Snowy Hydro is welcoming new leadership, with Dennis Barnes appointed as CEO and Managing Director, starting 1 February 2023.
Board Chairman, David Knox, said, “Dennis has over three decades’ experience in the energy sector, with a focus on renewables and retail. His appointment brings a wealth of strategic knowledge and proven capability in delivering strong performance across large energy businesses at an exciting time for Snowy Hydro.”
Mr Barnes was most recently CEO of ASX/NZX-listed Contact Energy, guiding the company through a period of significant change, including the separation from Australian majority shareholder Origin Energy and the completion of a NZ$2 billion investment programme encompassing renewable generation and enterprise-wide systems.
Prior to this, Mr Barnes also held several senior executive roles at Origin Energy, including as General Manager, Energy Risk Management and General Manager, Generation Operations; and he currently serves as a non-executive director of Tilt Renewables and Mercury NZ.
Roger Whitby, who has been Acting CEO since August 2022, will resume his role as Chief Operating Officer.