he undertook a national engagement tour to gain a deeper understanding of issues impacting Australian youth. Benson then represented Australian youth at the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly as an accredited member of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Mr Saulo became the founding director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy (NIYLA), which engages young Indigenous Australians to develop and drive youth- led social action campaigns relating to suicide prevention, climate change, mental health and welcoming refugee and asylum seekers. Mr Saulo was selected to participate in the U.S. State Department’s International Leaders Program that enabled him to engage First Nation’s groups to explore leadership, economic development and cultural opportunities. Mr Saulo’s work across business and community impact has been recognized as a finalist for Young Australian of the Year (VIC), Australian Human Rights Commission Medal for Youth and 2012 NAIDOC Youth of the Year – recognizing emerging Indigenous leaders. |
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Melissa Hutchings took up the post of Australian Deputy-Consul General Houston in December 2020. She has been posted previously as First Secretary (Political/Economic) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between 2012-2016.
Melissa has a legal background, starting practice in Melbourne in a boutique banking and finance firm before moving to London in 1997 (where she met her husband Noel) for four years. Upon returning to Australia in late 2001, Melissa set up her own property law firm in country Victoria. After taking a 2.5 year break (during which Melissa and Noel travelled around New Zealand, China, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, France and South America), in 2009 Melissa joined the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as a specialist legal adviser. While in OTN, Melissa was a negotiator on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (now CPTPP) and the Australia-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement. During this time, she was also responsible for providing legal advice to the government on Australia’s free trade agreement commitments and implementation. After her 3.5 year posting to Kuala Lumpur, Melissa joined the Europe Trade and Brexit Unit, and then became a Senior Analyst in the Global Watch Office (a 24/7 monitoring and response unit to crises or major developments overseas that may affect Australians or Australian interests). |
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HONORARY CONSUL EMERITUS OF AUSTRALIA
Nana Booker AM was Australia’s first Honorary Consul Emeritus, after having served as Honorary Consul of Australia for the State of Texas from December 1999 until 31 March 2015, and the opening of the Australian Consulate-General in Houston. She was named a Member of the Order of Australia in April 2005. Prior to her appointment as Honorary Consul, she had a lengthy career in public relations and marketing, as well as in government service and academia. Since 2002, she has owned Booker-Lowe Gallery, now the oldest and largest Aboriginal art gallery in the Americas. She is a Chancellor of the Consular Corps College, serves on the Board of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s Glassell School and Houston Grand Opera, and is an advisor to international and arts organizations. |
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AACC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Amy Conacher has been the Executive Director of the AACC since 2017, and has a strong personal connection with both Australia and the US having lived in both countries for 15+ years. Amy was born in Ohio, but spent 20 years overseas living in Jakarta and Perth before moving to Houston in 1997. Amy completed her Bachelor of Arts at Edith Cowan University in Perth then completed her Bachelor of Education (Honors) at Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle. Prior to the Chamber, Amy spent 20 years working in the education field as a teacher, trainer, consultant and business owner. Her US job experience at such companies as Heinemann Publishing, STEPS Professional Development and Dragonfly Educational Consulting prepared her well for her work with the Chamber as she has always worked with Australians (and is married to one!). Amy is also active on several non-profit boards in the Houston area. |
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