Our team has been at the forefront of sustainability project development and advisory for over two decades.
Our People
Dr. Fraser Thompson
Fraser is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cyan Ventures, based in Melbourne. Fraser is passionate about developing breakthrough business and investment solutions to tackle sustainability challenges and has worked on sustainability project development and advisory for the last two decades. Fraser is also Deputy Chair of the Climateworks Centre, which is an independent not-for-profit entity within Monash University that bridges the gap between research and climate action in Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He also serves as Domestic Chair of the Low Carbon Fuels Alliance for Australia and New Zealand, which is supporting development of low carbon fuels.
Fraser is the former Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Sun Cable, which aims to develop the world’s largest solar farm and battery in Australia’s Northern Territory, and the longest undersea HVDC cable project to export renewable electricity from Australia to Singapore. He is also the former Founder and Managing Director of AlphaBeta Singapore, an economic strategy firm serving clients globally from its headquarters in Singapore (which was acquired by Access Partnership in November 2021), and he remains an advisor to Access Partnership.
Prior to AlphaBeta, Fraser was a consultant (focused on carbon abatement and sustainability topics) with McKinsey & Company for 9 years, working in the Middle East, London and Singapore. This included leading sustainability research in McKinsey Global Institute, the economic research arm of McKinsey. Fraser has also worked at the World Bank and lectured at Oxford University.
Fraser is a Rhodes Scholar and completed a PhD and Masters in Economics at Oxford University and undergraduate degrees from Melbourne University in Australia and Butler University in the United States (on an athletics scholarship).
Shaun Chau
Shaun is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cyan Ventures, based in Sydney. Shaun is the former head of sustainability at Accenture, leading work on a range of government and private sector projects related to new climate technology and markets. Prior to Accenture, Shaun led work with AlphaBeta, an economic strategy firm, on sustainability topics and was previously part of the Energy and Renewables team in the Boston Consulting Group in Europe.
Shaun was previously part of the founding team of Tony Blair’s Africa Governance Initiative; and an advisor to Presidents in Liberia and Rwanda and the Finance Minister in Nigeria. He was also an analyst in Number 10 Downing Street.
Shaun has a Masters in Public Policy (Oxford), and an undergraduate degree in Arts / Law from the University of New South Wales.
Our team and expert advisors
Our team has been at the forefront of sustainability project development and advisory for over two decades. We bring together an unparalleled combination of project development and advisory talent, from land development through to commercial negotiation.
Joy McConnochie is a Principal at Cyan Ventures, leading the firm’s work with investors on first-of-a-kind clean energy and decarbonisation projects. She brings over a decade of experience at Bain & Company, where she played a central role in building the firm’s climate and ESG investing capabilities across the Asia-Pacific private equity market – driving the go-to-market strategy across the region, developing annual investment perspectives on emerging climate themes for infrastructure, private and institutional funds, and building deal pipeline intelligence systems.
Joy holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. She is also the co-founder of Sustainable Jungle, an independent sustainability ratings platform assessing consumer brands on environmental and social impact. Originally from South Africa, Joy has worked across Australia, the UK, and New Zealand, and brings an international perspective to Cyan’s mission of accelerating Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Kumbi is an Engagement Manager with Cyan Ventures, based in Melbourne and previously in Perth. He is an experienced management and economic consultant, previously with Accenture Strategy (Economic Insights) who has advised major organisations, at the c-suite and board level across a range of sustainability topics – particularly the energy transition.
His previous engagements have included:
(a) Investigating the project development journey in Australia for renewable energy & storage and the opportunities for sustainable acceleration;
(b) Developing a policy roadmap for Australia to capture a ~$300b+ opportunity by growing its clean export industries (including critical minerals, green metals, hydrogen and others); and
(c) Energy transition strategies and risk assessments for multiple organisations in hard-to-abate sectors including heavy industry and aviation.
Kumbi holds a Bachelor of Economics and is completing a Masters in Economics and Public Policy from the University of Western Australia, having also completed an exchange program at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) run through the United States Studies Centre and Perth USAsia Centre.
Mai is an Engagement Manager at Cyan Ventures, based in Brisbane. With over 8 years of experience as an economic consultant, including her tenure at Deloitte Access Economics, Mai has a proven track record collaborating with the Australian public sector and leading organisations. Her expertise lies in assessing the impacts of climate change and identifying sustainable solutions that create value for communities and businesses.
Mai’s notable experience includes:
(a) Identifying and evaluating opportunities to decarbonise heavy manufacturing industries in Australia and New Zealand;
(b)Analysing the impacts of climate change on international trade and macroeconomic factors across 20 countries; and
(c) Estimating the economic value of marine environments to Australia and its regions.
Mai holds a Bachelor of Economics with First Class Honours and a University Medal from the University of Queensland, along with an MBA from INSEAD.
