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.
Amanda McIlroy (left), Steve Olech (top, centre), Ben Sullivan (below, centre) and Naomi Heritage (top, right) have all been appointed to new roles. Meanwhile, John van Ruth (below, right) has announced his retirement.
Heading for the Hills
Adelaide Hills Council has appointed Gregory Georgopoulos as Chief Executive Officer.
Georgopoulos is currently Chief Executive Officer at Kangaroo Island Council.
He formerly served as Director of Infrastructure and Environment at the City of Prospect.
He has nearly two decades of experience as a Civil Engineering Designer and Construction Engineer at the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.
Georgopoulos takes on the role after former long-standing Chief Executive Officer Andrew Aitken stood down in September 2022.
Movements within Lutheran Disability Services
Lutheran Disability Services has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer after the announcement of John van Ruth‘s upcoming retirement on Friday, July 7.
Prior to joining the disability service provider in 2020, van Ruth was Chief Executive Officer of Operation Flinders Foundation.
He is the current Deputy Chair and Non Executive Director of technology solutions company HAMBS and Governor of not-for-profit organisation The Wyatt Trust.
He has formerly served as Board Member, Treasurer and Chairman of St John Ambulance SA’s Audit and Risk Committee and as a Council Member for the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Michael Kromwyk has been promoted from Chief Operating Officer to take over van Ruth’s role from Monday, July 3.
Kromwyk joined Lutheran Disability Services in 2020 from the Bedford Group where he was Chief Marketing Officer and formerly held senior marketing roles at RAA.
He currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Tailem Bend Advancement Group, Non Executive Director of Catalyst Foundation, Non Executive Chair of CareWorks SA and Deputy Chair of SPELD SA.
Over the moon for Solstice Media
The parent company of InDaily, SALIFE magazine and CityMag, Solstice Media has appointed Amanda McIlroy as a Member of its Board.
McIlroy most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of the City of Adelaide.
Prior to working at the City of Adelaide, McIlroy was the inaugural Chief Operating Officer at SAHMRI and continues to serve on its Governance Committee and Gender Equity Committee.
She currently serves as a Member of SA Ambulance’s Assurance and Risk Committee and Finance Committee.
In the agribusiness
Rob Hulme has been appointed Vice President of Grain at AI agriculture solutions company GoMicro.
Hulme is the current Chief Executive Officer and Group Director of agribusiness consulting firm The Boralis Group.
He currently serves as Partner at SaaS platform Enable; as Advisor at venture capital firm Investible; and as Strategic Advisor for digital agriculture commodity trading platform DCX.
He is on the Advisory Board of Rethink Events and the Advisory Council of Food Frontier.
Hulme has formerly been a Strategic Advisor for numerous companies including the CSIRO, EarthDaily Agro, Yara International and ComCrop.
Movements on the Board of the ASA
The Australian Shareholders’ Association (ASA) has announced the reelection of Board Chair Steven Mabb as Director.
Mabb was first elected to the Board in 2020 and is a member of the Education Committee, the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee.
Mabb is the Managing Director of Skartm and Karmast Investments Pty Ltd and serves as Lead Advisory Board Member of Global Footcare.
Richard Goldman has also been appointed as Director and will be up for election by members at the next annual general meeting.
Goldman is Head of Financial and Commercial at the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation and an Adjunct Business Faculty Lecturer and Tutor at the University of New South Wales.
Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia Karl Schlobohm has been appointed to the Board.
Schlobohm is the current Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer of Gold Hydrogen and has held similar positions with Vecci Group, Aus Tin Mining and NewPeak Metals.
Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is looking to appoint a Director of Marketing. Reporting to the CEO, the role is responsible for delivering effective marketing initiatives to develop and enhance the ASO’s brand, develop positive stakeholder relationships and coordinate marketing strategies.
The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) is looking to appoint a Director of Water Licensing. As part of the Water and River Murray Division’s leadership team and the DEW Executive Leaders Forum, this role is responsible for driving the delivery of a dynamic business consisting of a range of regulatory, compliance, customer service, operational policy and revenue raising and collection services including the management of the water register.
Copper Coast Council is looking to appoint a Chief Executive Officer. Reporting directly to Council, the role is responsible for driving the organisation’s strategic decisions, providing advice to Council, maintaining stakeholder relationships and overseeing operations, business, finances and corporate planning.
Private co-educational Lutheran school, Concordia College is looking to appoint a new Campus Principal. Reporting directly to the Head of College as a key member of the College Executive, the Campus Principal is responsible for leading the academic and pastoral lives of nearly 900 students from Year 7 to Year 12. The role provides a balance of ELC-12 strategic formulation and operational outcomes for the middle and senior campus.
Medical imaging company, Benson Radiology is looking to appoint a Chief Financial Officer. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer is a key adviser to ensure business decisions are grounded in sound financial analysis. As a member of the Executive Leadership Group, the role’s responsibilities include contributing to the organisation’s strategic direction as a financial adviser, leading the finance team, maintaining stakeholder relationships and overseeing compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
Promotions at VAILO
Adelaide-based advanced lighting technology company VAILO has announced the promotion of General Manager of Sport Steve Olech to Chief Business Development Officer.
Olech currently serves as Director of My Local Physio Plus, Chair of the Rostrevor College Advisory Council and Director of SO Strategic.
He is the former General Manager of Commercial Operations at the Port Adelaide Football Club and was a Special Project Consultant on the Adelaide Strikers Establishment for the South Australian Cricket Association.
Improving lifestyles as CEO
Disability service provider Enhanced Lifestyles has appointed Tim Baker as Chief Executive Officer.
Baker joins the organisation from his role as South Australia State Director of NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
He was formerly Director of Southern Services at Housing SA and Manager of Families SA.
Prior to joining the support sector, Baker was State Manager of the Australian Sports Commission.
Servicing McMahon
Industrial, construction and environmental services provider, McMahon Services has appointed two executive leaders.
Ben Sullivan has been appointed Executive General Manager of Environmental Services.
Sullivan joins the company after almost a decade at Veolia Australia and New Zealand where he was New South Wales Group General Manager and, more recently, Chief Digital Officer.
He is currently Director of B Sustainable Advisory and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Naomi Heritage has been appointed Executive General Manager of Asset Operations and Sustainment.
She joins McMahon Services from Western Hospital SA where she was Director of Finance.
She has previously worked as Acting Finance Manager at Calvary Health Care and as Manager of Finance and Business Support for Corporate Services at SA Health.
