Meet our Board of Directors
Ryan Stokes AO
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CHAIR
BComm, FAIM
Mr Stokes is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SGH. SGH is a leading Australian diversified operating and investment group with market leading businesses and investments in industrial services, media and energy. This includes WesTrac, Coates Hire, Boral, Southern Cross Media Group Limited (20%), and Beach (30%). He has extensive experience leading large private and public organisations, including experience with corporate transactions, operational discipline, and performance.
Mr Stokes is Chair of WesTrac, Coates, Boral, and a non-executive director of Southern Cross Media. Mr Stokes is Chief Executive Officer of Australian Capital Equity, a private company holding a major interest in SGH.
Mr Stokes is Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia and is an Officer of the Order of Australia.
Mr Stokes was appointed to the Board of Beach on 20 July 2016 and ceased to be a director in November 2021. He was then appointed an alternate director for Margaret Hall on 1 December 2021 and ceased to be an alternate director on 23 July 2023. Mr Stokes was re-appointed a non-executive director on 23 July 2023 and last re-elected on 12 November 2025. Mr Stokes was appointed Chair of the Board on 18 October 2024, having served as Interim Chair since 14 November 2023. He is also a member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee.
Ryan Stokes – Beach Energy Director
Brett Woods
MANAGING DIRECTOR &
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
BSc (Hons) Geology and Geophysics, AMP Harvard
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 and has held senior technical roles in Australia and Africa. In 2007, Mr Woods became Managing Director and CEO of African start-up Rialto Energy.
In 2013 Mr Woods joined Santos and led the Western Australia and Northern Territory Operating Division, playing a pivotal role in the successful transformation of the Cooper Basin and Gladstone LNG assets.
Mr Woods subsequently assumed responsibility for Santos’ operated infrastructure (LNG, domestic gas, oil fractionation facilities and pipelines) and developed decarbonisation, clean fuels and CCS opportunities whilst leading Santos’ Energy Solutions business. He also played key roles in the successful acquisitions of Quadrant Energy, ConocoPhillips’ Northern Australian business and Oil Search by Santos.
He was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Beach Energy in January 2024, where he has led a transformation of the company by engaging employees to take an owner’s mindset throughout the business.
Brett Woods – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Sally-Anne Layman
LEAD INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
B Eng (Mining) Hon, B Com, CPA, MAICD
Ms Layman is a company director with diverse international experience in the resources sector and financial markets. Previously, Ms Layman held a range of senior positions with Macquarie Group Limited, including as Division Director and Joint Head of the Perth office of the Metals, Mining & Agriculture Division.
Prior to moving into finance, Ms Layman undertook various roles with resource companies including Mount Isa Mines, Great Central Mines and Normandy Yandal. Ms Layman holds a WA First Class Mine Manager’s Certificate of Competency, a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) Hons from Curtain University and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Southern Queensland. Ms Layman is a Certified Practicing Accountant and is a member of CPA Australia Ltd, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women.
Ms Layman is on the board of Newmont Corporation (since 2020), Imdex Ltd (since 2017) and PLS Group Limited (since 2018).
Ms Layman was appointed to the Board of Beach on 25 February 2019 and last re-elected on 12 November 2025. Ms Layman is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee.
Sally-Anne Layman – Beach Energy Director
Bruce Clement
INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BEng (Civil) Hons, BSc, MBA
Mr Clement has over 40 years of domestic and international energy industry experience. He has managed oil and gas exploration, development and production operations in Australia and Asia and has delivered key projects across these regions and in the UK and US. He has extensive experience and knowledge of the Perth Basin, including overseeing the discovery of the Waitsia gas field as Managing Director of AWE.
Mr Clement previously held engineering, senior management, and board positions with several companies including Santos, Norwest Energy, AWE, ExxonMobil and Roc Oil. Mr Clement is currently Chair of Cue Energy Resources Limited and Horizon Oil Limited.
Mr Clement holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) Hons and a Bachelor of Science (Maths & Computer Science) from Sydney University and a Masters of Business Administration from Macquarie University.
Mr Clement was appointed to the Board of Beach on 8 May 2023 and elected on 14 November 2023. He is Chair of the Technical Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Bruce Clement – Beach Energy Director
Shaun Gregory
INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MBT, BSc (Hons)
Mr Gregory is a strategic technology and energy executive with over three decades of experience spanning geophysics, digital transformation, and sustainable energy. He served in multiple senior leadership roles at Woodside Energy, including Executive Vice President New Energy and Chief Technology Officer, where he led global teams and multibillion-dollar initiatives across exploration, technology, carbon, and digital domains.
Mr Gregory has a strong track record in delivering transformative business growth, pioneering advanced analytics and artificial intelligence applications, and building new energy ventures. His leadership was instrumental in developing a carbon offset business delivering substantial offsets and executing major M&A activities, including a significant acquisition and technical due diligence for one of the industry’s largest mergers.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mathematical Geophysics from The University of Western Australia and a Master of Business and Technology from the University of New South Wales. Mr Gregory is co-founder of an artificial intelligence startup and a leadership community platform. He has held board roles with Scitech, Woodside subsidiaries, and the Saipen Cyber Technical Advisory Board.
Mr Gregory is a member of the Technical Committee and was appointed to the Board on 1 September 2025 and elected on 12 November 2025.
Sally Martin
INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BE (Elec), GAICD
Ms Martin is a former senior executive who held various roles at Shell over a 34-year career. She has extensive operational and business team leadership experience in complex industrial environments.
Ms Martin has strong ESG credentials, including in energy transition strategy development as Vice President Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Social Performance at Shell.
She holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University College Cork, Ireland and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Martin is an independent non-executive director of Sandfire Resources Limited and Viva Energy Group Limited.
Ms Martin was appointed to the Board of Beach on 11 March 2024 and elected on 13 November 2024. She is a Chair of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee and a member of the Technical Committee.
Sally Martin – Beach Energy Director
Richard Richards
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BComs/Law (Hons), LLM, MAppFin, CA, Admitted Solicitor
Mr Richards has been Chief Financial Officer of SGH since October 2013. He is a director of SGH Energy and is a director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of WesTrac and Coates.
He is a director of Boral Limited and is a member of its Audit and Risk Committee and its Safety Committee. Mr Richards is also a director of Flagship Property Holdings and a director of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee.
Mr Richards joined SGH from the diverse industrial group, Downer EDI, where he was Deputy CFO responsible for group finance across the company for three years. Prior to joining Downer EDI, he was CFO for the Family Operations of LFG, the private investment and philanthropic vehicle of the Lowy Family for two years. Prior to that, Richard held senior finance roles at Qantas for over 10 years.
Mr Richards is a former director and the Chair of Audit and Risk Management Committee of the Kindergarten Union of New South Wales. He was also a member of the Marcia Burgess Foundation Committee.
Mr Richards is both a Chartered Accountant and admitted solicitor with over 30 years of experience in business and complex financial structures, corporate governance, risk management and audit.
Mr Richards was appointed to the Board of Beach on 4 February 2017 and was last re-elected on 14 November 2023. He is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Technical Committee.
Richard Richards – Beach Energy Director