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.
Navy veteran leads Veterans SA
Senior executive and Royal Australian Navy veteran Bianca Wheeler has recently started as director of Veterans SA, following the departure of Chantelle Bohan in May.
Bianca Wheeler
Veterans SA said that Wheeler is an accomplished executive with over 15 years of experience in strategy, strategic communication, crisis management, corporate and community relations, and organisational transformation across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
In this role, Wheeler will lead the South Australian Government’s Veterans’ Affairs portfolio and will be responsible for delivering strategic outcomes, developing policies, administering grants and advocating on matters of importance to the state’s veteran community.
HenderCare’s new CEO
Emma Hinchey has recently started her role as the new CEO at disability and aged care service provider HenderCare.
Emma Hinchey
Hinchey takes the reins from founding CEO Amanda Blight, who is moving on after two decades in the role.
Hinchey joined HenderCare in July 2023 as chief financial officer and then deputy CEO.
She is also the founder, CEO and advisor at The CEO Centre.
Before joining HenderCare, Hinchey was CFO at Minda Inc, CEO of Community Support Inc and interim CEO for the MS Society of SA/NT.
HenderCare said Hinchey brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership in the community care sector.
New Otto head brings expertise in oil and gas
Steve Herod has resigned as CEO of Otto Energy Limited, with Phil Trajanovich taking over as acting CEO effective immediately.
Phil Trajanovich
Trajanovich has 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and was Otto’s senior commercial manager from 2016 and then the senior vice president and chief commercial officer from 2023.
Otto said Trajanovich has extensive experience in all facets of upstream oil and gas operations and commercial structures in the USA and internationally.
Promotions at Perks
Adelaide accounting and wealth advisory firm Perks has expanded its leadership ranks with the promotion of seven team members within its accounting and business services team.
Michael Boffa, Tyson Jeanes, Tim Haslam and James McGuffog will become directors, while Sanja Hiziak and Scott Middleton have been promoted to associate directors.
Matthew Fahey, who is the business development manager of Perks’ wholly owned subsidiary AIT Specialists Pty Ltd, will also take on the newly created role of client service director.
“These appointments recognise the significant contributions, individual expertise, and leadership skills of each of these Team Members,” said Perks CEO James Black.
“From a personal perspective, it is highly rewarding to see them develop professionally and I look forward to seeing them continue to drive our firm’s success and mentor our next generation of emerging leaders.”
Perks has 30 directors and a total of 220 team members, with clients predominantly made up of private businesses and their owners.
Head of People & Culture for Cornerstone College, a leading co-ed Christian school in thriving Mount Barker. Work closely with the Principal as part of the ELT in leadership of college-wide P&C strategy and operations.
Finance Systems Implementation Lead for one of SA’s largest and most progressive councils, the City of Salisbury. This 18-month project role will drive financial systems transition and implementation to future-proof Council’s financial systems and governance.
Former Law Society President becomes managing partner at TGB Lawyers
TGB Lawyers has announced that Tim White will take over from Gary Allison as managing partner, who was in the role for four years.
Tim White
TGB Lawyers said that White and Allison will continue their work advising clients in their respective areas of law.
White began at TGB in 1996 and has served as president of the Law Society of South Australia.
Meanwhile, Toni Emanuele has been appointed to equity partner and Denise Abfalter to associate.
TGB Lawyers was established in South Australia in 1970 and has offices throughout Australia.
Papyrus to chart new territory with incoming executive chairman
Paper and forest product manufacturer Papyrus has announced the retirement of Edward Bryt after around 15 years in the role.
Al Jawhari
Experienced international business executive Al Jawhari will replace Bryt, who will remain the company’s non-executive director.
Papyrus said the appointment of Jawhari as executive chairman reflects the progression of the company from research and development activities to product development.
Papyrus said Jawhari is an entrepreneur, innovator and technology commercialisation expert with over 25 years of C-level experience.
It said his global experience spans defence manufacturing, retail, agriculture, food and wine, e-commerce and software platforms development.
The announcement comes following the recent retirement of Pascal Gouel as director of Papyrus on June 30.
Mighty Kingdom leadership shake-up
Game developer Mighty Kingdom has promoted Emilie Poissenot to chief creative officer/head of gaming and Dylan Miklashek to senior product manager.
Emilie Poissenot
Poissenot has held various senior leadership roles at Mighty Kingdom since joining in 2021.
She has 17 years of gaming experience and before joining Mighty Kingdom in 2021 was lead designer of Sims Free Play at Electronic Arts and lead designer at League of Geeks.
Dylan Miklashek
Miklashek has 20 years of gaming experience and was most recently general manager of Gameloft in Australia.
