Our weekly appointments wrap includes Chris Hamilton, Linda O’Farrell, Peter Gerendasi, Michael Walshe, Maki Petkovski, Craig Hollywood, Rebecca Hamilton and Matthew Pham.
Crown Towers Perth has found its new general manager in Chris Hamilton, who will relocate to Perth from Dubai for the role. Mr Hamilton as more than 10 years of experience in senior managing positions within the hospitality industry, including his recent role as Shangri-La Dubai resident manager. He has also worked for Shangri-La in Fiji and India, and before this, he worked for Intercontinental Hotels.
Former Fortescue Metals employee Linda O’Farrell has joined the board of disability services provider Rocky Bay, applying her 25-plus years of experience to the role. Ms O’Farrell has gained expertise across several areas including human resources, leadership development and strategic direction. Ms O’Farrell worked at Fortescue for nine years until 2022, first as group manager people and later as director people. Ms O’Farrell currently serves as a director at Austin Engineering and advisory board chair at Remsmart.
Activate Perth has revealed its new chief executive as Peter Gerendasi. With more than three decades of experience, Mr Gerendasi is expected to direct Activate Perth’s strategy to rejuvenate commercial and cultural offerings in Perth CBD. Mr Gerendasi worked for PWC for 23 years, serving in a variety of roles including tax and legal division managing partner responsible for 27 countries across Europe, PWC Russia managing partner and chief executive, and Asia Practice Leader based in Melbourne. In 2021, Mr Gerendasi joined Deloitte as partner managing Sydney’s private client practice for two years.
Chemical engineer Michael Walshe has been appointed as chief executive at ASX-listed MTM Critical Metals. He transitions to this role after serving as West Perth-based Voltaic Strategic Resources chief executive, expanding his experience in engineering, operations, technology, and project development. Prior to Voltaic, Mr Walshe spent ten years at Finnish company Metso.
Osborne Park-based junior Nex Metals Explorations has revealed Maki Petkovski as its new chief executive. Highly experienced geologist Mr Petkovski is expected to lead increased focus on the company’s Kookynie gold tailings project in the Goldfields. Mr Petkovski's career spans more than 30 years and includes positions as Petko Resources managing director and chief executive, Oil Search exploration manager and several senior leadership stints overseas.
Volunteering WA has appointed three new members to its board: AECOM WA deputy defence lead and Short Back and Sidewalks founder Craig Hollywood, Road Safety Commission director innovation and technology Rebecca Hamilton and Pham Group operations manager Matthew Pham. Civil engineer Mr Hollywood founded not-for-profit Short Back and Sidewalks in 2015 to provide free haircuts for people experiencing homelessness, and helmed the organisation as chief executive until 2023 when he stepped into a non-executive director role. Mr Hollywood has worked at AECOM since March 2020 and leads the Perth-based engineering firm's role within the defence sector. Ms Hamilton has worked for the Road Safety Commission since 2021, first as director policy and programs before being appointed to her current role in August last year. Her former experience includes stints at other government departments including the Department of Health, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Mr Pham has run Pham Group of Supermarkets since early 2019, and currently sits on the boards of Bendigo Bank and PMK Consulting. Mr Pham was a Business News 40under40 award winner in 2023.
