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.
Dr David Fuller (top left), Scott Bayliss (bottom left), Jannine Jackson (centre), Justina Gardiner (top right), Olivia Burke (far right) and John Taarnby (bottom right) have all been appointed to new positions. (Justina Gardiner photo by Dan Trimboli – Trim Photography)
New leadership for MS Society
The MS Society SA & NT has appointed former McGrath Foundation Fundraising Director Jannine Jackson as CEO.
Jackson, who will commence in the new role on December 1, has for the last five years been National Director of Uniting Church agency Frontier Services, a charity headquartered in New South Wales providing services to people in regional and remote Australia.
Prior to that, she was Director of Fundraising and Philanthropy at the McGrath Foundation, CEO of Arthritis and Osteoporosis NSW and Head of Fundraising at Westmead Children’s Hospital.
She’s also held senior marketing and fundraising roles with the Australian Red Cross and Australian Paralympic Committee.
MS Society Chair Kerry Sanders said Jackson has “particular expertise in developing people and leading organisational development and fundraising growth”.
“Jannine has worked for over 20 years across disability, research, health, social support and recruitment,” Sanders said in a statement.
“The MS Society Board looks forward to working with Jannine as she leads our workforce to bring our strategic plan to life and meet the current and future needs of our community.”
Jackson replaces interim MS Society CEO Emma Hinchey, who has led the not-for-profit for the last four months following the departure of Tim Ryan in July.
Ryan was appointed Chief of Staff in Deputy Premier Susan Close’s office.
Movements on UDIA Council
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (SA) has added Olivia Burke and John Taarnby to its Executive Council.
The duo replace Holmes Dyer Director Stephen Holmes and Burke Urban’s Kym Burke – Olivia’s father – on the UDIA Council. The appointments were announced at the institute’s annual general meeting on November 10.
Olivia Burke is currently Marketing and Sales Director at Burke Urban, where she has been since 2003.
She is also sole Director of her own project marketing and sales business, Burke & Burke Property.
Taarnby, meanwhile, has since 2016 been Director of his real estate agency TAARNBY, based in North Adelaide.
“Olivia Burke and John Taarnby both bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to the table and are valued additions to the already skilled and talented Executive Council,” UDIA CEO Pat Gerace said.
Pharma exec’s new Adelaide role
Adelaide pharmaceutical company Aucentra Therapeutics has appointed biopharma executive Dr David Fuller to the newly-created role of Chief Medical Officer.
Fuller, who starts with Aucentra on Wednesday, is currently Chief Medical Officer at Sydney biotech firm Race Oncology, Chair of Canberra biotech research firm Epiaxis Therapeutics, and a Board Member with ASX-listed biotech company AdAlta.
Throughout his 30-year career, he has held senior clinical research roles with Pfizer, Orphan Medical, Genzyme Europe BV, Arana Therapeutics and Syneos Health Clinical Solutions.
Aucentra touted Fuller’s role in leading numerous major market drug approvals in the UK, US and EU as well as designing and executing multiple Phase I, II and III drug trials.
“Dr Fuller brings with him international prowess and extensive knowledge of research development & commercialisation of novel pharmaceuticals,” the company said in a statement.
“His 30 years’ experience spans large, mid, and small cap companies including pre-clinical and clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs, and commercialisation.”
Aucentra, which is focused on pre-clinical development of cancer therapeutics, also last month appointed Maria Maieli as Chief Financial Officer.
Maieli was most recently CFO and Company Secretary at Nobles.
Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities
RSPCA South Australia is looking to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of Paul Stevenson, who has held the role since 2017. The new CEO will oversee an organisation with a budget of around $15m, a staff of approximately 115 FTE and around 2500 volunteers. Reporting directly to the SA Board, the successful candidate will provide leadership and strategic management to ensure the continued financial success, leadership in animal welfare and growth of the Society. Another critical aspect of the role involves a high level of human resource management, strategy, planning, policy development, financial and risk management, marketing, donor support, business development, advocacy, and public relations. Applications are encouraged from genuinely dynamic and versatile candidates with high level leadership, communication, decision making and problem-solving skills. Applicants must demonstrate an authentic affinity and empathy with the core RSPCA vision and an unwavering focus on producing positive outcomes in line with the RSPCA mission.
