Corporate Ladder: your weekly guide to executive appointments in South Australia
South Australia’s premier executive appointments column tracking the movements of those driving the state’s public and private sectors. Plus the latest executive recruitment opportunities.
Johnny Velis (left), Miranda Starke (centre, top), Lauren Thomas-Nehmy (centre), Harry Cooper (centre, bottom), Adele Gibb (right, top) and Leon Cermak (right, bottom) have all be appointed to new positions.
Taking the role full-time
Miranda Starke has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at Council on the Ageing SA (COTA SA).
Starke took on the role as interim Chief Executive after former CEO Jane Mussared stepped down in August of 2022.
Starke has worked at COTA SA since 2019 in roles as Head of The Plug-in and General Manager.
She is currently Chair of the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation and former Deputy Chair of Westside Housing Company Ltd.
“Since Miranda stepped into the Acting role last year she has shown clear capacity for leadership in ensuring that COTA SA maintains our commitment to advance the rights and interests of older South Australians,” said COTA SA President Anne Edwards.
“The Board has every confidence in her capacity to provide the leadership into the future that COTA SA needs.”
Susy Daw is on Board
Susy Daw has been appointed as Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Police Credit Union.
Daw’s background includes clinical and management roles in the healthcare sector, having worked as a registered general and paediatric nurse in public and private sector hospitals.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Risk Committee at St Andrew’s Hospital; a Member of the Clinical Quality Committee at ECH Incorporated; a Board Member for Anglicare SA Housing Limited; and a Member of the University of Adelaide Council Risk Sub-Committee.
Daw is also the Chair of the Clinical Governance Committee and a Board Member of the Audit and Risk Committee at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network.
She began the role on March 16 and will also serve on the Board Risk Committee and Board Audit Committee.
Taking a title at Tesla
Leon Cermak has been appointed Tesla’s Community Virtual Power Plant Manager of Australia and New Zealand.
Prior to his appointment, Cermak was employed as Tesla’s Community Relationship Partner from 2020 to late 2022.
Cermak previously worked as the office manager for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and an adviser to Ian Hunter.
He is currently the National Secretary of the Australian Conservation Foundation and a National Board Member of not-for-profit think tank The Australian Fabians.
He previously served on the Board of Adelaide-based Graham F. Smith Peace Foundation.
New ESG role
Credit Union SA has appointed Nicole Santinon to its newly created Chief Impact Officer role.
The Chief Impact Officer is responsible for embedding environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives into the union’s operations.
Santinon joined the banking organisation in 2021 as Company Secretary and will continue as General Counsel and Company Secretary in addition to her new role.
She spent a decade as Senior Associate of the law firm Cowell Clarke before taking on a role at Statewide Super in 2018 as Senior Legal Counsel and Company Secretary.
On Board for the ASO
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra has appointed Carolyn Francis and Kate Irving as Board Members.
Carolyn Francis is a Strategic Marketing and Communications Leader who has worked with organisations such as Novita, TAFE SA, SA Health and the Department for Trade and Economic Development.
She has previously served on the boards of Adelaide United Football Club, TAFE SA, Potatoes South Australia and Koala Life.
Irving is currently the Director of Strategic Investment and University Operations at the University of Adelaide.
She also serves as Chairperson of tax and auditing service, Moore Australia.
The pair join Chair Andrew Daniels, Freddy Bartlett, Anton Andreacchio, Karen Limb, Carolyn Mitchell, Matt Johnson and Sherrilyn Handley on the Board.
Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities
Adelaide Development Company is looking to appoint an Adelaide-based Assistant Accountant. Reporting to the Group Accountant, this role is responsible for assisting in the preparation of financial reports, including budgeting and forecasting in addition to statutory and taxation compliances; maintaining fixed asset registers and ensuring compliance with capital expenditure requirements. The role will also provide support on special projects including assisting project managers with financial analysis for project reporting. Offered on a full-time basis, flexible working arrangements with a minimum of 30 hours per week may be negotiable to secure the right candidate.
Socialising at Solstice Media
InDaily’s parent company Solstice Media has appointed Lauren Thomas-Nehmy in the new role of Digital Content Producer.
Thomas-Nehmy was most recently employed as Breaking News Reporter for News Corp Australia.
She has previously worked as Social Media Coordinator and Copywriter at Neon Treehouse.
Thomas-Nehmy began her new role on March 20.
For Carat, gold
Adele Gibb has been appointed Managing Director of South Australia media agency Carat Australia.
Gibb has worked at Carat for more than three years, starting as Client Director and moving to Group Investment Director of South Australia before taking on this new role.
She has previously been employed as Group Sales Director at Network 10 and Regional Sales Manager at Nine Entertainment Company.
Gibb replaces Vikki Friscic who was recently appointed as Managing Director of Seven Adelaide.
Sitting down with The Big Zero
Sylvia Rapo Williamson has been assigned Chair of the Board of sustainability IT servicing and consulting company, The Big Zero.
Rapo Williamson is the Executive Director of consulting agency, Consentium and Executive Director of environmental consultancy, JBS&G.
She previously worked as a Reporter for National Nine News and Seven News before moving into roles as a Media Adviser.
Rapo Williamson is currently a Member of the Government Communications Advisory Committee for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet South Australia.
New director lands in Adelaide
Consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has appointed Harry Cooper as Director of Cloud and Digital at its Adelaide office.
Cooper joined PwC in 2020 as Digital Strategy Director at its Melbourne office.
Prior to working at PwC, Cooper worked in London as a Senior Manager of Technology Strategy at IT company Accenture and as Technology Director at Sundrop Farms.
He first moved to Adelaide in 2017 to take on a role as Technology Lead at Pirate Life Brewing.
Adelaide creatives start advertising company
Adelaide creatives Becq Hinton and Johnny Velis have partnered to launch advertising and creative agency Super-Duper Creative.
Hinton has worked as Art Director of Clemenger BBDO and as Head of Art for Jamshop and The Rowdy Group.
Velis’ previous experience includes Creative Copywriter for Clemenger BBDO and Young & Rubicam, Associate Creative Director of Jamshop and Creative Director of The Rowdy Group.
The pair have experience working with brands including Mitsubishi Motors, South Australian Police, University of South Australia, Zoos SA, Adelaide United Football Club and SA Health.
