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.
Sean Ebert (left, above), Anne Collins (left, below left), John Piteo (left, below right), Alice Rolls (centre), Susan Crago (right, above) and David McKee (right, below) have all been appointed to new roles.
Helping the Academy
The Helpmann Academy has appointed David McKee as Chair of the Foundation Board.
McKee retired in 2011 after a 43-year career in stockbroking and finance.
He is a former Member of the Australian Stock Exchange and served as Director of Morgan Stockbroking, Partner of JBWere and an Associate Director of Macquarie Private Wealth.
McKee is the Chair of the UKARIA Foundation and has served as a Board Member of the UKARIA Cultural Centre for the past nine years.
He is a Finance Committee Member of the Adelaide Festival Foundation and serves the Art Gallery of South Australia’s Funds Management Committee and the Carrick Hill Art Committee Board.
McKee previously served on the Boards of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, the National Advisory Council for the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Art Gallery of South Australia.
In 2017, he was recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia for philanthropic, administrative and voluntary service with social welfare and arts organisations in South Australia.
Funds SA announces new CEO
Funds SA – a government-owned investment service corporation – has appointed John Piteo as Chief Executive Officer.
Piteo joined Funds SA in 1995 and has worked across finance and investment operations-related roles.
He was appointed the company’s inaugural Chief Finance Officer in 2004 until being promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2016.
Piteo holds a Company Directors Course Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves as a Member of CPA Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Piteo takes the reins from Jo Townsend after her resignation as Chief Executive Officer earlier this year.
Townsend joined Funds SA in 2015 after seven years with REST Industry Super where she held roles as General Manager of Investments and Acting Chief Operating Officer.
Kangaroo Island Council CEO
Kangaroo Island Council has appointed Daryl Buckingham as Chief Executive Officer.
Buckingham joins the council from his role as Chief Executive Officer of Tenterfield Council in New South Wales.
He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Flinders Shire Council in Queensland and the former Chief Executive Officer of Mildura Regional Development.
A trained Counsellor, Buckingham is a Volunteer Welfare Officer for the Military Brotherhood and Veterans Affairs and also serves as the Chairman of the Women’s Mentoring Foundation.
COO to CEO
South Australian-based biotechnology company Sementis has promoted the current Chief Operating Officer, Anne Collins, to Chief Executive Officer.
Collins has over 30 years of experience in the medical technology and pharmaceutical sectors.
She is the former Business Unit General Manager of Microsampling of Trajan Scientific and Medical and the former Associate Director at the pharmaceutical company Hospira.
Collins is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
RAA appointee
The Royal Automobile Association (RAA) has appointed Susan Crago as Chief Governance and Risk Officer.
Crago joins the company from her role as General Manager of Risk and Compliance at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank where she held a range of senior risk, compliance and legal positions during her 20-year career with the bank.
Prior to joining Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Crago was a Corporate Lawyer for Kerry & Co. Lawyers.
She currently serves as a Board Member and is the Chair of the Risk Committee for Women’s Safety Services SA, and is the former Chair of the Risk and Performance Committee for the South Australian Government Financing Authority.
Corporate Position: the latest executive employment opportunities
Senior Manager of Residential Aged Care for the highly-respected, not-for-profit aged and community services organisation, UnitingSA.
Accountant for Clay & Mineral Sales – a respected provider of specialised construction materials.
Head of Treasury Funding & Investor Relations for leading energy provider Australian Gas Infrastructure Group in a role that can be based in Adelaide, Melbourne or Perth.
Managing civil law
The Legal Services Commission – South Australia’s largest legal assistance organisation – has appointed Alice Rolls as Manager of Civil Law.
Rolls joins the organisation from the Australian Pro Bono Centre where she was Head of Policy and Strategy.
She spent almost a decade at the law firm LK where she held roles as Senior Associate, Special Counsel and Principal.
She currently serves as a Board Member for the State Theatre Company of South Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Special appointments for Wallmans Lawyers
Wallmans Lawyers has appointed two new Special Counsels – Geoffrey Wark joins the Injury Law Team while Chris Clark joins the Business and Commercial Team.
Wark joins the law firm from MinterEllison where he was a Special Counsel.
He worked as a Solicitor for Manfield and Company for 13 years.
In 2022, Wark received an Order of Australia recognising his service to the community in maintaining English traditions – particularly Morris dancing which he has been doing for more than 40 years.
Clark is a former Special Counsel for Lynch Meyer Lawyers in Adelaide and has worked for Allens and Landcom in Sydney.
Prior to being admitted to legal practice, Clark held marketing roles with SkyCity Adelaide, the State Theatre Company of South Australia and the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s South Australian branch.
New National Policy Manager
Former Executive Manager, Office of the Lord Mayor Oliver Luckhurst-Smith has been appointed National Policy Manager of the Retirement Living Council of Australia.
Luckhurst-Smith is a former Ministerial Adviser to Vickie Chapman and a former Senior Advisor to Martin Haese and Sandy Verschoor.
He commenced in the role in September 2023.
Two additions to AML3D positions
Large-scale metal additive manufacturing technology and solutions company AML3D Limited has made two new appointments.
AML3D Interim Chief Executive Officer Sean Ebert has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Ebert has served as a Director of the company since 2019 and has acted as Interim Chief Executive Officer from June 2023.
He is also an Executive Director of Venture Corporate Advisory and a Non-Executive Director of the beverage company Mighty Craft.
Pete Goumas has joined AML3D in a newly created role as President of US Operations.
Prior to joining the company, Goumas was Vice President of Operational Strategy at BWX Technologies – a supplier of nuclear components and services to the US Government.
Employing an employer
PEER Education Employment and Training has appointed Scott Thomas as General Manager of Employment Services.
Thomas joins the not-for-profit from ADF Careers where he was Regional Operations Manager for South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
He has held senior roles with the recruitment companies Randstad and McArthur, and the mining company BHP Billiton.
Thomas is Vice Chair for the Governors Aboriginal Employment Defence Industry Cluster Program.
