Environmental & Sustainability Award: The 2024 nominees

As the Chief Executive of Bureau Veritas Australia, Andrew Mortimore (VIC) leads a dedicated team of over 2,200 employees committed to the mission of shaping a world of trust through responsible progress. With a legacy of almost 200 years, Bureau Veritas operates globally, employing over 80,000 engineers, inspectors, auditors, scientists, laboratory technicians, and other specialist staff, who collectively ensure safety and integrity in our daily lives—from the buildings we inhabit to the food we consume and the energy we utilise.

Andrew has more than 25 years of experience in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) sector. His extensive career has provided him with valuable experience in various industries, including manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, conventional and renewable energy, building construction and rail and road infrastructure. His leadership is characterised by a focus on building strong, customer-centric teams that prioritise quality, safety and sustainability and continually innovate through digitalisation and automation.

Beyond his role at Bureau Veritas, Andrew is deeply committed to the French-Australian business community and is an active member of the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI). He has played a crucial role in fostering stronger ties between France and Australia, promoting bilateral trade and investment, and enhancing collaboration among businesses.

Andrew is also passionate about environmental issues and Aboriginal reconciliation. He actively supports initiatives that promote sustainable practices and respect for Indigenous rights and culture, recognizing the importance of integrating these values into business operations and community engagement.

A dedicated advocate for research and continuous learning, Andrew has studied at leading business schools, including Harvard Business School and Cambridge University. As a regular guest lecturer and through his research as part of both PhD and MBA programs Andrew continues to demonstrate his commitment to innovation and lifelong learning.

With a proven track record of delivering value for clients and driving operational improvements, Andrew continues to lead Bureau Veritas toward a sustainable future. His influence extends beyond the company, contributing to a collaborative environment for the French-Australian business community while championing environmental sustainability and Aboriginal reconciliation.

With an international career spanning over 12 years in the SaaS and Sustainability industries, Benjamin Arsicault (South Pole, NSW) is a dynamic and results-oriented sales professional. He possesses extensive experience in new business development and account management, which has enabled him to develop strong listening, communication, and negotiation skills.

As a Senior Business Development Manager, Benjamin has a proven track record of consistently exceeding sales targets while successfully building clients’ trust to establish stable and long-term relationships. His passion for sustainability drives his commitment to this industry, where he aims to make a real and positive impact on our planet.

Benjamin is dedicated to leveraging his expertise to foster environmentally sustainable practices and contribute to a better future for all.

Charlotte Vergnolle (Studio Oulala Architects, NSW) is a designer known for her innovative architectural approach that emphasises sustainability and efficient space utilisation. With a background in French architecture, she has significantly influenced the local community in Balgowlah through her work on a four-unit building, enhancing both its functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Her designs encourage residents to rethink how they use their land, promoting a shift towards sustainable living. By incorporating eco-friendly materials and practices, Charlotte demonstrates that good design can support both beauty and environmental responsibility.

Through her projects, Charlotte continues to inspire conversations about sustainable architecture, making a positive impact in her community while advocating for a more environmentally conscious approach to design.

David Clement (HDF Energy, NSW) is a dynamic leader with over 16 years of experience in the infrastructure and energy sectors across the Asia-Pacific region. Originally from France, David relocated to Sydney two decades ago.

Since joining HDF Energy in 2021, David has played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s mission to develop large-scale green hydrogen projects in Oceania. As Vice President for Oceania, he serves as the vital link between stakeholders, engineering teams, and operational activities, driving the growth of renewable energy initiatives that aim to accelerate Oceania’s decarbonisation efforts and transition towards net zero.

David’s extensive expertise spans various industries, including mining, oil and gas, and renewable energy. He has successfully contributed to the development of over 2.7 GW of large-scale wind and solar projects throughout Australia and New Zealand, demonstrating his commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

Passionate about environmental, social, and governance practices, David is dedicated to creating a positive impact on local remote communities. HDF’s community benefit model is integral to each project, focusing on upskilling local workforces and enhancing community engagement. His collaborations include partnerships with Noel Pearson at Cape York Partnership, Aboriginal communities, and similar initiatives in Fiji and New Caledonia, ensuring that every project not only contributes to a greener future but also respects and uplifts local cultures and economies.