Michael is an Engagement Manager with Cyan Ventures, based in Sydney. Michael is an experienced strategy consultant, previously with Accenture Strategy (Economic Insights), who developed extensive experience in advising state and federal governments on evaluating business cases, regulatory reform and strategies for critical programs across sustainability, education, small business, finance, health and regional areas.
Outside of government, Michael has worked across a range of sustainability topics with particular involvement in working with the Climateworks Centre and ARENA in developing their Pathways to Industrial Decarbonisation report for the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative, driving the delivery of the report titled “Skilling Australian Industry for the Energy Transition”.
Michael has a Bachelor of Economic (Advanced) with First Class Honours and a Bachelor of Finance from the University of Adelaide.
Deirdre is an Associate with Cyan Ventures, based in Sydney. She is an experienced strategy consultant, previously with McKinsey & Company in Amsterdam, where she advised global and industrial clients on low-carbon technologies, emissions reduction pathways, and strategic decision-making across the energy value chain.
Some of Deirdre’s key engagements have included:
i. Assessing the techno-economic feasibility of biomethane as a feedstock for a global beverage company;
ii. Analysing multiple technological pathways to reduce Scope 1 emissions for a major industrial client; and
iii. Developing a dismantlement strategy for a semi-public joint venture in the energy sector.
Deirdre holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Earth Sciences and a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Technology from Delft University of Technology.
Branden is a Senior Business Analyst with Cyan Ventures, based in Melbourne. An experienced consultant and data analyst, Branden previously worked within Quantium’s Health and Government verticals, advising major organisations and government departments on a range of healthcare-related topics. Branden also has experience as an Energy Analyst, working alongside large commercial and industrial energy users across Australia’s east coast. Some of his key engagements have included:
His previous engagements have included:
(a) Developing the analytics capabilities for a government organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining data visualisations and automating key reporting functions;
(b) Synthesising data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making in the primary care sector; and
(c) Supporting the strategic procurement of gas and electricity for large commercial and industrial energy users across Australia.
Branden holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Finance from the University of Melbourne.
Aidan is a Business Analyst with Cyan Ventures, based in Sydney. He has a background in economic research, policy analysis, and regulatory affairs, particularly in the energy sector. Before joining Cyan, Aidan held a research position at the School of Economics, University of Sydney, where he also lectured Intermediate Microeconomics in 2024.
Prior to that, he worked in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Gas Markets Unit, where he conducted analysis and authored sections of the Gas Inquiry interim reports for January 2023, July 2022, and January 2022. He was also responsible for fortnightly analytical updates to senior stakeholders, including the Infrastructure Division, Commissioners, and the Chair, on the LNG netback price series. His role involved policy discussions on the introduction of the Code and implementation of price caps in the gas market.
Aidan has also worked at the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), where he assessed firm capabilities to enter competitive energy markets, contributing to regulatory enforcement and compliance monitoring in the retail energy sector.
Aidan graduated with First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Sydney, where he also studied Philosophy as part of his undergraduate degree.
Stanley is a Business Analyst with Cyan Ventures, based in Sydney and previously in Indonesia and Singapore. He is an emergent climate professional, with prior experience across clean energy R&D, energy advisory, venture-backed startups, and fund investments.
His previous engagements have included:
(a) Evaluating ~$30m of ARENA-funded projects aimed at improving the integration of innovative renewable technologies, involving PV-cell efficiency; hydrogen carriers; grid stability; power demand forecasting; and hybrid energy systems
(b) Developing investment profiles on large-cap ASX-listed companies in the banking and energy sector for ethically-minded retail investors; and
(c) Mapping the global landscape of AgTech-focused funds and fund-of-funds for further due diligence
Stanley holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), majoring in Renewable Energy from the University of New South Wales. He was the recipient of the inaugural Sir Rupert Myers Sustainability Award, Australian Power Institute’s TJ Effeney Scholarship, winner of the International VIP Innovation Competition and Stanford ASES Entrepreneurship Competition.
Pulkit is a Business Analyst with Cyan Ventures, based in Melbourne. He has a background in economics, policy analysis and communication. Prior to joining Cyan, he has worked with macro hedge funds to model major data releases and growth surprise indexes. He has also collaborated with the Observer Research Foundation and authored reports and short forms discussing key policy issues, including making national medical stockpiles more dynamic and less costly for governments, and systems-level analysis on organ donation policy.
Pulkit holds a Bachelor of Economics, majoring in Financial Economics and Economics, from the University of Sydney. He was a member of key University committees, runner-up in the Sydney Policy Reform Project (working on print disability) and received the Frank Albert Prize.
Kaspar is an expert advisor with Cyan Ventures, focused on providing engineering and strategic advice on power-to-x projects. Kaspar has worked across the Nordics, Spain and Australia on a variety of power-to-x projects, with a focus on green methanol and green ammonia, leading work on design, partnerships, commercial feasibility and capital raising.
