Appointments May 3, 2019

Our weekly appointments wrap includes Michelle Andrews, Rikki Kersten, Caroline Lindsey, Julia Sutherland, Edgar Basto, Ivan Vella, Michael Erickson and Helen Shield.

Michelle Andrews has been appointed director general of the Department of Communities for a five-year term. Ms Andrews has more than 30 years’ experience in leadership roles in the public service and has been acting director general of the department since February after the retirement of Grahame Searle.

Murdoch University has appointed Rikki Kersten as the executive director of the Asia Research Centre. Professor Kersten is an expert in Japanese history, politics and security policy. At Murdoch, she has worked as the Dean of the School of Arts and the Interim Pro Vice Chancellor of the College of Arts, Business, Law and Social Sciences.

Ashurst has promoted two lawyers to partner in Perth. Caroline Lindsey has been made partner projects and Julia Sutherland will be partner employment. Ms Lindsey joined the firm in 2005 and focuses on the energy industry. Ms Sutherland began working at Ashurst in 2001 and advises employers in all aspects of the employment relationship.

BHP Billiton WA iron ore asset president Edgar Basto has been elected as the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia’s president. Mr Basto has acted as president since October 2018 after the departure of Jeroen Buren. Rio Tinto port, rail and core services managing director Ivan Vella and AngloGold Ashanti senior vice president Michael Erickson were endorsed as vice presidents at the meeting.

Helen Shield has been appointed senior policy and communications advisor of the WA division of the Property Council of Australia, to commence in June. Ms Shield has more than 20 years’ experience working for newspapers as a writer, section editor, production editor and sub-editor at The Age, The Courier Mail, The Herald Sun, and was most recently the commercial property editor at The West Australian.