David is also a sought-after speaker and has presented at various conferences, including the Australian Hydrogen Conference, Connecting Green Hydrogen APAC, Wind Energy Conference Australia, Vanuatu Energy Convention, New Caledonian Congress, NZ Wind Energy Summit, H2 Innovate Next, FACCI Sustainability Presentations & C-Suite events, BNP Paribas Sustainability Forum, and Jody Row’s Tough Talk podcast. He will soon serve as Chairperson at Hydrogen Asia 2025 in Singapore.

He believes in the power of collaboration and has forged partnerships with local communities, governments, businesses, development banks, and non-profit organisations to drive meaningful change.

With a strong vision for a cleaner and more sustainable future, David Clement continues to lead the charge in making green hydrogen a cornerstone of Australia and the Pacific Islands' energy landscape.

His vision is clear: to fast-track the decarbonisation of Australia and the Pacific Islands, helping to achieve net-zero targets through innovative solutions in green hydrogen and large fuel cell power plants. He is passionate about creating a cleaner, more sustainable future and welcomes opportunities for collaboration and dialogue in this transformative space.

Dr Fanny de Busserolles (The Gap Sustainability Initiative, QLD) is a passionate marine biologist, environmental educator, and sustainability advocate, whose career is defined by her commitment to environmental conservation. Her research focuses on how marine fishes perceive and interact with their environments, particularly in low-light settings. From coral reefs to the deep sea, Fanny has explored the ocean’s depths, contributing significantly to the fields of marine biology, sensory ecology, and environmental science.

Fanny's academic journey, which took her from Europe to the Middle East and eventually to Australia, has given her firsthand experience of the ocean's beauty and the devastating effects of human activity on marine ecosystems. Witnessing plastic in the stomachs of deep-sea fishes and coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef only strengthened her resolve to protect the planet.

Since 2021, Fanny has transitioned from academic research to focus on community engagement, believing that education and local action are critical for driving meaningful environmental change. She co-founded The Gap Sustainability Initiative (TGSI), a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable living in Brisbane’s suburb of The Gap. TGSI engages the community through free bi-monthly seminars, school outreach, and community-driven projects, including the Platypus Rewilding Project, which Fanny co-leads.

In addition to her work with TGSI, Fanny is a trained facilitator for Climate Fresk and Biodiversity Collage workshops, where she uses these tools to educate community participants on the science of climate change and biodiversity loss, inspiring them to take meaningful action. Her conservation efforts extend to her current role as Head of Experience at Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), where she leads the design of Australia’s first citizen conservation app, empowering people to engage in conservation activities anytime, anywhere.

Originally from France, Fanny moved to Australia in 2009 to pursue her PhD and now resides in The Gap, Brisbane, with her husband and daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys bushcare, horse trail riding, and creative projects like upcycling, further reflecting her deep commitment to nature conservation and sustainability.

Eresha's journey at Legrand began in 2019 as an R&D intern. Eresha Chandrathilake (NSW) has since progressed from a graduate engineer to a project manager, and, following her passion, to the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project Manager.

Her sense of environmental responsibility was instilled well before her current position. In 2020, she became the first staff member at Legrand Australia to be trained in creating Product Environmental Profiles. This document incorporates an in-depth analysis of a product's life cycle, environmental impact, and end-of-life scenario. These profiles are created as part of Legrand's Eco-Design rules, ensuring that the product design process considers environmental impacts from the outset. This process includes aspects such as repair and reuse, reduction of material use (by weight), and the encouragement of energy-efficient product development. Every project is vetted through the Eco-Design process to ensure new projects are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

In her role as CSR Project Manager, Eresha manages and coordinates Legrand's CSR roadmap for Australia and New Zealand, encompassing five manufacturing sites. Legrand has a global roadmap that applies to all subsidiaries. Eresha’s role involves identifying Legrand’s environmental impacts and providing solutions to mitigate negative effects. Through her efforts, the Legrand ANZ CSR score improved from 96% in 2022 to 102% in 2023.

This improvement was achieved through multiple sustainability projects initiated by Eresha, including the use of recycled materials in the production facility. Legrand's key range of wiring devices now uses 75% recycled polycarbonate and 40% recycled brass, sourced from post-consumer recycled materials and rigorously tested for suitability.

