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.
Jodie Kannane (left), Brenton Clarke (centre, above), Melissa Holzberger (centre, below), John Hood (right, above) and Sue Thomas (right, below) have all been appointed to new roles.
Flinders alumnus turned Chancellor
Flinders University has appointed John Hood as its seventh Chancellor.
An Economics and Accounting graduate of the university, Hood is the first alumnus to be appointed to the governance role.
He first served on the University Council from 2004 to 2010 before rejoining in 2017.
Hood is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Hood spent more than a decade as Senior Manager for PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) before joining the accounting firm MHM as Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer.
In 2010, he was appointed Partner with Deloitte Australia where he worked until 2014.
Currently the Chair of Gannon Lifestyle Communities, his Director experience includes Port Adelaide Football Club, Mighty Craft Limited, Deloitte, Foodbank SA, Seymour College Foundation Inc. and Momentum Food and Wine.
Hood succeeds Stephen Gerlach who officially retires as Chancellor on September 30.
Movements for Maggie Beer Board
After three years in the role, Reg Weine has stepped down as Chair of the Board for Maggie Beer Holdings as he joins Bubs Australia Limited as Chief Executive Officer.
Weine is the former Chief Executive Officer of Bulla Dairy Foods and was Managing Director of SPC Ardmona – the company that makes SPC Baked Beans and Vegemite.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Boards for Otway Pork and Apple and Pear Australia Limited.
Sue Thomas takes the reigns as Chair while Weine remains a Non-Executive Director on the Board.
Thomas joined the Board in July 2022 and currently serves as a Director of Temple and Webster Group, Cash Converters International. Fitzroy River Holdings and Nuix.
She is also a Senior Executive Coach at Foresight Global Coaching – a mentoring business for Chief Executives.
One in, one out at Argo Investments
Investment firm Argo has farewelled one Board Member and appointed a replacement this week.
Long-term member Roger Davis has announced his retirement, with the firm describing his 11-year contribution as “valuable”.
He joined the Board in 2012 and helped “guide the company through various cycles and events including the global pandemic”.
Argo appointed Melissa Holzberger in his place as a Non-Executive Director.
She is currently a Non-Executive Director of Paladin Energy and Andromeda Metals, and a former Non-Executive Director of Silex Systems.
Holzberger has also served on government, public and not-for-profit Boards, and holds a Master of Laws in Resources Law, a Diploma in International Nuclear Law (with Honours), a Bachelor of Laws and Arts, and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities
Manager Professional Development for not-for-profit NGO Rural Doctors Workforce Agency – a newly created role to lead the provision of high-quality education and professional development to Rural Generalists and General Practitioners.
Head of Junior School for independent school Woodcroft College, providing leadership and vision in the delivery of high-standard education with a new Junior School building opening soon.
Human Resources Business Partner for purpose-driven statutory authority ReturnToWorkSA, partnering with leaders to provide trusted human relations advice across a range of people and culture matters.
General Manager for Burnside Village
The Cohen Group has appointed Jodie Kannane as Centre General Manager for Burnside Village.
Kannane joins the centre from the Adelaide Central Market Authority where she was the first female General Manager, holding the role from 2018 to 2023.
She is the former Retail Experience Manager for Scentre Group – the owner and operator of Westfield in Australia and New Zealand.
Kannane has also held accounting roles including as Finance and Operations Manager for Sealink Travel Group and National Finance and Administration Manager for GLG GreenLife Group.
Major event at Adelaide Oval
Brenton Clarke has been appointed Head of Event Day Corporate Sales and Experience at Adelaide Oval.
Clarke joins Adelaide Oval from Southern Cross Austereo where he worked for more than two decades as Senior Accountant Manager, Agency Sales Manager, Sports and Sponsorships Manager and finally, Head of Sport and Commercial Partnerships in South Australia and Western Australia.
He is the former Account Manager for DMG Radio Adelaide.
New Secretary for Argonaut
The Pirie Street-based minerals firm Argonaut has appointed Richard Wilson as Company Secretary.
Wilson is an experienced Non-Executive Director, Secretary and Chief Financial Officer with more than 20 years of experience, predominantly within the mining, tech and agricultural sectors for both publicly listed and private companies.
His appointment follows the retirement of Joanna Morbey who has been with the company since December 2019.
