
Meet The Team
WHO WE ARE

Paul Stoddart
Founder & CEO
Paul Stoddart is a highly respected industry veteran 20+ years' experience delivering major energy efficiency and lighting programmes for some of New Zealand's largest organisations.
Paul combines specialist technical knowledge with hands-on delivery. He is widely recognised within the lighting industry for his capability in design, specification, programme management and commissioning of complex, high-performance systems.
His portfolio includes a 14-year upgrade programme for Air New Zealand, spanning its nationwide campus and fully operational hangars, and the modernisation of legacy lighting across 120 Goodman Property warehouses and distribution centres, transitioning sites to high-efficiency LED with sophisticated control strategies. These projects have consistently delivered significant energy and maintenance savings while improving illumination, lighting quality and uniformity across entire sites.
Paul's broader expertise includes power factor correction, solar deployment, and most recently a large-scale smart meter rollout across 100+ Goodman Property sites, enabling better visibility of consumption, improved billing accuracy and more intelligent energy management. Known for his strategic insight and practical execution, Paul engages effectively with clients, understands the operational realities of complex assets, and has a long track record of delivering measurable, data-driven results at scale.

Melissa Stoddart
Co-owner/Business Manager
Melissa she oversees day to day operations, sales support, business strategy, and continuous improvement across company systems and workflows.
With more than 30 years of experience working within large corporate organisations, Melissa brings extensive expertise in office management, staff recruitment and training, operational support, and process improvement. She is highly regarded for her ability to streamline operations, solve workplace challenges efficiently, and ensure projects and business functions run smoothly and on schedule.
Throughout her career, Melissa has successfully developed and managed sales promotion programmes for large sales teams, while also coordinating international conferences and events for groups of up to 150 employees.
Known for her highly organised and systematic approach, Melissa combines strong attention to detail with a practical, solutions focused mindset. Her depth of experience and commitment to operational excellence make her an invaluable part of The Energy Practice team.
Melissa’s professional achievements have been recognised through multiple special citations
and awards for her outstanding performance, leadership, and consistent contribution to the
companies she has worked with.

Leon Van Den Bergh
Project Manager
Leon brings over 11 years of experience in the petrochemical and industrial sectors, where he has successfully managed complex projects across a wide range of disciplines. His career has spanned underground tunnelling, electrical inspections, and large-scale project delivery, providing him with a unique combination of technical knowledge and practical field experience.
With a strong focus on innovation and technology, Leon specialises in conducting detailed site audits, developing electrical drawings, and preparing comprehensive bills of materials for tender submissions, particularly for smart metering and energy management installations. His ability to bridge the gap between engineering requirements and project execution ensures efficient, cost-effective, and technically sound outcomes for clients.
Leon also works closely with businesses seeking to improve power quality and energy efficiency. He assists organisations with the specification and implementation of power factor correction systems and harmonic filtering solutions, as well as troubleshooting and resolving existing power factor and network performance issues.
In the renewable energy sector, Leon has completed more than 40 solar PV system designs, leveraging interval data analysis, load profiling, and engineering calculations to develop optimised solar solutions tailored to each client's operational and financial objectives. His analytical approach ensures that every system is designed to maximise energy savings, return on investment, and long-term performance.
Driven by a passion for delivering practical energy solutions, Leon combines project management expertise with technical excellence to help businesses and organisations achieve greater efficiency, sustainability, and operational reliability.

Jane-Marie Le Noel-Bell
Finance Manager
Jane-Marie brings over 30 years of experience in the areas of Finance and Human Resources, working in both multinational corporations and New Zealand-owned industries. Jane-Marie has a deep understanding of what makes a business thrive, and strong beliefs that people and communication are at the heart of any successful organisation.
Jane-Marie has a diverse range of knowledge, skills, and experience within the field of Accounting, with a particular strength in nurturing strong relationships with key stakeholders based locally and globally, ensures the alignment and achievement of business goals and priorities.

Andy Sy
Procurement Manager
Andy has been working in LED lighting since 2002, starting with LED chips and packaging before moving into complete lighting solutions.
His focus is on building long-term partnerships and delivering practical lighting solutions that work in the real world.

Oscar Richardson
Business Development Manager
Oscar Richardson is the Business Development Manager at The Energy Practice, supporting client relationships and helping identify opportunities within the renewable energy sector. With a background in marketing and management, he brings a practical and collaborative approach to business development and customer engagement.
Oscar holds a double major degree in Marketing and Management from Auckland University of Technology (AUT). As someone relatively new to the renewable energy industry, he is focused on continuing to grow his knowledge of the sector while helping clients navigate sustainable energy solutions.
He is passionate about building strong relationships, understanding client needs, and contributing to projects that support a more sustainable future.
