Dr Chris Oughton

With an early background in local government senior management roles, Dr Chris took up the role of General Manager Business Development with Silver Chain, a large-scale aged care provider in the not-for profit sector. Contract management, corporate fundraising, marketing and product development being the main functions. Following this in 2007 he took up the role of Director (CEO) of the Kwinana Industries Council (KIC), moving on in February 2024.

KIC is the peak industry association drawing its membership from within Western Australia’s (WA) Premier Industrial Area, referred to as the Western Trade Coast (WTC). KIC serves its members by taking up issues that are in their collective interest. Industry in the WTC is responsible for the direct and indirect employment of around 30,000 workers and contributes around $22 Bn into the WA economy annually. The KIC is regarded as the facilitator of one of the world’s best practice examples of industrial symbiosis in action, with over 170 inter-company product and by-product exchanges.

Resolving industry infrastructure constraints, protecting the industrial buffer zone from urban encroachment, decarbonisation of the industrial area, pursuit of the new container port in Kwinana, and pressing for the establishment of Kwinana’s ‘Lithium Valley’ on the world stage were some of areas of Dr Chris’ focus. Industry advocacy to elected government ministers and departmental public servants was a significant part of the role, as was community relations, and designing and presenting the WTC decarbonisation journey on the World’s stage, including at the International Economic Agency’s COP 26.

Dr Chris’ qualifications include:

• PhD in Sustainable Engineering (2024) Murdoch University School of Engineering and Energy
• Executive Master of Business Administration (2004), University of Western Australia
• Bachelor of Commerce (Corporate Administration, 1997), Curtin University
• Company Director Diploma (2008), Australian Institute of Company Directors

With a passion for global decarbonisation and a genuine energy transition to a renewables base, one of his published Academic Journal papers, entitled “Collective transitioning of a heavy industrial area towards ‘Net Zero Carbon’: the critical role of Governance in delivering Enterprise action”, can be found at https://doi.org/10.1051/rees/2023011