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.
Passing on the baton at AEDA
Steve Maras, a city property business owner, has been appointed as chair of the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA).
Steve Maras
He is currently deputy chair of AEDA, where he has been a board member since January 2021.
Maras is group managing director and CEO of commercial and retail property developer Maras Group.
He is the inaugural honorary consul of Uruguay in South Australia and co-founder and chair of the children’s charity, Living Without Limits Foundation.
He is also the past president of the Property Council of Australia (SA Division), past chairman of Renew Adelaide and past deputy chair of the Australia Day Council of SA and Mainstreet SA.
Maras will take over from Nikki Govan as chair of the AEDA in January 2025.
Carers SA CEO to depart
David Militz has announced that he will depart as CEO of Carers SA on December 20.
David Militz
Militz joined Carers SA as executive manager of community services in March 2014 and has been CEO since April 2017.
“I am a strong honest leader and consistently lead by example and have done this in both my professional life and in my personal life,” said Militz.
“I have a strong commitment to delivering positive outcomes for the community and have a record of success in managing people whilst bringing a strengths-based focus in order to build peoples, communities and organisational capacity.”
Militz will take up the role of general manager at Rural Doctors Workforce Agency in the new year.
State Theatre artistic director enters stage right
Petra Kalive has started her new role as artistic director of State Theatre Company South Australia, taking the reins from outgoing artistic director Mitchell Butel.
Petra Kalive
Kalive will also serve as co-CEO alongside executive director Julian Hobba.
Kalive joins State Theatre from La Mama Theatre in Melbourne, where she was an artistic strategy consultant.
She is a former associate director of the Melbourne Theatre Company and artistic director of the University of Melbourne’s Union House Theatre.
Throughout her career, Kalive has also directed productions at Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Monash University, La Trobe University, La Mama Theatre and more.
“From a field of outstanding candidates Petra stood out for her compelling approach to fulfilling our vision for making and presenting phenomenal, transformative, and inclusive theatre,” said State Theatre chair Joe Thorp.
Experienced CEO to lead the Town of Gawler
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Chris Cowley has started as CEO of the Town of Gawler, taking over from Andrew Goodsell, who has been interim CEO for the past nine months.
Chris Cowley
Cowley joins from the City of Burnside, where he had been CEO for close to five years.
Cowley has over two decades of experience in councils around Australia, including as CEO of the City of Whyalla and Paroo Shire Council in Queensland.
He has also held leadership roles at Surf Coast Shire Council, Moira Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council and Carrathool Shire Council.
“With over 20 years of experience, most recently as CEO with the City of Burnside, Mr Cowley has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our Council and community,” the council said.
Southern Mallee District Council appoints interim CEO
Mark McShane
The Southern Mallee District Council has appointed Mark McShane as its interim CEO as it continues the search for a permanent leader.
The announcement comes following the resignation of current CEO Lachlan Miller in September.
The Southern Mallee District Council said McShane is an “experienced local government professional” who has served as interim CEO at several councils including Karonda East Murray.
He also spent 8 years as CEO of the Mount Gambier Council.
“It’s vitally important that we continue Council’s momentum in the delivery of core services and implementing key projects to inform and facilitate our financial sustainability,” said Southern Mallee District Council Mayor Ron Valentine.
“Mark is a highly experienced CEO and we have confidence that he keep us moving in the right direction until we engage a Substantive CEO.”
McShane will begin his role as interim CEO on January 6.
Learn about the pros and cons of internal vs external hires from Bernie Dyer, an executive consultant at Hender Consulting.
A new vintage at Château Tanunda
Château Tanunda in Barossa Valley has announced the departure of its chief winemaker, Neville Rowe, after ten years at the winery.
Neville Rowe
Rowe has a 35-year career in winemaking, including at Domaine Chandon, Sevenhill Cellars, Hardys Tintara and Winesgrapes Australia.
“Since joining the Château Tanunda team in 2015, Neville has spearheaded our winemaking approach to uphold our existing legacy and continuously improve the quality of our wines across the portfolio,” said Château Tanunda’s proprietor John Geber and managing director Michelle Geber in a letter.
“His expertise and passion for Château Tanunda wines have been instrumental in the accolades we have received, both locally and internationally, and we are honoured to have had him leading our winemaking team.”
Rowe will hand over to current senior winemaker Jeremy Ottawa, who will lead the team alongside newly-appointed senior winemaker Reid Bosward and assistant winemaker Patrick Long.
The announcement comes as Château Tanunda prepares to celebrate its 135th anniversary in 2025.
Leadership renewal at Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide Festival Centre has revealed significant changes to its leadership team, with Isobel Marmion and Maddy Warren joining as executive producer and producer of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival respectively.
Isobel Marmion. Image: Sia Duff
Additionally, Renee Gentle has been appointed as assistant producer of DreamBIG Children’s Festival.
Marmion is a writer, performer, and storyteller who has worked in festivals for the past decade, including most recently as artistic director of the Festival of Voices in Tasmania.
She has also held leadership roles at Vitalstatistix in Adelaide, the National Young Writers Festival in Newcastle, and BBC’s Contains Strong Language and Humber Mouth and the Big Malarkey Festival in the UK.
Maddy Warren
Warren is an arts producer whose experience spans publicity and marketing, stage and production management, producing and performing as a comic and in theatre.
She most recently worked as assistant producer for DreamBIG Children’s Festival and has also held roles at NZ Fringe, NZ International Comedy Festival and the Adelaide Fringe.
The Festival Centre said Gentle is a highly experienced producer, arts administrator, theatre maker, performer and puppeteer.