Another prominent project focused on the Circular Economy, where Legrand partnered with another French entity, Rexel (Sonepar). Eresha’s pilot program leverages synergies between Rexel and Legrand, benefiting both companies and their customers in achieving sustainability goals. Unused emergency lighting accessories are collected at Rexel sites, returned to Legrand, and reintroduced into the manufacturing process. This initiative prevents unused plastic items from ending up in landfill and gives products a second life. The pilot has been implemented across three Rexel sites in NSW: Alexandria, Glendenning, and Bankstown, with an upgrade site at UNSW. Upon successful returns, the plan is to roll out the program across Australia and New Zealand.

To reduce Legrand’s direct impact on CO2 emissions and energy consumption, Eresha has implemented energy-saving measures at two of Legrand’s manufacturing sites, Trical NZ and Legrand Sydney. Innovations include modifications to plastic moulding machines to reduce heat dissipation, investing in heating elements that consume less energy, replacing older hydraulic moulding machines with more energy-efficient electric units, fine-tuning timers to control bay lights to prevent unnecessary usage, adjusting HVAC systems in office buildings, using solar panels at both sites, and transitioning to 70% renewable energy purchased from the grid in Australia and 100% in New Zealand. These initiatives have contributed to a reduction in Legrand’s scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions and a 20% decrease in power consumption over two years.

An ongoing sustainability project led by Eresha focuses on eliminating single-use plastics from Legrand’s product packaging. Eresha collaborates closely with APCO, the Legrand Group, and customers such as Bunnings, Officeworks, and Mitre 10 to identify local government requirements and customer needs, implementing sustainable solutions to replace single-use plastics. Expanded polystyrene has already been eliminated from all Legrand product packaging under her guidance. Research and trials are underway to ensure that Legrand Australia has no single-use plastic packaging on shelves by 2027.

In recognition of Eresha’s efforts, she received the Legrand CEO Award for CSR – Best Initiative in 2023.

Florence Riviere (VIC) is a leading planning and environment lawyer at the multinational law firm Pinsent Masons, based in Melbourne. With nearly 20 years of experience, she advises both public and private sector clients on major infrastructure projects, including transport and social infrastructure, industrial facilities, and renewable energy initiatives. Florence is passionate about the energy transition and the evolving regulatory landscape that supports it. She has provided counsel on battery, solar, hydrogen, and onshore wind projects across Australia.

Dedicated to the efficient, strategic, and streamlined planning and delivery of her clients’ projects, Florence advises on every stage of the project lifecycle, from approvals strategy to delivery. She assists clients in securing planning and regulatory approvals at both the state and Commonwealth levels, including referrals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and environmental assessments under the Environment Effects Act 1978.

Florence has worked on the State of Victoria’s Big Build portfolio, contributing to projects such as the Metro Tunnel, Melbourne Airport Rail, Suburban Rail Loop, Level Crossing Removal Program, Westgate Tunnel, and North East Link.

After graduating with a Master's in Alpine Geography, focusing on natural hazards, Guillaume Prudent-Richard (Artelia, ACT) gained nearly 20 years of experience in environmental management, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction. He has worked for the OECD, the French Government, and the Alpine Research Institute on Natural Hazards, where he authored scientific publications and reports related to climate change and natural hazards in the European Alps.

Guillaume moved to Australia in 2008, where he continued his work on climate adaptation, serving as lead author of the Federal Climate Adaptation Guide for Federal Assets and Investments, as well as the Defence National Climate Change Risk Assessment. He subsequently led Environmental and Social (E&S) approvals for infrastructure developments and Defence projects, and was responsible for the Defence Environmental Strategy 2015-2035, the Defence National Water Program, and environmental management plans for several Defence bases, including Garden Island in Sydney and RAAF Base Williamtown, as well as six training areas across Australia.

For the past eight years, Guillaume has focused on international development, and he is now an international expert in E&S studies and construction management for large hydropower developments (ranging from 45 MW to 2000 MW) in Asia and Africa. He has authored international guidelines for the World Bank, USAID, AusAID, and the OECD in relation to environmental management and climate adaptation. Guillaume is increasingly involved in pumped hydro-energy storage projects in Asia and Australia, including studies for a 3500 MW pumped hydro-energy storage facility in Queensland.

Marion Vigot (Compostable Alternatives, SA) is an impact-driven social entrepreneur with a robust background in digital marketing, community engagement, and business strategy, particularly within the beauty and circular economy sectors. As the co-founder and CEO of Close the Loop Solutions, she leads the charge in providing certified home compostable products that effectively replace single-use plastics. Through their one-stop shop, "Compostable Alternatives," Marion's solutions are embraced nationwide by sustainable-focused hospitality businesses.

