Meet our Executive Team
Brett Woods
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BSc (Hons) Geology and Geophysics
Mr Woods is a leading senior executive in the energy sector with over 25 years of professional experience. He has an outstanding record of delivering major energy projects, cost and operational discipline and growing businesses in the UK, Africa, Australasia and North America. Mr Woods began his career with Woodside Energy in the graduate program and held senior technical roles in Australia, the UK, and Africa.
In 2007, Mr Woods became Managing Director and CEO of African start-up Rialto Energy. He was responsible for growing Rialto’s business through acquiring new exploration licences in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, raising capital and commencing 2 large drilling campaigns in the highly prospective Transform Margin.
In 2013 Mr Woods joined Santos and quickly moved into the executive leadership team assuming leadership of the Western Australia and Northern Territory Operating Division.
Mr Woods led the successful transformation of the Cooper Basin and Gladstone LNG assets and played key roles in the successful acquisitions by Santos of Quadrant Energy, ConocoPhillips’ Northern Australian business and Oil Search. More recently Mr Woods assumed control of the Santos operated Infrastructure (LNG, Domestic Gas, Oil Fractionation facilities and Pipelines) and developed decarbonisation, Clean Fuels and CCS opportunities through leading Santos Energy Solutions business.
He was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Beach Energy Limited on 29 January 2024.
Brett Woods
Anne-Marie Barbaro
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
B Com, CA (ANZ)
Anne-Marie joined Beach in 2018 in the role of Group Manager Planning and Reporting and was subsequently promoted to General Manager Finance in 2019 and Acting Chief Financial Officer in November 2021. Ms Barbaro was appointed Chief Financial Officer in July 2022, and is responsible for the finance, tax, treasury, IT, insurance and internal audit functions.
Anne-Marie is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in the accounting industry, including 12 years the oil and gas sector.
Prior to this, Anne-Marie held roles at Santos across Finance and Marketing and Trading, as well as finance roles at Australian Naval Infrastructure and PwC.
Anne-Marie Barbaro
Bill Ovenden
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, EXPLORATION & SUBSURFACE
BSc (Hons) Geology and Geophysics
Bill joined Beach in 2024 in the role of EVP Exploration and Subsurface. In the role, Mr Ovenden is responsible for group exploration, subsurface assurance and the subsurface community.
Bill has over 35 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, including 8 years of exploration and subsurface executive accountability at Santos. He played a key support role in Santos’ acquisitions of Quadrant Energy, ConocoPhillips northern Australian oil and gas assets and Oil Search. He has been instrumental in the delivery of successful exploration and resource conversion projects in Australia, including the Cooper Basin, PNG, Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and South America, with companies including Santos, ExxonMobil, Sun Oil, Ampolex and Kufpec.
Bill holds a Bachelor of Science, Hons, majoring in Geology and Geophysics, from the University of Queensland.
Bill Ovenden
Brett Doherty
ACTING EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ONSHORE ASSETS
BEng (Electrical), LLB (Hons)
Brett joined Beach in February 2018 as Group Executive Health, Safety, Environment and Risk, bringing over 30 years of upstream oil and gas experience to Beach. He was appointed to Acting EVP Onshore Assets in April 2024. His career includes extensive exposure to both offshore and onshore development and operations.
Prior to Beach, Brett was General Manager of Health, Safety and Environment at INPEX Australia. He has held several senior international positions during his career, including ten years as the Chief HSEQ Officer at RasGas Company Limited, in the State of Qatar.
Brett Doherty
Ian Grant
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OFFSHORE ASSETS
MSc, CMgr FCMI, GAICD
Ian joined Beach in July 2020 as Chief Operating Officer and was appointed EVP Offshore Assets in April 2024.
Ian has over 25 years’ experience in the energy industry, having held senior leadership and executive roles in operations, projects, drilling and supply chain functions.
Born in Scotland, Ian has extensive North Sea experience and has worked in Europe and Australia with companies such as Mobil, ARCO/BP, Apache, Quadrant Energy and Santos.
Prior to joining Beach, Ian was Chief Operating Officer for Quadrant Energy and Vice President of Production Operations for Santos based in Perth.
He is passionate about delivering safety, operational and commercial performance in both onshore and offshore environments.
Ian Grant
Paul Hogarth
ACTING EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT STRATEGY AND COMMERCIAL
B.Com
Paul has over 25 years of international energy industry experience working in senior commercial, marketing, business development and strategy roles spanning the energy value chain in Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and the USA.
Paul joined Beach in October 2019 as General Manager Commercial and Marketing and was appointed to Acting Group Executive Corporate Strategy and Commercial in May 2022 and Acting EVP Strategy and Commercial in April 2024. Prior to joining Beach, he worked for Shell, BG Group and Woodside.
His deep experience in global energy markets at various points of the energy value chain (upstream, midstream and downstream) developed his acute understanding of the key value drivers to successfully lead acquisition and divestment; market entry; and commercialisation of energy products, including LNG, domestic/pipeline gas, oil, condensate, LPG and electricity.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University.
Paul Hogarth
David Ross
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT TECHNICAL
BEng(Mech)(Hons), GradDipMgmt
David joined Beach in 2021 in the role of General Manager Victoria and was subsequently appointed to EVP Technical in April 2024. Mr Ross is responsible for technical safety, efficiency and governance.
David has over 30 years’ experience in the oil and gas sector, covering all aspects of the oil and gas supply chain, both upstream and midstream.
Prior to joining Beach, David held various leadership, safety, project, technical, maintenance and operational roles in Australia, Canada, South-East Asia, Europe, America and Japan. He is a driven leader renowned for his delivery-focused approach and ability to drive positive change in business outcomes.
David hold a Bachelor Engineering Mechanical (Hons), and Graduate Diploma Management. He is a Registered Engineer (QLD and VIC) and a Fellow Engineers Australia, Engineering Executive.
David Ross
Susan Jones
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE and LEGAL
LLB (Hons)
Susan joined Beach in February 2021 and was appointed General Counsel in August 2021 and subsequently EVP ESG and Legal in April 2024. She has over 25 years’ experience having worked in Australia, USA, UK and northern Africa in legal and non-legal roles. Her legal experience covers all aspects of legal operations, M&A, project finance, PSC negotiations, commodity sales and compliance. She has also held senior commercial and asset management roles.
Previous employers include Total, Woodside, BHP and Ophir. In addition to her in-house experience, she has worked at King Wood Mallesons (Australia) and Sidleys (New York).
Susan is originally from South Australia and holds a first class honours LLB. In addition to being admitted to practice law in Australia she is admitted to practice in New York.
Susan Jones
Thom Rudkin
ACTING EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT PEOPLE & CULTURE
B.Com, MBA
Thom joined Beach in 2022 in the role of Head of Human Resources and was subsequently appointed to Acting Group Executive, People & Culture in March 2024 and Acting EVP People & Culture in April 2024. In the role, Mr Rudkin is responsible for the Human Resources and Organisational Development functions of the company.
Thom has over 16 years’ experience in human resources, including 5 years in the oil and gas sector.
Prior to joining Beach, Thom held various human resources roles at Santos, prior to that he has worked with Ventia and Hills Holdings in a number of national human resources and performance improvement positions.
Thom Rudkin