Before this, he was director of the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association.
Mighty Kingdom said that in his new role, Miklashek will focus on identifying market opportunities for new products, managing external parties and working with producers to ensure quality and timeliness targets are met.
The announcement comes after the recent appointment of Mighty Kingdom CEO David Yin to managing director in June.
Carclew begins recruitment drive following departure of chair
South Australian youth arts body Carclew will farewell its chair Rachel Healy in September after three years in the role.
Rachel Healy
Healy is relocating to Queensland to serve as chief executive of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, starting in December.
Healy has over 20 years of experience in roles ranging from joint artistic director of the Adelaide Festival, executive manager culture for the City of Sydney and positions at the Belvoir St Theatre and Syndey Opera House.
Carclew has now begun a recruitment search for a new chair, to be led by Hender Consulting’s general manager Andrew Reed, with Education Minister Blair Boyer inviting for expressions of interest.
Movements at Thomson Geer
Thomson Geer has recently promoted Hannah Sowdon to partner, along with four lawyers to special counsel, 19 to senior associate and 26 to associate.
Viki Sanderson, Fiona Stapleton and Jessica Tabe, all of whom are based in Adelaide, have been promoted to special counsel.
Meanwhile, Liam Cobain, Alice Leary, Emily Livingston and Angela Watson, who are also based in Adelaide, have been promoted to senior associates.
Thomson Geer is an Australian corporate law firm with over 140 partners and offices around Australia.
ACH Group bolsters board
Ach Group – a South Australian not-for-profit aged care services and retirement living provider – has welcomed senior executive Tracey Scott and legal practitioner Scott Long as non-executive directors.
Tracey Scott
Scott has over two decades of experience on boards and committees across the not-for-profit and government sectors and has held long-standing executive and non-executive roles with the Department of Treasury and Finance in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
ACH Group said Long has an extensive background in regulation, corporate governance and commercial law.
Scott Long
He has undertaken senior leadership roles in private firms and companies and has been in-house general counsel across sectors spanning defence and higher education, including at the University of Adelaide.
“Their depth of expertise, particularly across financial management, regulation and compliance, consolidates – and complements – our highly skilled and experienced board,” said ACH Group Chair Imelda Lynch.
Quantum leap at Archer Materials
Archer Materials Limited has announced the promotion of Simon Ruffell from engineering manager to chief technology officer, following the recent resignation of CEO Dr Mohammad Choucair.
Simon Ruffell
Ruffell joined Archer in February 2024 and has 20 years of international experience working on technology projects and managing multi-functional teams.
Before joining Archer, Ruffell was a principal hardware engineering manager at Microsoft, a senior manager at Applied Materials and a semiconductor and quantum engagement manager at the University of Sydney,
Archer said Greg English will remain as executive chairman and will work closely with Simon Ruffel to ensure to continued development of Archer’s quantum and biochip projects.
Chooze makes its choice
NDIS-approved disability and supplies e-commerce site The Chooze Shop has appointed William Giannias as its business development and partnership manager.
William Giannias
Giannias has a background in business and marketing, as well as early childhood development, specialising in special education and disability studies.
Giannias has held various NDIS positions, including as a planner, support coordinator, team manager and early childhood practitioner.
“Billy has a long tenure in the sector, and his role will be to build our brand awareness in the disability community, forge strategic partnerships with plan managers, as well as support coordinators, and participants, as our start-up continues to make waves,” said Choose CEO Kerry Kingham said.
“Our product listing has grown to over 15,000, and soon there will be close to 20,000 products available to order – we are on our way to achieving our goal of becoming the largest provider of assisted technology and consumables in Australia.”
Treasurer comes on board at RMHC SA
Stewart Watts has joined the Ronald McDonald House SA Charities Board as Treasurer.
Stewart Watts
Watts is a director in Nexia Edwards Marshall’s Business Consulting and Taxation Divisions and has 13 years of experience in the industry.
Watts predominantly provides business consulting and taxation services to South Australian businesses and specialises in international tax, government grants and those in the hospitality industry.
RMHC SA said it is a “home away from home” for families with seriously ill children who need to travel to receive treatment.
Accounting firm pitches for new partner
Australian accounting, audit and business advisory association Pitcher Partners Adelaide has promoted Madhavi Perera to partner.
Madhavi Perera
Perera has more than 25 years of experience providing audit and assurance services to clients in Sri Lanka, Botswana and Australia.
Perera joined Pitcher Partners in 2010 and works with a diverse range of clients in the automotive, manufacturing, retail, wine and not-for-profit sectors.
