Former Premier promoted on Infrastructure WA board

Former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill AO has been promoted to deputy chairperson of the Infrastructure WA board (IWA).

Jay Weatherill

Weatherill has been a member of the IWA board since 2023 and his new role is set to expire on December 31, 2027.

Weatherill was the Premier of South Australia from 2011 to 2018.

IWA said it provides strategic policy direction and oversight on major infrastructure proposals to the Western Australian government.

A critical appointment

MTM Critical Metals Limited has appointed Michael Walshe as CEO.

Michael Walshe

MTM said Walshe is a highly credentialled mineral processing executive with over 15 years of international experience in engineering, operations, technology commercialisation and project development roles across the minerals, chemicals and renewal energy sectors.

They said he has a decade of experience with Metso Outotec in several technical and senior management roles covering lithium, rare earths, gold and base metals, with substantial expertise in the design and scale-up of heat transfer experience.

Adelaide Festival artistic director moves to DPC

Ruth Mackenzie CBE. Image: Claudio Raschella

Ruth Mackenzie CBE has commenced her new role as program director of arts, culture and creative industries in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Mackenzie has stepped aside as artistic director of the Adelaide Festival, a role taken up in 2022.

The Adelaide Festival said Mackenzie’s new role will “oversee the development and delivery of the South Australian Government’s new arts and culture strategy, policy and action plan”.

Brett Sheehy AO

Brett Sheey AO will oversee programming for the 2025 Adelaide Festival as they begin a recruitment process for a new artistic director

Sheey previously held the role from 2005 to 2008 and has also held leadership roles at the Sydney Festival, the Melbourne Festival and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Principal Advisor Enforcement for ReturntoWorkSA (RTWSA). Outstanding opportunity for a governance/compliance specialist to join vital SA purpose-driven organisation.

Board Directors (two positions) for South Australia’s peak thoroughbred racing body, Racing SA seeking wagering, strategic planning and business development, government and public sector relations or information technology expertise.

Seasoned public servant promoted to deputy chief executive at DIT

Andrew Excell has been appointed as deputy chief executive of the Department for Transport and Infrastructure (DIT).

Andrew Excell

Excell has been with DIT for the past 13 years, where he was most recently executive director.

His other roles at DIT have been director of transport network and investment strategy, director of portfolio management office and regional manager of metropolitan traffic and road operations group.

The government said DIT is “responsible for the design, delivery and maintenance of state infrastructure used to deliver essential and important services to the community, and for managing and developing transport networks and the service delivery that supports them within South Australia”.

New SA Water board members make a splash

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion has announced the appointment of Monish Bhindi and Tricia Blight to the board of SA Water as directors, following the end of Janet Finlay and Chris Ford’s terms.

Tricia Blight

Bhindi is secretary of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA) and director of engineering services firm Greenhill.

Champion said Bhindi specialises in the development of residential and commercial projects as well as major infrastructure projects and brings decades of engineering and urban development experience to the role.

Monish Bhindi

Blight is chief operating officer in the Department for Housing and Urban Development.

Champion said she has 20 years of experience in government financial management and administration, including senior executive roles in the Department of Treasury and Finance.

The minister said the new appointments will bolster SA Water to deliver critical infrastructure to support the state’s housing growth.

Sammy D Foundation bolsters board

Kathy Nagle, Georgia Tsiantas and Shane Farley have been appointed as board directors of SA-based violence prevention organisation, the Sammy D Foundation.

Kathy Nagle

Nagle is currently a self-employed healthcare consultant and before this, she spent almost 21 years as CEO and director of nursing at Western Hospital in Henley Beach.

She has been a board member of St Michael’s College, Lakeside retirement villages and the Port Adelaide Football Club.

Georgia Tsiantas

Tsiantas is currently the national senior manager of organisational development at Calvary Health Care in Melbourne, as well as holding the roles of principle consultant, human capital and organisational transformation at human resources services Three Apples.

She is also a board member of Westgate Community Initiatives Group Ltd.

Shane Farley

Shane Farley has been with Beyond Bank for the past 11 years, where he is currently head of corporate affairs, sustainability and community.

The Sammy D Foundation was established in memory of one-punch attack victim Sam Davis, with the aim “to end violence by connecting and empowering young people”.

Mellor Olsson welcomes new partner

South Australian law firm Mellor Olsson Lawyers has welcomed estate planning specialist Nikki Owen as partner, where she will lead its wills and estates team.

Nikki Owen

Mellor Olsson said she brings a wealth of international and local expertise in succession planning and asset protection, serving individuals, business owners and families.

In her role, Owen will offer estate planning services, including the drafting of wills, powers of attorney, advanced care directors for health and care decisions and managing probate and estate administration.

Owen moved to Australia in 2016 and was previously special counsel and a partner at Finlaysons.

Before this, she was a partner at Mogers Drewett LLP & Thrings LLP in Bath, England, where she led a wills, estates and asset protection team.

Clean Seas Seafood chairman to step aside

Clean Seas Seafood Limited non-executive chairman Travis Dillon has announced that he will not be seeking re-election.

Travis Dillon

Dillon will resign from the board when his term expires at the company’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on October 30.

Dillon has been non-executive chairman of the company since October 2020 and has served on the remuneration and nomination committee, as well as the audit and risk committee since his appointment,

“Travis took on the Chairmanship at a particularly challenging time during the initial stages of COVID-19, steering the business through significant restructuring and operational change during his tenure and resulting in a more efficient and less risky business model,” said Clean Seas Seafood CEO Robert Gratton.

Clean Seas Seafood has begun its search for a new non-executive chairperson to take over from Dillon.

A promotion at Underwood Executive

Underwood Executive has promoted Julie Bennett to associate director.

Julie Bennett

Bennett joined Underwood Executive in 2021 as a senior associate and has over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition in Australia and the US.

Underwood Executive said Bennett leads its executive searches for C-suite talent both locally and nationally across energy, government, community services, consumer, financial services and education.

Underwood Executive is an executive search and talent management consultancy based in Adelaide