Alinta Ltd's chairman Tony Howarth intends to retire from the board, effective from the company's next AGM in May 2006. John Poynton has been endorsed by the board as its next chairman.
Mr Howarth said for good corporate governance, it was important that the company had a plan in place to facilitate a change of chairman.
"John has been a non-executive director of Alinta since it was listed in October 2000", Mr Howarth said. "His experience in corporate and merchant banking activities, when coupled with his understanding and involvement in the development of Alinta's strategy, make him ideally placed as Alinta's next chairman."
"It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to chair such a successful company," Mr Poynton said. "Under Tony's leadership as chairman, Alinta has been transformed from a small Western Australian gas company to a major Australian energy and infrastructure company with interests across Australia and New Zealand."
Mr Howarth advised that a replacement non-executive director would be sought.
Mr Poynton is a founding director and executive chairman of boutique merchant bank Azure Capital, non-executive director of Austal Ltd, Burswood Ltd and Multiplex Ltd. He is also a member of the Payments Systems Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and is chairman of the Board of Governors of the Western Australian Museum Foundation.