Who We Are

Greg Lowe

Chair

Greg was previously CEO of the Beca Group from 2012-2023, one of largest privately owned professional services consultancies in the Asia-Pacific region with 4000 staff based in eight countries. Greg provided strategic leadership to all operating geographies as they delivered client projects in typically 45 countries every year. An employee-owned business, Beca is a NZ headquartered multinational that has delivered innovation for its clients for more than 100 years.

As Managing Director for Beca Australia from 2006-2012, Greg oversaw the delivery of the $4B Victorian Desalination project, Beca’s largest design commission and which delivers around one third of Melbourne’s water supply.

Greg served on the Beca Group Board from 2010-2023 and has held governance/chair roles on a number of Beca subsidiaries. He currently chairs the board of Beca Applied Technologies.

Greg previously held senior management roles in asset management and information technology consultancies. His early career with the NZ Navy culminated in senior roles covering operations, policy and major project delivery.

Greg is an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit, a Fellow of Engineering New Zealand, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand and holds a Masters degree in Engineering and a First Class Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Auckland.

Greg is also the NZ Co-Chair of the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum and Chair of the NZ Defence Industry Advisory Council and Chair of the BusinessNZ Energy Council.

Tina Schirr

Executive Director

Tina is the Executive Director of the BusinessNZ Energy Council (the New Zealand member committee of the World Energy Council). She is responsible for the development of policy on matters relating to energy, transport and innovation. Her work includes the management of BEC’s cross-sector energy scenarios and the World Energy Council’s tools such as the Energy Trilemma Index, Energy Issue Maps and other energy innovation projects. Previous projects include the programme development of the Asia-Pacific Energy Leaders’ Summit in 2016 and 2018.

Tina is a member of Transpower’s Consumer Advisory Panel, part of the Start-Up Energy Transition Jury and the advisor to New Zealand’s Young Energy Professional Network. Due to her passion for entrepreneurism, she is always looking out for the next game-changer in the energy sector.

Prior to her role as Executive Director, she worked as the Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Innovation at the BusinessNZ Energy Council. She also worked for enviaM in Germany, a subsidiary of RWE AG, where she was responsible for trading energy commodities. From 2012-2013, she worked for the STI Solar Technology International GmbH, Germany. While there, she was responsible for rolling out new solar products across Europe.

Tina holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) Value Chain Management from the University of Technology, Chemnitz in Germany and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Management of Energy Utilities from the University of Applied Sciences, Zwickau in Germany, including a semester at the University of Borås in Sweden studying International Marketing and Strategic Marketing. Her fields of specialisation include the energy industry, energy technology, energy policy and marketing.

Ben Young

Policy Advisor

Ben is the Policy Advisor for the BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC), where he supports the development of policy submissions, engages with key stakeholders, assists in event coordination, and monitors emerging trends and developments in the energy sector. He works closely with the Executive Director to ensure that BEC remains a leading voice in shaping New Zealand’s energy future.

Ben holds a Master’s degree in international studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Otago. His academic work has focused on international policy, maritime security, and the intersection of economic interests and governance.

Ben brings a combination of policy insight, analytical rigour, and practical experience to his role, along with a strong interest in the evolving challenges of energy security, market reform, and sustainability.

Deb Bougen

Executive Assistant, BusinessNZ | BusinessNZ Energy Council and Events Coordinator

Deb joined BusinessNZ in July 2016 after 15 years working within the Education Sector.

Deb’s role as Executive Assistant to Tina Schirr, Executive Director of the BusinessNZ Energy Council and to BusinessNZ includes executive administrative support, diary management, and brand event coordination.

Deb is also a member of the Health & Safety Committee.

Cal Roberts

Communications Advisor, BusinessNZ

Cal is BusinessNZ’s Communications Advisor, working across the Division Brands to highlight advocacy and ensure we’re adding value to the conversation.

Like many people in Comms, Cal started out as a reporter – working for a small but mighty daily regional paper. He has since worked across Government agencies tailoring social media content and establishing thriving online communications channels.

Cal has a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations.