Powering Your Career
Powering Your Career Podcast 🎙️ Bringing You Insights from Australia’s Energy Leaders Welcome to the Powering Your Career Podcast, a show dedicated to exploring the energy transition and the professionals shaping its future. Hosted by David Smith, founding partner and director of West Energy and West Recruitment, this podcast delivers authentic conversations with senior leaders from Australia’s energy sector. Whether you’re an experienced energy professional or considering a career transition into the industry, this podcast will equip you with: ✅ Career development insights from top energy executives ✅ Leadership lessons in a rapidly evolving sector ✅ Perspectives on the energy transition and its challenges ✅ Mental health and wellness strategies for thriving in a high-pressure industry Why Listen to Powering Your Career? The energy transition is one of the biggest shifts in Australia’s economy, and it’s being led by people who are navigating new technologies, policies, and challenges. Our goal is to bring you real stories and actionable advice from energy leaders who have built successful careers and are shaping the future of the sector. Meet Your Host: David Smith David Smith has over 20 years of experience in executive recruitment and leads a team specializing in placing professionals across the entire energy supply chain. His passion for connecting great talent with transformative opportunities makes him the perfect host to guide you through these conversations.
Episodes
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-yea...
⚡⚡ 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 inf...
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 engi...
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:
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 env...
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 refle...
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 ...
🚀 Powering Your Career - Episode 005: Megan Fisher, CEO of EnergyLab 🎙️🔋
In this episode of Powering Your Career, host David Smith sits down with Megan Fisher, CEO and Director of EnergyLab, to discuss the future of clean energy startups, innovation, and leadership in the energy sector.
🔎 Topics Covered:
✅ Megan’s non-traditional path into energy from product development & innovation
✅ The rol...
I’m excited to share the latest episode of Powering Your Career! This time, I had the privilege of sitting down with Robert (Bob) Webster – a man whose career has spanned farming, politics, and leadership in some of Australia’s biggest energy businesses.
From serving as NSW’s Minister for Energy to chairing Endeavour Energy, Bob has had a front-row seat to decades of change in the industry. In this episode, we dive ...
Episode 3: Andy Evans – Pioneering Offshore Wind & Reinventing Careers
In this episode of Powering Your Career, David Smith sits down with Andy Evans, a trailblazer in Australia’s renewable energy sector. Andy’s career has been anything but traditional—starting in AFL, moving into law, and ultimately co-founding major offshore wind ventures like OceanEx and Star of the South.
Beyond energy, Andy is also a...
Episode 2: Leading with Curiosity & Courage – Daphne Yao, CEO of Valent Energy ⚡🎙️
In this episode of Powering Your Career, host David Smith (Founding Partner & Director, West Energy & West Recruitment) sits down with Daphne Yao, CEO of Valent Energy, to explore her incredible career journey - from corporate law to leading the charge in energy retail, infrastructure, and green hydrogen.
Daphne’...
🎙️ Powering Your Career – Episode 1 | Guy Chalkley, CEO of Endeavour Energy NSW
In this inaugural episode of Powering Your Career, host David Smith (Founding Partner & Director, West Energy & West Recruitment) sits down with Guy Chalkley, CEO of Endeavour Energy NSW, to discuss:
⚡ His career journey from accountant to energy leader
⚡ The energy transition & why people—not just technology—will ...
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