Cole to chair Southern Ports Authority

Former Woodside Petroleum and Beach Energy executive Rob Cole has been appointed chair of the Southern Ports Authority.

Mr Cole resigned as managing director of Adelaide-based Beach in September last year after spending just six months in the role, to attend to family matters in Perth.

Prior to his short tenure at Beach, he spent nine years at Woodside where he climbed through the ranks to the point where he was the energy giant’s second most senior executive, under managing director Peter Coleman.

He will begin in his new role at the end of the month, when Roger Hussey steps down.

Southern Ports Authority, a government trading enterprise, facilitates trade through the Port of Albany, Port of Bunbury and Port of Esperance.

“Mr Cole brings to the SPA board extensive leadership and management experience in executive and board roles in the corporate sector,” the authority said in a statement.