Appointments December 23, 2022

Kim Beazley has been appointed as chair of the Australian War Memorial Council. The former Labor leader and defence minister returned to the council in October. Mr Beazley was appointed the Governor of WA in May 2018 and retired from the role in June 2022. He first served as a member of the Australian War Memorial Council in 2009. 

Solstice Minerals has recruited Nick Castleden as chief executive and managing director. Mr Castleden has over 25 years of experience as a geologist in the mineral exploration and development industry. He has held roles at mining companies across Australia including Mount Isa Mines, Perilya Mines, MPI Mines and LionOre, and will start his new position in January.

Former director general Gail McGowan has been hired as commissioner of the Shire of Donnybrook-Balingup. Ms McGowan was the director general at the Department of Planning from April 2014 to May 2021 before she was appointed special advisor to the government of WA. She has previously held the role of deputy director general of the Department of State Development.

Simon Thwaites has been promoted to WA director of Lucid Consulting Australia. Mr Thwaites joined Lucid in 2015 at its Adelaide branch and moved to Perth in 2016 to lead the hydraulic and fire services teams as an associate. Mr Thwaites has over 17 years of experience as a plumber, gasfitter and commercial project manager.

Strandline Resources has appointed Belinda Murray as head of commercial and strategic developments and Jamie Cann as general counsel and head of risk and compliance. Ms Murray has worked at BGC Group for the past 12 years in several roles including executive director and general counsel. Mr Cann has previously held the senior manager role at Iluka Resources and Fortescue Future Industries. He also has 25 years of professional industry experience, working as a corporate lawyer, in-house legal counsel and commercial manager. Strandline said it has appointed Ms Murray and Mr Cann to strengthen its executive team ahead of future operations.

Southern Ports Authority has appointed Ben Morton as a board member, starting on January 1. Mr Morton was the Federal Liberal Member for Tangney from 2016 to 2022 and was Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He will serve an initial two-year term on the Southern Ports Authority Board.

Jay Weatherill and Richard Walley will join the Infrastructure WA board on January 1, as announced by Premier Mark McGowan. Dr Walley is a director of his family-owned business Aboriginal Productions and Promotions, a co-director of social project Danjoo Koorliny, and founding director of Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mr Weatherill was elected to South Australian Parliament in 2002 and served as its Premier from 2011 to 2018. He joined the Forrest family’s Minderoo Foundation as a director of the organisation’s Thrive by Five initiative in 2020.

Sandeep Biswas is stepping away from gold company Newcrest Mining after nearly nine years as chief executive and managing director. Mr Biswas would remain at the company in an advisory role until March 2023 while the gold miner searches for his replacement. Newcrest chief financial officer Sherry Duhe was appointed as interim chief executive officer. She joined the company in February after four years as chief financial officer at Woodside Energy.