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.
Acting CEO appointed at Babcock International Group
Babcock International Group has announced Leah Grantham has been appointed as acting CEO of Babcock Australasia following the resignation of CEO Andrew Cridland who spent more than a decade at the company.
Grantham has held senior leadership roles during her four years at Babcock, including as chief of staff and head of stakeholder engagement and reputation.
She has 20 years’ experience across corporate strategy, corporate affairs and government and stakeholder relations.
Grantham was the principal advisor of stakeholder relations at BHP Billiton and a ministerial advisor for the South Australian government.
“Leah’s background positions her strongly to lead the company in this forthcoming period, through an exciting window of growth and opportunity in Australia and New Zealand as the defence industry plays an increasingly important role in supporting the safety and security of the Australasian region,” Babcock Group CEO David Lockwood said.
New leader at End Food Waste Australia
End Food Waste Australia (EFWA) has announced Wendy Hughes as acting CEO following Tristan Butt’s decision to step down as CEO.
Hughes is the current director of policy, communications and strategic engagement at EFWA, where she leads initiatives to drive systems-level change in food waste, food security, and food system reform.
She was previously the CEO of COUCH Cancer Hub in Cairns, where she focused on financial stabilisation and strengthening operational resilience.
Hughes was also the Cairns Regional Council political strategy and strategic communications leader and general manager of not-for-profit Advance Cairns.
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SA Football Commission appoints new chair
The South Australian Football Commission has announced the appointment of Steven Trigg as its new chair.
Trigg is an experienced leader in the SA football community, having served as CEO of the Adelaide Football Club for 12 years before taking on the role of CEO at Carlton Football Club from 2014 to 2017.
He is the current managing director of Randall Wine Group and chairman for SWAARM Global and The Helix Group.
Trigg also played 129 senior SANFL matches for Central District and North Adelaide and was a head coach for Sturt Football Club’s League and Reserves side.
“To be entrusted with the leadership of the Commission is a privilege, and I’m committed to strengthening our game at every level—from community footy to the elite pathways,” Trigg said.
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| Chief Executive Officer for ac.care, a respected not-for-profit organisation supporting people and communities across regional South Australia. Following the announced retirement of long-serving CEO Shane Maddocks, this is a rare opportunity to lead an organisation with a strong legacy, clear purpose and deep regional impact. With approximately 240 staff delivering foster care, homelessness, Aboriginal and family services, financial counselling and community programs, the CEO will partner with the Board to drive strategy, financial sustainability and sector influence. This role will suit a values-led, relational executive who combines commercial acumen with a genuine commitment to social impact and is energised by leading across diverse regional communities. Given the organisations focus on regional South Australia regular travel will be involved.
Head of Science for St John’s Grammar School, a highly respected co-educational independent Anglican school located in Belair, just 20 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. This is an exciting career opportunity for a visionary and experienced sciences educator to lead, manage and inspire a high-performing Science Department across the Middle and Senior Schools. Reporting to the Head of Learning and Curriculum, the role will shape contemporary, engaging curriculum, support future pathways and contribute to teaching and pastoral care (Years 7–12). The successful candidate will bring pedagogical credibility, collaborative leadership and a strong alignment with the School’s values and educational philosophy within a flourishing, future-focused learning community. Head of Middle and Senior Years for Tatachilla Lutheran College, a leading independent co‑ed R–12 college located in the heart of McLaren Vale, a short commute from the Adelaide CBD. Reporting to the Principal and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, this role provides leadership across Years 7–12 with responsibility for pastoral care, student wellbeing, leadership and co‑curricular life. The successful candidate will be an experienced secondary leader with warmth, pedagogical credibility and a strong alignment with the College’s values, inspired to help young people flourish within a vibrant and aspirational Lutheran community. |
Chief product officer joins Kevel
Ad software developer Kevel has welcomed John Chaplin as its new chief product officer.
Chaplin is an experienced retail media product leader, having spent years building and scaling retail media products across several high-profile companies.
Most recently, Chaplin was the head of e-commerce at Tiimely Home, where he was responsible for driving the business’s retail and e-commerce strategy.
He was also the chief product officer for retail media company CitrusAd and was the co-founder and director of digital product studio Fusion for more than 20 years.
“As Chief Product Officer at Kevel, I plan to bring a customer-first approach with a passion for building great products that redefine the retail media landscape,” Chaplin said.
Adrad appoints accountant to non-executive director role
Adrad Holdings Limited has announced the appointment of Howard Coombs as an independent non-executive director.
Coombs is the executive director of finance at Australia’s largest air conditioning unit manufacturer Seeley International.
He has more than 36 years of post-professional accountancy qualification experience, with 22 of those years leading finance teams in large private and public sector organisations in the UK.
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Coombs will also assume the role of chair of Adrad’s audit and risk committee and have a role in the people, culture and governance committee.
“Howard brings his extensive experience in leading and growing a global business to the benefit of the board and support of the management team,” Adrad chairman Donald McGurk said.
Two co-chairs join SA science committee
The South Australian National Science Week (SANSW) coordinating committee has announced the appointment of two co-chairs.
Dr Hayden Tronnolone is a senior lecturer in mathematical sciences at Flinders University and has been a member of the SANSW coordinating committee since 2022.
He has a background in fluid mechanics and mathematical biology and was recently named STEMM Educator of the Year – University or RTO at the 2025 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards.
Tronnolone was also a postdoctoral research associate from 2016 to 2019 at the University of Adelaide.
Simran Sidhu is an associate professor and leads the Integrative Human Neurophysiology Lab at Adelaide University’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences.
She was awarded a University Commendation for Teaching Excellence for her sustained leadership and contributions to student education preparing them for professional practice.
Sidhu completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Integrative Physiology at The University of Utah where she was also awarded the American Heart Association Fellowship.
Board changes at Workskil Australia
Not-for-profit employment services provider Workskil Australia has announced three changes to its board.
Leading financial services industry executive Taso Corolis has been appointed as the chair of Workskil after serving on the board for ten years as chair of the audit and risk committee.
Corolis has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, having served 15 years at Bendigo Bank as chief risk officer and is currently in the role of chief customer officer of consumer banking.
He has also worked in senior roles at the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).
Bev Barber has been appointed to the role of deputy chair after joining the board in 2023, where she has served on both the audit and risk committee and the governance committee.
She is an experienced executive and non-executive director that has worked across state, local and federal governments and with major private sector consulting firms.
Barber is currently a director for transforming Solutions where she has specialised in consulting and government relations.
Chantale Millard will also join the board as a non-executive director and brings more than 20 years’ experience working for ASX-listed companies, financially regulated institutions and not-for-profit organisations.
She currently serves as a non-executive director for CMV Group and Brown Family Wine Group and is the advisory board chair for Australian fashion brand Decjuba.
Millard was formerly the CEO of Maggie Beer Products and CEO and managing director of Maggie Beer Holdings.
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