Advertisement

Corporate Ladder: your weekly guide to executive appointments

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.

Sep 13, 2021, updated Jan 17, 2022
Ben Mitchell, Jayne Osborne and Ben Hodge (L-R) have all been hired at Adelaide hi-tech welding company K-TIG (Photo: supplied)

Ben Mitchell, Jayne Osborne and Ben Hodge (L-R) have all been hired at Adelaide hi-tech welding company K-TIG (Photo: supplied)

Virginia Suttell

David Di Blasio

SA oil and gas company eyes new CFO

Cooper Energy is on the hunt for a new Chief Financial Officer after current CFO Virginia Suttell announced she will be leaving at the end of the month.

Suttell has been with the ASX-listed oil and gas producers since January 2017, after joining from fellow South Australian energy company Monax Mining Limited where she worked as CFO from 2007 to 2016.

This came alongside another CFO role with SA mining company Marmota Energy, where she worked from 2007 to 2015 while also serving on the boards of Carers SA (2015-2017) and CGI Group Publishing (2015-2016).

Cooper Energy has announced Finance Manager David Di Blasio will be stepping up as interim CFO while the company searches for a permanent replacement.

Di Blasio has been with Cooper Energy since 2019 after a 13 year career with Santos and five years as Senior Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Cooper Energy says Di Blasio – a Chartered Accountant and MBA graduate –  has managed all finance functions of the company during his two years as Finance Manager.

Ben Mitchell

Jayne Osborne

Mile End manufacturers make marketing push

Adelaide hi-tech welding manufacturers K-TIG have made three appointments in their marketing and businesses development divisions.

The Mile End-based firm has brought on Ben Mitchell as Chief Marketing Officer, Jayne Osborne as Head Partner Marketing and Ben Hodge as Defence Business Development Manager.

Mitchell joins the publicly listed company after 15 years with chemicals multinational Nitto Australia – most recently as Director of Innovation and Marketing in Adelaide.

The new K-TIG marketing chief also holds a Masters in Business Administration and has experience as a Business Manager with Caltex in Adelaide.

He will work closely alongside Osborne who has been brought on as Head Partner Marketing to develop and manage K-TIG’s global distribution strategy.

Osborne has held a variety of managerial roles across the public and private sector, including short stints with the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Small Business Commissioner, air conditioning manufacturers Seeley International and AnglicareSA.

Her appointment follows K-TIG this year establishing its UK subsidiary, Keyhole TIG, and setting up a sales and distribution network in North America in 2020.

K-TIG Managing Director Adrian Smith said Mitchell and Osborne would help the company carry out its global growth strategy.

“Jayne’s appointment comes at an exciting time as K-TIG further expands our global distribution network,” Smith said.

“She, along with Ben Mitchell are ideally placed as marketing strategists to showcase K-TIG’s market leading, fully automated, industry-disruptive technology.”

Meanwhile, Hodge has been brought on to lead K-TIG’s growth strategy in the defence sector.

Touted as an experienced industry professional, Hodge has spent the last three years with South Australian tech manufacturers APC Technology as Business Development Manager, Defence and Aerospace.

That role came after two years as a Business Development Manager with Defcon Technologies and 13 years as a Coffee Club franchisee.

“Ben Hodge’s strong defence background will be a game-changer as K-TIG continues to identify and pursue new opportunities in the defence sector,” Smith said.

“An inspirational leader in any sales team he’s worked in, Ben is driven to exceed the expectations of customers.”

Rachel Healy

Jane Doyle

New Chair at Carclew

South Australian youth arts organisation Carclew has appointed Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Rachel Healy as its new Chair.

Healy, who prior to moving back to Adelaide was the Performing Arts Director of the Sydney Opera House and General Manager of Belvoir St Theatre, replaces current Carclew Chair Jane Doyle.

Doyle has held the role for more than nine years. Education Minister John Gardner thanked her for the “significant contribution” she has made to the North Adelaide performing arts organisation.