Her commitment to sustainability and impact entrepreneurship has garnered significant recognition. Marion has been celebrated as a 40U40 entrepreneur, a 2021 Young Achiever by 7News, and most recently, she received the Carbon Neutral Adelaide Award in the Circular Economy category.

Before moving to Australia, Marion completed a full business cycle with her first startup, Ma Belle Box, at the age of 26, successfully supporting the growth of the Vietnamese cosmetic industry until its acquisition in 2017. For the past seven years, she has enjoyed bootstrapping businesses while also dedicating her time to community service. Marion serves as co-president of La French Tech Australia and holds positions on the boards of Startup Adelaide and the Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority, reflecting her commitment to fostering innovation and sustainable practices within the community.

Marion’s passion for sustainability, combined with her entrepreneurial spirit, drives her to create impactful solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

Pascal Dupond (NSW) is Managing Director of Alstom Australia and New Zealand — a French-Australian company. Pascal has demonstrated an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and leadership to grow and transform Alstom into the leading end-to-end rolling stock rail technology provider in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

When Pascal first joined Alstom, the company had 150 employees in Australia and a limited operational footprint. Under his leadership, supported by the acquisition of Bombardier in 2021, Alstom has experienced remarkable growth while simultaneously enhancing its culture, diversity and social impact. The Alstom workforce has expanded from 150 to 2,500 employees and the number of operational sites increased from 12 to 25​. This tenfold increase in workforce size and operations reflects Pascal’s entrepreneurial leadership style. Revenue has also hit new highs under Pascal’s leadership with Alstom ANZ achieving its most successful year of AUD$1.6B in sales in 2023/4.

Pascal’s ability to lead complex transformation, drive growth, and foster innovation has reshaped Alstom, making him a deserving candidate for the Entrepreneurship Award. Pascal’s approach has demonstrated the vision, creativity, innovation and resilience expected of an entrepreneur. His focus on people, culture, customers and planet has helped drive positive outcomes for Alstom, the broader rail industry and the communities in which Alstom operates.

As part of his entrepreneurial leadership, Pascal recently launched the Alstom ANZ 2024-2027 Strategy, which aims to continue Alstom’s journey to enhance growth, diversity, safety, sustainability, local and global contributions. As brief examples, Pascal has driven the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, including 3D printing and AI tools, which have significantly improved operational efficiency and reinforced Alstom’s position as a pioneer in the rail industry​. Pascal has also prioritised sustainability, with all sites now powered by green energy and a strong emphasis on recyclable products.​

In addition to his internal focus, Pascal has strengthened Alstom’s connections with the French-Australian business community, working closely with the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and the French Embassy. His involvement in bilateral initiatives, his position on the Board of the Australasian Rail Association, and the Advisory Board for Monash Institute of Railway Technology, highlight his influence beyond Alstom​​. As one example, Pascal has worked closely with the French Embassy to foster research, innovation and academic linkages between France and Australia. This includes influencing French advocacy for the great fit of French High Speed Train technology in the Australian landscape. Pascal’s bilingual capabilities and cultural understanding have been invaluable in leading Alstom as a truly French-Australian company, with work conducted daily in both French and English languages.

Pascal’s commitment to his employees is reflected in his focus on people and culture. He has worked to enhance communication, trust, safety and alignment across Alstom’s workforce to help boost employee morale, engagement and pride in their work​. Pascal is also a diversity champion and the Executive Sponsor of the Alstom Pride group. Alstom maintains above-average workplace indicators for manufacturing across gender and other diversity measures and industry leading progress on reducing the pay gender gap.

In summary, Pascal Dupond’s entrepreneurial leadership has transformed Alstom in Australia and New Zealand, as it has grown from a small operation of 150 employees to a major player with 2,500 employees across 25 sites.

Patrick Sieb (Climate Tech Partners, NSW) is a dedicated Climate Tech investor, specialising in early-stage investments that drive innovative solutions to combat climate change. With a deep passion for sustainability and a forward-thinking approach, Patrick is committed to supporting groundbreaking technologies that address the most pressing environmental challenges.

His expertise lies in identifying and nurturing startups with the potential to make a significant impact on the future of our planet, fostering innovation that paves the way for a more sustainable world. Through his work, Patrick is playing a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy and creating a lasting, positive environmental legacy.