Michael Riches

Biography

Michael was appointed as Aurizon’s Group Executive Network in July 2017 and is an experienced executive with more than 25 years’ regulatory and legal experience in Australia.  In his current role, Michael is responsible for providing, maintaining and managing access to Aurizon’s regulated 2,670 kilometre Central Queensland Coal Network and associated rail infrastructure. A key part of Michael’s role is to negotiate regulatory outcomes that will assist in driving reform for the benefit of Aurizon and its customers. Prior to joining Aurizon, Michael held several senior executive level roles at Alinta Energy, an integrated energy business with 2000MW of gas-fired and renewable generation capacity and more than 800,000 residential, commercial and industrial energy customers. Michael joined as part of the new management team at the time of its recapitalisation in 2011. The business achieved a CAGR in excess of 10% over the six years until the business sale in April 2017. Michael’s significant legal expertise also includes his role as partner with Clayton Utz for six years and earlier, working for Minter Ellison for 11 years, the last four as partner. His principal areas of practice were M&A finance, particularly leveraged finance private equity buyouts, and project finance of major energy and transport infrastructure. Michael was recognised by industry and general publications as an expert in these practice areas.

Research Interest

  Business Management, Infrastructure and Architecture