Gentle is a graduate of the Adelaide Centre of the Arts and co-founded Junglebean Theatre Company.
Renee Gentle. Image: Marnya Rothe
She has worked as a theatre, film and voiceover actor, as well as touring Australia with various children’s theatre companies.
The announcements come following the recent retirement of long-serving Adelaide Festival Centre Trust CEO and artistic director Douglas Gautier AM.
Hillgrove bolsters leadership team
Jake van der Hoek started as joint company secretary of Hillgrove Resources Limited last week.
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Jake van der Hoek
Hillgrove said van Der Hoek will be responsible for communicating with the ASX regarding ASX Listing Rule matters.
Van Der Hoek has nearly a decade of experience in the financial services industry and is a director at HLB Mann Judd.
Hillgrove said he “has extensive experience in company secretarial duties, ASX Listing Rule requirements, corporate transactions, as well as strong corporate governance knowledge”.
A promotion at William Buck
William Buck has promoted Joann Chang to a partner of its audit and assurance team, effective January 1.
Joann Chang
Chang started at William Buck as an auditor in 2011, rising through the ranks to senior, then manager and most recently, principal of audit and assurance.
“Joann has played an integral role in the Audit division’s growth and ability to provide high-level and reliable service to our clients,” said Grant Martinella, who is head of audit and assurance at William Buck.
“With the size and capability of our team, we can provide clients with a higher level of personalised service.”
Appointees to support regional SA
Jordana Ashcroft O’Sullivan
Jordana Ashcroft O’Sullivan and Ellen Wundersitz have been appointed to the board of Regional Development Australia for Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island (RDA AHFKI).
O’Sullivan is currently general manager of Beyond Ink and Wundersitz is co-owner of Space Craft Joinery.
Ellen Wundersitz
RDA AHFKI said O’Sullivan and Wundersitz “both bring unique and fresh perspectives to support our region’s growth and liveability” and “are passionate about tackling challenges like housing and climate change”.
Regional Development Australia said it “is a national network of 53 committees across Australia, committed to supporting the development of Australia’s regions”.
Making a mark at the Adelaide Central Market
Leyton Property managing director Hamish Brown has joined the board of the Adelaide Central Market Authority.
Hamish Brown
Brown is managing director of Leyton Property and director of Leyton Funds.
He is also currently a director of EMBR Hospitality and is the former state property manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory at Coles Group Limited.
“Hamish is a leader in the property and development sectors, bringing over 20 years’ experience and a wealth of expertise in project strategy implementation including design, planning, stakeholder engagement, and project delivery,” said the Adelaide Central Market.
“Together with Chair Theo Maras AM and existing members of our highly skilled Board, Hamish will contribute to shaping the Market’s future through the Market Expansion and continue to position the Adelaide Central Market as a world-leading food and produce market.”
REISA strengthens board
John Taarnby has been appointed to the board of the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA).
John Taarnby
Taarnby has been managing director of Taarnby Real Estate since May 2015.
He has also been an executive council member of UDIA SA since November 2022.
Taarnby will sit on the board alongside chair Cain Cooke, Cathie Brown, James Black, David Colovic, Marc Taintey, Emma Slape, Matthew Smith and Suzannah Toop.
REISA said it “is the peak industry body representing over 2000 property professionals in South Australia”.
Jumping on board Elders Limited
Bethwyn Todd has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of Elders Limited.
Bethwyn Todd
Todd has worked in senior management roles at FMC Corporation for around 12 years, including most recently as president of Asia Pacific and Vice President of FM Corporation.
She was also president of CropLife Asia from 2019 to 2021.
Elders said Todd “brings to the Board significant executive experience, coupled with a strong understanding of agricultural chemical sectors”.
Internal vs external hires: Guiding the deliberations
I recently shared my insights on weighing the pros and cons of re-hiring former employees.
Another deliberation clients face in our executive recruitment work is the often-challenging decision of whether we should shortlist or appoint our internal applicant; a sensitive decision to navigate when a potentially appointable internal applicant is competing against a strong external field.
You might think: why go to market if we’ve already got someone who can do the job? Shouldn’t we elevate and retain our own through development opportunities? Sometimes it is a no-brainer, especially if succession planning has identified your next role-ready appointee and everyone benefits. But do you really know how your internal talent stacks up if you aren’t benchmarking against who else is available? Isn’t it in the best interest of the entity to understand and evaluate that to maximise your choice?
Some key points to consider when guiding through this dilemma:
- Does the external/internal candidate offer a compelling advantage aligned to advancing strategic objectives over the other, and can you articulate what that advantage is?
- Maybe the need to stabilise teams with a well-respected internal appointee is more beneficial to the entity right now than risking potential disruption with an unknown external hire.
- Perhaps the familiarity of a correctly motivated internal with established relationships, a proven performance track record and organisational IP is a safe option.
- Will they bring new ideas and fresh perspectives that might be available externally?
- How will you feel if you appoint externally and then lose your internal to a competitor?
- Is the external appointee proposition powerful enough to take that risk?
- Can you justify to your internal candidate why they have not been successful?
Balancing internal and external candidates in a competitive hiring process should be a well-considered and respectful approach, with sensitivity to the individuals involved balanced with what’s in the best interest of the entity overall. Adopting an approach where a level of independent evaluation of internal candidates against the external field can often provide the best of both worlds, ensuring the entity benefits from fresh perspectives while also valuing and leveraging internal talent.
Bernie Dyer is an Executive Consultant at Hender Consulting