“Jane is well-known to all South Australians for her work in the media as a respected television presenter, but away from the small screen she has shown a terrific dedication to promoting the children’s and young people’s arts and cultural programs of Carclew and the many benefits these provide,” Gardner said.

“While Jane has left some very big shoes to fill, I am confident new Carclew Chair Rachel Healy will do an excellent job.”

Healy has been Joint Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival since 2017. An Adelaide University graduate, her last role before moving back to South Australia was Executive Manager of Culture with the City of Sydney.

Self-described as a “passionate believer in the role and value of youth arts”, she rejoins Carclew after her first-ever professional role was as Assistant Editor – and then Editor – of Lowdown Magazine – Carclew’s quarterly arts and culture mag.

She said: “there are thousands like me whose love of the arts was catalysed by their experiences at Carclew, and I am so looking forward to working with Tricia (Walton, Carclew CEO) and the Board on supporting the future ambitions of this extraordinary organisation.”

Founded in 1972 at the North Adelaide mansion bearing its name, Carclew runs a range of performing arts workshops, projects, funding programs and workshops for people under the age of 26.

Healy takes over as the organisation prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year

Clare MacAdam

Gus Abimosleh

Three new directors for Diabetes SA

Diabetes SA has appointed Clare MacAdam, Gus Abimosleh and James Mead to its Board of Directors.

MacAdam and Abimosleh are filling vacancies created by board resignations earlier in the year, while Mead – who is completing his Masters in Audiology at Flinders University – has been appointed to a newly created board role, which was open to under-30s.

MacAdam is currently Fundraising and Marketing Manager with Baptist Care SA, where she has been since 2016 after spending four years as a fundraiser with Junction Australia in Adelaide.

Her 25-year career has spanned roles in Victoria, NSW, the ACT and Queensland, and her appointment at Diabetes SA comes after her term on the board of Shelter SA finished in January.

Diabetes SA President Peter Crouch said MacAdam has a “widely renowned fundraising and income generating skillset”.

Abimosleh is a lecturer and tutor of podiatry at UniSA alongside his role as General Manager of Corporate Services at South Australian disability service provider Community Support Incorporated.

A father of three children, two of whom live with type one diabetes, Abimosleh has spent nearly 20 years as a manager at Helping hand Aged Care and has previously been tasked with overseeing residential and housing services – including a 110-resident home in Golden Grove with an operational budget of $9 million.

An experienced director, Abimosleh has held seven previous board roles, most recently with Parkinson’s SA, CCI Group Purchasing and Multicultural Aged Care. Diabetes SA says he was appointed to their board due to his service design and delivery skills along with his podiatry qualifications.

Meanwhile, Mead is more than halfway through his Masters in Audiology after completing his Bachelor’s in Health Services, Allied Health and Health Sciences in 2018.

The Diabetes SA board mentee was a scholarship recipient for the 2021 Audiology Australia Conference and is the Secretary for the Flinders University Speech Pathology & Audiology Association.

Crouch said Mead’s role on the Diabetes SA board was created to “gain a younger person’s perspective and viewpoint of living with diabetes as well as offering an opportunity to learn firsthand skills of a Board Member”.

Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities

Following the appointment of the previous Crown Solicitor, Laura Stein, to the Supreme Court, the opportunity has arisen for a contemporary and dynamic legal leader to fill this pivotal role. Reporting to the Chief Executive of the Attorney-General’s Department, the Crown Solicitor will provide leadership and strategic direction to the CSO driving effective resource management, ongoing reform and business improvement and ensuring high-level advice and representation is provided to the Attorney-General and the Government. This is a truly career-defining opportunity for an outstanding legal professional with demonstrated experience in leading highly professional legal teams. Legal experience in government is highly desirable but is not essential.

Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) manages critical gas infrastructure across Australia and is also leading the way in renewable gas, through the development of hydrogen projects. Reporting to the Head of Strategy and Innovation, the Senior Strategy Advisor is influential in ensuring the business has a clear and deliverable business strategy. This includes a key focus on developing and implementing AGIG’s Low Carbon Strategy and inputs into AGIG’s hydrogen developments, regulatory process, stakeholder engagement program, policy submissions and internal communications, particularly in relation to the future of gas. The successful candidate will have either a consulting background or in-house experience regarding the energy industry and regulatory process. Formal tertiary qualifications in either economics, engineering, business, law or a related discipline will be considered favourably. This position may be based in either Adelaide, Melbourne or Perth in order to attract the right candidate.

The Mount Barker District Council is looking for a Manager Financial Services. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, this role leads the Finance and Revenue functions of Council and renders expert, effective and professional financial and management accounting services to all stakeholders. Applications are welcomed from appropriately qualified and experienced accounting/finance professionals with the ability to lead, develop and motivate teams in a fast-paced environment. A high-level working knowledge of general accounting principles and practice will be required along with superior skills in the interpretation of financial data to user requirements.

Kudos is a fully integrated service provider under the NDIS assisting children, young people and adults living with a disability and their families. The organisation is an employee-controlled mutual, owned and driven by its members including a wide range of highly skilled allied health professionals and support staff. An opportunity has arisen for up to three Board Members, with one of these new members having a finance or accounting background. The Board is looking for proven senior executives and non-executive directors with demonstrated experience leading transformational developments for a values-driven, community-based organisation. MAICD status or preparedness to achieve this, together with lived experience or a deep understanding of the complexity in human services will be highly regarded. A stipend is payable for these positions.

InDaily in your inbox. The best local news every workday at lunch time.
By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement andPrivacy Policy & Cookie Statement. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Judy Searle

Health board movements

Griffith University Professor Judy Searle has been appointed Deputy Chair of the South Australian Government’s Health Performance Council.

Searle, a graduate of Flinders University, started as a medical specialist but moved into health leadership, management and academia as her career progressed.

This has seen her take on senior roles as the Federal Health Department’s Principal Medical Adviser and Senior Policy Adviser to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon.

She is also a Professor of Griffith University’s School of Medicine – a position she has held since 2004.

Searle currently serves on a number of advisory boards, including the Management Committee of Alwyndor Aged Care in Adelaide and the Safety, Quality and Clinician Engagement Committee of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

She is the second interstate appointment on the South Australian Health Performance Council, with the advisory body chaired by Professor Stephen Duckett, Director of the Health Program at the Grattan Institute in Melbourne.

Her term on the Council runs until May 2025.

The Health Performance Council was formed in 2008 to review the performance of South Australia’s health systems and provide advice to the responsible minister.

Jake Taylor

Laura Marslen

Giraffe picks two from the tree

Start-up Adelaide marketing consultancy firm Purple Giraffe has brought on former Kozco Energy Head of Sales Jake Taylor as their new Business Development consultant.

It follows the Gilles Street firm’s appointment of Laura Marslen in March to lead their digital team as Social Media Marketing Manager.

Taylor joins Purple Giraffe after just over a year as Head of Sales, Marketing and People & Culture at Kozco Energy Group, which followed various managerial and specialist events roles with Nova Entertainment, apparel company Lululemon and the City of Adelaide.

His new employers highlighted his more than 10 years experience in brand strategy, business development, and partnership and events.

“Jake will be instrumental in Purple Giraffe’s growth phase and will be working on the strategic plan to allow Purple Giraffe to reach new heights,” Purple Giraffe founder Lynda Schenk said.

Founded in 2014, Purple Giraffe offers a range of outsourced marketing services, including franchise marketing, medical services marketing and digital media management.

The firm appointed Marslen earlier this year after she spent a short stint as Senior Social Media Manager with fitness company The WOD Life.

Her more than seven-year career in the social media management industry has seen her in Social Media and Content Manager roles with KWP!, On Social and Woodside Cheese Wrights.

Purple Giraffe say Marslen will be leading the firm’s digital team.

Local News Matters
Advertisement
Copyright © 2024 InDaily.
All rights reserved.