New South Wales Chapter

Hydrogen Society of Australia has assembled experts from New South Wales to foster the local and national development of the hydrogen technology, infrastructure, and knowledge.

If you would like to become a part of the HSA New South Wales chapter please contact: Cedric Pierson at contact@hydrogensociety.org.au

New South Wales Chapter Committee Members

Charles James

NSW Chapter Lead
Analyst in Consulting, Deloitte (Alliances and Ecosystems)

Charles, an Analyst specializing in Alliances and Ecosystems within Deloitte's Consulting division in Sydney, actively supports initiatives fostering sustainable solutions. He provided valuable assistance to hydrogen-related proposals in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle for NSW.
Within Deloitte, Charles plays a role in advancing GENAI products, contributing to feature prioritization efforts and aiding in the internal strategy development for enhancing alliances and technology vendor relationships.
Formerly an Analyst in Commercial Banking at CBA, Charles holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance and Banking. Beyond his professional pursuits, he indulges in car mechanics, professional photography, and sports. His passions encompass entrepreneurship, innovation, and renewable energy, reflecting his commitment to sustainability and staying at the forefront of advancements in his field.

Dr. Ian Birkby

CEO, AZoNetwork
Ian is a second time around entrepreneur, who founded Dynamic-Ceramic in 1992 and led the company through to a successful exit in 1997. AZoNetwork was established in 2000 in Sydney Australia. www.AZoNetwork.com is a leading Marketing as a Service Platform (MaaS) that helps commercial science organisations amplify their online message. The company operates a suite of science and technology based websites that generated 90m+ unique visitors in 2023 and has a subscriber base of over 1m scientists, engineers and related technologists.
Ian has a first-class honours degree in Engineering Metallurgy and Ph.D. in Engineering Ceramics and Tribology.
Ian's a former member of the Institute of Materials, Materials Strategy Commission and the UK's Institute of Ceramics. He also served as Chairman of Medilink North West (a medical devices consortium) and is a former Director of the Australian Nano Business Forum.
When not indulging in his passion for all things webby, techy and digital he can still be seen running around the soccer field trying desperately to emulate his Leeds United heroes from the 70's.

Lauren Macreadie

Dr Lauren Macreadie is an ARC DECRA fellow and a UNSW Scientia Fellow at the University of New South Wales and investigates how porous materials can be used to solve our key energy questions around hydrogen storage and transport, and chemical separations. Research in these key areas will ultimately contribute to the Net Zero initiative in NSW.

Thomas Gao

Thomas Gao is a Business Development Manager with the Powerfuel Including Hydrogen Network within the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub. He is a chemical engineer and project manager with 10 years of experience in project management and delivery of innovation strategies, grants programs and expert advisory services to public and private sectors. Thomas Gao's passion, expertise, and remarkable track record make him a driving force in the realm of clean economy and technology, positioning him as a key player in shaping a sustainable future.

The New South Wales Chapter is currently working on:

State Chapters

HSA New South Wales Chapter Member Collaborative Workspace

Connect and discuss with other NSW chapter members on the LinkedIn NSW Chapter workgroup