Aberle retires from Western Power

Western Power managing director Doug Aberle has announced he will step down from the power utility after almost 40 years of service.

Chairman Mark Barnaba said few people have had such a significant impact on Western Power or Western Australia’s electricity sector.

“He has led the organisation through a long journey of consistent improvement on all of its principal measures, and he has ensured there is a solid platform for that journey to continue into the future,” Mr Barnaba said in a statement.

Under Mr Aberle’s leadership, safety performance improved four-fold, delivery of major projects on time and on budget improved to more than 95 per cent and complaints had halved, Mr Barnaba said.

Mr Aberle said he would focus on other avenues in retirement.

“Last year, I felt that I could essentially spend all of my active working life in this business and that if I didin’t leave with some years of high energy I would miss other opportunities that I have wanted to pursue,” he said.

Mr Barnaba said the board of Western Power would soon kick off the process to find a permanent replacement.

Western Power corporate services general manager Paul Italiano will take the reins as acting chief executive in the interim.