Nous Group appoints energy expert Michael Rath as senior advisor

Veteran Deloitte partner Michael Rath has joined Nous Group’s growing energy & decarbonisation team as a senior advisor, having previously spent over two and a half decades at the Big Four firm.

Michael Rath joins Nous Group in Melbourne following a period as an independent consultant, before which he served as Asia Pacific lead partner for power, utilities & renewables as one of many senior roles across his 26-year career at Deloitte.

In his new role, Rath will be responsible for leading and delivering future-shaping projects with public and private sector clients, working alongside the energy & decarbonisation practice’s ten-strong team of principals and directors.

“Michael has worked on some of the most substantial energy issues across Australia and the APAC region over the last two and a half decades,” said Nous Group managing principal Tim Orton, who also heads the energy segment. “We are delighted he is bringing his depth of expertise to Nous as we continue to grow our team and our impact at this pivotal time in the energy transition.”

After joining Deloitte as a business consulting director in 1998 and becoming a partner five years later, Rath served in a string of senior positions, including most recently as national lead partner for industrial products & construction. Previously, he had overseen both energy & resources and power, utilities & renewables, and was the firm’s lead partner for ‘future of energy & strategic growth.’

“I’m thrilled to be joining at a time when the engagement of key stakeholders, communities, and customers is critical to the acceleration and delivery of key projects and the transition to a net-zero carbon environment,” Rath stated, citing Nous’ strong track record working with various industry providers along with government on “some of the biggest challenges in energy policy and regulation.”

The firm’s energy & decarbonisation practice – which is led by principals Simon Guttmann, Claire Noone, and Anita Sarris – works with clients across the sector including generators, network operators, retailers, and regulators in areas such as strategy, organisational design, capacity-building, engagement, and policy, as well as with organisations seeking to cut emissions.

Bringing extensive experience in business strategy and redesign, Rath will also become a member of Nous Group’s Energy Advisory Council, which further consists of Richard Bolt, who joined the firm as a principal in early 2020, and fellow industry experts Paul Kenny and Charles Popple, the latter who until recently served as commissioner of the Australian Energy Market Commission.

Writing previously in the AFR, Rath stated; “Embracing a low carbon economy should not be viewed as a threat but as an opportunity to prepare Australia for the riches that will flow from the sustainability revolution. As an energy nation, Australia is uniquely poised to leverage this national endowment to create and accelerate new industries, businesses, and export opportunities.”