OUR TEAM
Meet the passionate individuals who are driving Turnbull Renewables.
Malcolm Turnbull
Founder
Malcom Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. During that time, he initiated the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project which, once completed, will be the largest pumped hydro project in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. In 2017, he pioneered the “Battery of the Nation” project in Tasmania.
Mr Turnbull has continued his advocacy of pumped storage since leaving public office and is the President of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) which represents members in over 100 countries with cumulatively over 450 GW or one third of global hydropower installed capacity. In 2021 Mr Turnbull was appointed the co-chair, with the United States Assistant Secretary of Energy, of the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower. He is the founding Chairman of the Green Hydrogen Organisation.Before entering parliament in 2004 , Mr Turnbull enjoyed successful careers as an investment banker, lawyer and journalist. In 1986, together with his wife Lucy he successfully defended former MI5 agent Peter Wright in the ‘Spycatcher’ trial.
Mr Turnbull has founded and co-founded many companies in sectors including the internet, software, mining and financial services. He co-founded the internet service provider OzEmail Ltd, which was listed on the NASDAQ in 1996 the first Australian company so to be. Mr Turnbull became a partner of Goldman Sachs in 1998 and was Chairman of their Australian business for four years.
Lucy Turnbull
Founder
Lucy Turnbull
Lucy Turnbull AO LLB MBA is a lawyer, urbanist, businesswoman and philanthropist with a longstanding interest in cities, and technological and social innovation.
She was the first female Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney from 2003-4, and the first female Deputy Lord Mayor 1999-2003. In 2011 she became an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the community, local government and business.
In 2012, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Business by the University of NSW and in 2016 an honorary doctorate from Western Sydney University. In 2016 she was awarded one of Germany’s highest civilian honours, the Cross of the Order of Merit – the Verdienstkreuz Am Bande – for her work strengthening Australia’s relationship with Germany.
In 2015 she was appointed inaugural Chief Commissioner of the new Greater Sydney Commission, tasked by the NSW state government to assist in delivering strong and effective strategic planning for the whole of metropolitan Sydney.
From 2004-2015 she was a board member, Deputy Chair and Chair of the Committee for Sydney.
Tom Nielsen
Director, Development
Tom Nielsen
Mr. Nielsen is a seasoned renewable energy professional with over 14 years of experience in utility-scale project development, focusing on wind farms and pumped hydro energy storage. He currently serves as a Director of Turnbull Renewables, as well as the Director of Development for both Turnbull Renewables and Upper Hunter Hydro.
After completing his degree in Renewable Energy Engineering from the University of New South Wales, Mr. Nielsen joined Goldwind Australia as a founding member in 2009, where he held various roles until 2023. Initially, he worked on wind turbine engineering, ensuring quality, compliance and performance standards. Transitioning to project development, he managed the development of the 280MW Coppabella Wind Farm, handling project development, agreement procurement, commercial negotiations and regulatory compliance.
Mr. Nielsen led Goldwind’s expansion into greenfield developments and project origination and was also responsible for leading the company’s ‘Blue Skies’ division, which involved the investigation and development of innovative technology solutions outside of core business strategies.
Jason Gibson
Director, Project Origination
Jason Gibson
Starting his career in renewable energy over a decade ago, Mr Gibson has consistently played pivotal roles in advancing sustainable energy initiatives. Starting in 2010, he managed the operations of a meteorological tower and sensing company called MetConnect, overseeing the installation, maintenance, and decommissioning of wind monitoring equipment across Canada.
Transitioning to CanACRE as a land agent and later as a project manager from 2012 to 2017, Mr Gibson negotiated agreements, resolved issues during project development, and guided land acquisition strategies for various renewable energy, telecommunication and linear based projects across Canada and the Eastern Coast of the United States of America. Notably, he opened CanACRE’s western operations centre, overseeing all new business, project activities and staff management.
In 2017, Mr Gibson relocated to Australia and assumed the role of Senior Development Manager for PV developer Overland Sun Farming, overseeing projects from site identification to financial close. In 2019 he joined wind turbine manufacture Goldwind and was quickly promoted from Senior Developer to Manager of Project Origination & Greenfield Developments, overseeing all new wind farm developments from site identification to financial close.
Donna Dryden
Head of Planning
Donna Dryden
Ms Dryden is an Environmental Scientist who has spent the majority of her 25 year career in mining and energy. She is conversant with NSW State Significant Development, having overseen the environmental and land use planning aspects of major coal mining projects including the Mandalong Mine, NSW’s largest underground coal mine at the time, and the Anvil Hill Coal Project, a highly contentious mine that was at the forefront of climate change litigation in NSW.
Ms Dryden is a committed advocate for sustainability and had a strong role in forming coal industry policy response to climate change through her active role in of the Australian Coal Association Low Emissions Technology group (now LETA). On behalf of the coal mining industry, Ms Dryden led a $30m research project (with funding from the Commonwealth Government) into methods to reduce fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from underground coal mines.
During 2020 and 2021, Ms Dryden was instrumental in the establishment of renewable energy company Banpu Energy Australia (BEN), a subsidiary of the diverse international energy company, Banpu Energy PCL. After the establishment of BEN, Ms Dryden led the planning and environmental due diligence for the acquisition of the New Energy Solar assets and developed the complex planning strategy for an ARENA research project into the use of underground coal mine voids as lower reservoir for pumped hydro.
OUR COMMITMENT
At Turnbull Renewables, we are deeply committed to fostering strong partnerships with local communities, stakeholders, and projects that uphold the highest standards of integrity and sustainability. We believe in the power of collaboration to drive positive change, and actively engage with communities to ensure our projects are not only environmentally sound but also socially responsible. By prioritizing transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in our interactions, we strive to create lasting value for all stakeholders involved, while setting a benchmark for excellence in the renewable energy industry.