UnitingSA is a community-based organisation helping more than 15,000 people a year with a range of aged care, disability, mental health, child development, family support and employment services. The organisation is searching for a new Administration Support Assistant to join the executive support team. This role is responsible for the efficient and effective delivery of administrative support to the Board and the Executive Team. Key elements of the role include coordinating Board and Board committee meetings and the associated logistics and documentations; organising wide-ranging functions, special events, training, site visits, travel and accommodation; ensuring effective communications between the Board and Executive Managers; and timely and effective diary and meetings management both internally and with external stakeholders. Applications are invited from resourceful, enthusiastic and organised candidates with experience in providing support to a senior management or executive team. Experience in managing confidential information, sound competency in the Microsoft Office suite of systems, careful attention to detail and high-level verbal and written communication skills will be required.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Solving Antimicrobial Resistance in Agribusiness, Food and Environments (CRC SAAFE) works to protect Australia’s food and agribusiness industries from the growing global public health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Centre is looking to appoint several renumerated Board Members to three-year terms to complement the existing talents of the formative Board Members. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate relevant qualifications and governance experience with expertise in one or more of the following areas: collaborative research and development; applied research and commercialisation; governance, risk and cyber security; intellectual property and legal; strategic financial and commercial management; and complex stakeholder and partner management. Applicants must also demonstrate exceptional strategic leadership, communication, commercial acumen and stakeholder engagement skills, coupled with a genuine affinity to advance the critical work of CRC SAAFE as it enables the co-development of technologies and solutions to mitigate AMR in the future.
Public sector exec on the move
Long-time senior public servant Scott Bayliss has been appointed Chief Services Officer at the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance.
Bayliss moves over to Treasury after five years with the Education Department as Chief Information Officer.
The ICT expert is also a former Executive Director and Chief Information Officer within the Attorney-General’s Department, where he was stationed for more than nine years.
He returns to the Treasury Department after initially working there from 2000 to 2008 in senior ICT roles, including Director of Operations at Shared Services SA.
Elsewhere in the public sector, prominent South Australian environmentalist and scientist Professor Chris Daniels has been appointed to the board of the South Australian Museum.
Daniels is currently Chair of Green Adelaide and Koala Life – both part of the state’s Environment Department.
New GM at Perks
Accounting and wealth advisory firm Perks has appointed its first General Manager within its Corporate Services Team.
The Flinders Street firm today announced the appointment of Justina Gardiner to the role.
Gardiner is currently Perks’ Head of Marketing and Communication, a position she has held since April 2019 and will retain alongside her new role.
The promotion gives her responsibility for the firm’s people and culture, marketing and communications and business support and corporate registry functions.
Perks CEO James Black said Gardiner would lead the firm through its “next phase of workforce planning”.
“During her time with us, Justina has built our marketing and communications capability from the ground up, including transitioning the firm into a digital marketing ecosystem, spearheading our 360-degree marketing and brand approach, and growing a strong internal marketing team,” Perks CEO James Black said in a statement.
“When we brought Justina into the firm in 2019, we knew that we wanted Perks to benefit from a best-in-class marketing expertise and so we went outside the sector to find her. And it’s certainly paid off.”
Gardiner held a wide array of senior marketing roles before joining Perks, including Head of Marketing (ANZ) with Haircare Australia, San Remo Marketing Manager (Balfours Baker and Nievole Distritbutors) and Head of Marketing and Sales at Torrens University Australia.
Duo promoted at Hood Sweeney
South Australian professional services and accounting firm Hood Sweeney has elevated Associates Dion Carbone and Matthew Bartemucci to Directors.
The South Terrace firm said the promotions reflected the duo’s “contribution to the overall growth of the business and the clients they serve”.
Carbone has been with Hood Sweeney the longest of the two, joining in January 2013 as a Graduate Accountant during Hood Sweeney’s merger with Unley boutique accounting firm Shearer + Ellis.
He currently works within Hood Sweeney’s Accounting & Business Advisory division.
Bartemucci also works within this division. a former Norwood footballer, he joined Hood Sweeney as a Manager in 2015 before being promoted to Associate in 2017.
Prior to joining Hood Sweeney, he worked for 12 years at big four consulting firm EY – most recently as a Senior Manager, Tax.
