Appointments June 2, 2023

Natasha Monks has been appointed as WA’s Investment and Trade Commissioner for the Americas region, and she is set to be deployed to the US in early 2024. Ms Monks will attend the newly announced state government trade mission to the United States ahead of establishing the Invest and Trade WA office in Austin, Texas. Ms Monks has served as Great Southern Development Commission chief executive since February 2021 and will commence preparations for her new role in July.

Subiaco-based Pragma Lawyers has promoted Nick Malone to director. Mr Malone joined the law firm in 2016 and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 2017. Mr Malone specialises as a dispute resolution lawyer, with a particular focus on insolvency matters and in 2021, Pragma elevated him to the position of senior associate. Mr Malone joins Aaron McDonald and Elizabeth McLean as Pragma’s third director.

Racing and Wagering Western Australia has recruited Leslie Crockett as its new chief financial officer. Mr Crockett has three decades of experience in commerce, accounting and executive leadership, working in a variety of national and international companies. For nearly three years, Mr Crockett was the Cash Converters chief financial officer, and prior to this, he spent seven years as Pioneer Credit Limited chief financial officer covering Australia and New Zealand.

Luis Prado is set to join St John of God Health Care as group director medical services and clinical governance in July. Dr Prado has extensive expertise in clinical leadership, working in private and public companies across the health care sector. Prior to this appointment, Dr Prado worked at Epworth HealthCare as chief medical officer and executive director academic and medical services.

Rob Brajkovich has joined Banks and Bloom Distillery as chief executive, with a strategic goal to drive national and international expansion of the distilling company. Prior to this, Mr Brajkovich worked as the general manager at Feral Brewing Company for more than five years. He has also previously held senior sales positions at Coca-Cola Amatil and Asahi Beverages. Mr Brajkovich is set to commence with Banks and Bloom Distillery on July 10.

100 Women has announced three board changes as part of its strategic shift to expand its awareness as a ‘national giving circle’. Included in the appointments was the promotion of Perth-based Ariel Bastian. She has served on the 100 Women board for one year and is set to assume the role of company secretary. Ms Bastian works as a corporate commercial lawyer, specialising in governance and advisory for the not-for-profit sector. Since October 2022, Ms Bastian has worked at Jackson McDonald Law Firm and prior to this, she served as legal counsel at Business News WA.

Perth-based debt advisory firm Leeuwin Capital has strengthened its mining and resources capability through two new appointments. Rob Hunt has been recruited as director and Trevor Connell as senior advisor. Mr Hunt has transitioned to Leeuwin after more than 16 years at Commonwealth Bank, where he worked as a director in the bank’s national resources and energy business. Mr Connell has spent more than four decades working in the mining and resources industry and before this appointment, he worked at Westpac for over 17 years as a director for its natural resources business.

Kerry Harris has joined the board of disability services provider Rocky Bay, bringing her expertise in strategic planning, government relations, financial strategy and cyber security to the organisation. Ms Harris is the founder and manager of Focus Consultants, which specialises in business system design and digital transformation. She has ample experience working on boards. Since November 2021, Ms Harris has been the chair for Women Onside, an organisation supporting women in football. She is also a non-executive independent director for Sheep Producers Australia.