O'Leary, Bult in Wesfarmers reshuffle

Wesfarmers has announced changes to its senior management team with Tom O'Leary appointed as managing director of the group's energy division and Tim Bult to look after the business development arm.

The announcement is below:

Wesfarmers Limited Managing Director, Richard Goyder, today announced two changes within senior management in the Group.

The changes involve the appointment of Tom O'Leary as Managing Director of the Group's Energy Division, and the appointment of Tim Bult as Executive General Manager of Group Business Development.

Mr O'Leary and Mr Bult will take up their new positions on July 13.

Mr Goyder said the new roles for both Mr O'Leary and Mr Bult reflected the outstanding work that each has contributed to their current roles, and the Group's desire to provide them with new development opportunities.

Mr O'Leary has been in the role of Executive General Manager, Group Business Development since 2006. He joined Wesfarmers' Business Development team in 2000 and was appointed General Manager in 2002 where he has led a number of major acquisitions and divestments by Wesfarmers, including the Coles acquisition, as well as being involved in recent major equity raisings. He is a director of a number of Wesfarmers Group subsidiaries and related companies.

Mr Bult joined Wesfarmers in 1999 in commercial and business development roles within Wesfarmers Energy and became General Manager of Wesfarmers Kleenheat Gas in July 2005.

In September 2006, he was appointed Managing Director of Wesfarmers Energy, whose gas and power businesses supply nearly 300,000 customers with industrial and medical gases, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as power generation to remote locations.

Key achievements under Mr Bult's leadership at Energy include the development and recent commissioning of the 175 tonne per day LNG project at Kwinana, Western Australia and the integration of Coregas into the Division.

Mr O'Leary will report in his new role to Wesfarmers' Director of Industrial Divisions, Keith Gordon, while Mr Bult will report to Wesfarmers' Finance Director, Terry Bowen.