Aurizon recruits another WA manager

Rail freight operator Aurizon has brought in former Woodside Petroleum senior manager Tina Thomas as executive vice-president of human resources, as the company undertakes a new organisational structure.

Aurizon chief executive Andrew Harding, who along with Ms Thomas has also served in senior roles while based in Perth, said Ms Thomas would take on additional responsibilities for corporate services once the restructure is in place.

Ms Thomas previously spent 24 years with Woodside in a number of roles in the human resources, mergers and acquisitions, corporate affairs, environment and indigenous affairs spaces, and also previously sat on the board of Activ Foundation.

She will join Aurizon after executive vice-president customer and strategy Mauro Neves leaves her post in April to pursue a senior leadership role overseas. Ms Thomas’s tenure will begin in July.

The organisational structure will move Aurizon from a functional-based model to a business unit model along Aurizon’s core areas of coal, diversified bulk freight and iron ore, intermodal and network, and support and planning functions.

Mr Harding, who joined Aurizon as CEO after leaving his position as iron ore boss at Rio Tinto last year, said the functional model had served the rail freight operator well coming out of government ownership and allowed cost savings to be achieved by removing duplication and improving processes, systems and practices.

“However, the time is now right to harness those improvements and move to a business unit model to drive our transformation efforts with greater efficiencies, improved customer service and real, sustainable productivity improvements,” he said.

“It will provide greater accountability with each business unit being responsible for both operational and financial performance rather than the current model where it is shared across multiple functions.”

Aurizon shares were relatively unchanged at $5.20 each at the close.