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.
Former Renewal SA CEO’s new gig revealed
Parkstone Funds Management has announced the appointment of former Renewal SA CEO Chris Menz as its new CEO and managing director, beginning in late September.
Menz has more than 25 years of experience in property and development, including 10 years as an executive in the private and public sectors.
He spent the past five and a half years leading South Australia’s urban development agency, Renewal SA.
Before this, he spent more than five years at Commercial & General, where he was project director, then general manager of communities, sales and marketing, and most recently as executive director of communities and health.
Menz was previously also project director for Bowden at Renewal SA from July 2011 to October 2014 and spent the two years before this as a project director of Macquarie Group.
“The appointment of Chris sends a compelling signal about our future intentions to create a platform that allows us to continue to add value, outperform and grow beyond $1 billion in funds under management,” said Paul Ford, who is executive chairperson and co-founder of Parkstone Funds Management.
A new boss in town at AE Advisors
AE Advisors has announced the appointment of Nicholas Atkinson as its next CEO.
Atkinson brings more than 30 years of financial industry experience across Australia, London and New York to the role.
This includes experience in investment banking, funds management, research sales and equity analysis.
Atkinson spent the past four years as investment director at Hancock and Gore in Brisbane.
Before this, he spent around 14 and a half years as executive director and divisional head of institutional equities at Morgans Financial Limited.
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Formerly known as Adelaide Equity Partners, AE Advisors is an independent corporate advisory firm based in Adelaide and Sydney, which specialises in mergers and acquisitions, strategic corporate advisory, corporate transactions and equity, and debt capital markets.
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Chief Executive Officer for Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), the peak body for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Northern Territory. AMSANT advocates for health equity and supports the provision of high-quality, culturally safe, comprehensive primary health care services for Aboriginal communities. There is flexibility to be based in either Darwin or Alice Springs. Three Board Directors for SA’s peak thoroughbred racing body, Racing SA. Expertise is sought in any one or more of the following disciplines or skillsets – media rights negotiation and delivery, strategic planning and business development, government and public sector relations, thoroughbred race horse breeding, ownership and racing, and major membership-based club strategic planning and business development. |
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Defence leader to head up Aurizn
Rebecca Humble has been appointed CEO of Australian-owned defence technology company Aurizn, beginning at the end of the month.
Aurizn said Humble is a highly experienced defence and national security executive.
Humble has been chief of strategy at QinetiQ Australia since February 2024.
Before this, she spent 10 months as chief of corporate development at SAGE Group, and three and a half years as chief of strategy and corporate affairs at Nova Systems, where she also spent six months as acting chief people officer.
Humble previously collectively spent more than 17 years in various senior roles at BAE Systems, including most recently as strategy director for BAE Systems Australia.
“Rebecca’s deep defence industry insight, her steadfast commitment to growing sovereign capability, and her proven record in driving growth make her ideally suited to lead Aurizn as we continue to invest and pursue our ambition to better serve our defence customers’ needs,” said Aurizn chair Andrew Tymms.
Leadership change at Lutheran Disability Services
Sue Raw has started as CEO at Lutheran Disability Services (LDS), a disability services provider in South Australia.
LDS said Raw is an experienced executive in the disability and community services sector.
Raw joins LDS from Baptist Care (SA) Inc, where she spent the past three years in various roles, including as CEO, a board member and chief financial officer.
She is also currently a board member at aged care service provider Life Care.
She was also previously a board member of Baptist Care Australia, general manager of resources (corporate affairs) at the Uniting Church in South Australia and general manager of corporate services at Johnston Groke.
She was also a senior accountant and auditor and then accounting manager at Not For Profit Accounting Specialists, a finance manager at Codan Limited and an audit manager at KPMG Australia.
New CommBank exec banking on success
Kylie Allen has been appointed as executive general manager of regional and agribusiness banking at CommBank (CBA).
Allen is the first member of CBA’s Business Bank Leadership Team to be based in Adelaide.
Allen first joined CBA in 2006 as an executive manager, a role she held for nearly 12 years.
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In September 2018, she was promoted to general manager of commercial banking and the major client group for South Australia.
Before joining CBA, Allen previously spent 19 years at National Australia Bank in various roles, including most recently as senior relationship manager.
National Pharmacies appoints CFO
National Pharmacies has appointed Brigid Hughes as its chief finance officer.
National Pharmacies said Hughes has more than 20 years of experience and has worked in senior leadership roles across multi-national, ASX-listed and privately owned consumer-facing companies, including fast-moving consumer goods and retail.
Hughes joins National Pharmacies from Viva Energy Australia, where she spent nearly four years as head of financial planning and analysis for OTR.
Before this, she spent close to three years in the same role at Nando’s for the United Kingdom and Ireland in London.
She has also held senior finance roles at Deliverance and YO! Sushi in London, as well as commercial analyst roles at Marks and Spencer and Pret a Manger.
“Ms Hughes joins the National Pharmacies team at a pivotal time, as the industry embraces new opportunities influenced by the expanding scope of pharmacy practice and the evolving landscape of online retail and healthcare,” said National Pharmacies CEO Mark Smith.
“Having led high-performing finance teams in Australia and the UK, Ms Hughes will be a significant asset to National Pharmacies in our next phase of growth as one of Australia’s largest community pharmacy groups.”
DMAW Lawyers welcomes senior lawyer
South Australian commercial law firm DMAW Lawyers has welcomed senior lawyer Yumin Liu as special counsel in its transactions team.
DMAW Lawyers said Liu has more than 15 years of international expertise spanning diverse areas such as residential and commercial real estate, hotels and hospitality, healthcare and pharmaceuticals and mining and renewable energy, to name just a few.
Liu joins DMAW Lawyers from Fosun International Limited, where she was a legal principal director and regional counsel for Australia and New Zealand
Before this, she spent two years as a senior associate at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
She has also held associate roles at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Shearman & Stirling and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Hong Kong.
“We are delighted to appoint Yumin to the transactions team at DMAW Lawyers and welcome her strong expertise in global transactions,” said DMAW Lawyers CEO, Bernice Witkowski
“Her broad experience, exposure to company management and investment strategies and deep insight into the APAC regulatory environment mean she is exceptionally positioned to provide senior leaders and boards with trusted legal advice that is well-informed, pragmatic and client-focused.”
Cooking with success at bar Bottle Shock bar
Adelaide Hills wine var Bottle Shock has announced that chef Jeff Trotter will curate and lead its new food offering.
Trotter has more than two decades of experience in the food industry, including at Michelin-starred restaurants in England and Ireland, as well as in Canada during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Since returning to Australia, Trotter has been sous chef to Dan Hunter at Royal Mail in Dunkeld, before running the kitchen following Hunter’s departure.
He has spent the past four years at Spanish restaurant Comida in Hahndorf.
He also founded the Food For Wine venture with his wife, Nikkita Wood.