Prior to this, Kaspar spent 9 years in renewable energy strategy consulting with Booz&Co and Strategy& in Australia and across Europe, and 7 years in offshore oil and gas EPCI project delivery in south east Asia.
Kaspar has a Bachelor’s Degree with first class honours in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Tasmania.
Jane is an expert advisor to Cyan Ventures, with a focus on supporting identification of clean tech opportunities and project development. Jane is a leading tech entrepreneur and investor in early-stage clean energy projects.
She has held various senior roles at Nasdaq listed, Match.com, including Senior Vice President and General Manager, North America and Asia before becoming Managing Director of International for IAC (InterActiveCorp), a leading interactive media and Internet company. Prior to this, Jane was a consultant at Bain & Company in London. She was also an early investor in Sun Cable, developing the world’s largest renewable energy network to transport renewable electricity from the Northern Territory to Singapore.
Jane is currently Co-Founder and Director of The Fusion Labs, a portfolio of digital businesses utilising shared customer acquisition and monetisation expertise. She serves as a non-executive director of NYSE listed Capri Holdings and has served on the board of IVC Evidensia. Jane is also a board member of Telefónica, the multinational telecommunications company operating across Europe and Latin America, and an investor in Bramble Partners, a venture focused on fixing the global food system.
Jane serves on the Board of Trustees of Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency and charitable foundation that supports bold ideas to address society’s biggest challenges.
She holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Ranya is an expert advisor for Cyan Ventures, supporting our strategic communications. Ranya is founder of Impact Group International, an experienced team of experts focused on strategic communications advice for innovators, impactful organisations, ASX-listed companies, and philanthropists that are all doing something that will better our society or environment.
Ranya is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Vulcan Energy Resources (ASX:VUL), Zero Carbon Lithium, which aims to decarbonise lithium production by using deep geothermal energy to extract lithium and also producing renewable geothermal energy on a mass scale. This dual purpose company will secure Europe’s supply of lithium for the EV transition and support Germany’s energy needs.
Ranya is also a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Australian Associated Press, Australia’s only independent newswire.
Oliver Yates brings more than 30 years of global experience in financial services and the environmental industries to his role as an Expert Advisor at Cyan Ventures. He was the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Australia’s $10 billion green bank, where he led the deployment of capital into clean energy projects and technologies across the country. Prior to and following his time at the CEFC, Oliver spent more than two decades as an Executive Director at Macquarie Bank, including roles as country head in the United States and co-head of Macquarie Capital’s Private Placements and Products Groups, developing deep expertise in corporate advisory, project finance, debt structuring, equity raising and listings, with a particular focus on wind, solar, biofuels and other renewable sectors.
At Cyan Ventures, Oliver supports the team across a range of areas related to financing innovation for first-of-a-kind projects -Drawing on his experience structuring novel transactions and standing up new investment platforms, he advises on capital strategy, blended finance structures, risk allocation and pathways to bankability for emerging climate and clean industrial technologies.
Colin Stucley is an engineer specialising in bioenergy and technology scale-up. With deep technical expertise spanning the bioenergy value chain, Colin has worked with international fast pyrolysis technology for almost twenty years - reviewing technology, assessing potential projects, developing business plans and forming project teams. His career also includes extensive work on sugar, starch and cellulose-to-ethanol plants as a university researcher, process engineer and consultant, alongside investigations into biomass and waste gasification systems at multiple scales, including their upgrading to renewable fuels.
Colin’s broader bioenergy work includes licensing and commercialising innovative CSIRO technology, specialist advisory positions with two Cooperative Research Centres, and lead authorship of major reports for government. He is a past Board Member and Chair of Bioenergy Australia. In his current work, Colin supports Cyan Ventures on understanding engineering requirements for first-of-a-kind projects in low carbon liquid fuels, bringing decades of hands-on experience in technology assessment and scale-up to help evaluate the technical viability and execution pathways of emerging fuel technologies.
Bart Woord brings deep experience in commercial due diligence, green business building and corporate partnerships across the cleantech sector, drawn from 12 years at McKinsey & Company where he served as Co-Leader of the Australian & New Zealand Sustainability Practice and was part of the firm’s Global Nature & Natural Capital Service Line. Over his career, he has led both buy-side and sell-side due diligence engagements across a wide range of industries and geographies - including in carbon credits, solar power, renewables and software businesses, across Europe, Asia and the Pacific. This breadth has given him a unique ability to evaluate commercial viability, market positioning and value creation pathways across complex transactions.
For the past several years, Bart has focused on green business building, working closely with both cleantech companies and their investors to scale climate solutions. He currently concentrates on corporate partnerships for cleantech companies - an area he sees as the number one exit path for many early-stage players, and a lens he brings directly into diligence discussions. In his current work, Bart supports Cyan Ventures on due diligence of green industry assets, combining commercial diligence rigour with a partnership-oriented view of how cleantech companies create durable value. Bart holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
