Smith-Gander succeeds Cole

Mining services contractor Perenti has a new chair after Rob Cole resigned in order to join the board of national waste management company Cleanaway.

He has been replaced with immediate effect by Diane Smith-Gander, who joined the Perenti board in October last year after it acquired drilling contractor DDH1, which she had chaired.

The promotion confirms Ms Smith-Gander’s status as one of the most senior professional directors in Western Australia.

She is also chair of ASX company Zip Co, the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, and HBF Health.

The promotion means Ms Smith-Gander is one of just a handful of female Perth-based professional directors to chair one of WA’s top 50 ASX companies.

She joins Jennifer Seabrook, who chairs Deterra Royalties, and Cheryl Edwardes, who chairs Westgold Resources.

Perth-based companies South32 and Pilbara Minerals also have female chairs but Karen Wood and Kathleen Conlon, respectively, are based in Sydney.

Ms Smith-Gander’s previous roles include chairing national contractor Broadspectrum and being a non-executive director of Wesfarmers and CBH.

Mr Cole said he chose to resign from the board of Perenti as a result of his appointment as a non-executive director of Melbourne-based Cleanaway and in consideration of the length of his tenure at Perenti.

He joined the Perenti board in 2018 and was appointed chair in May 2021.

Mr Cole is also chair of Iluka Resources and Perth Airport and a member of the Council of Curtin University.  

He said helping to guide Perenti’s global expansion had been a privilege.

“I joined the Perenti board in 2018 just prior to the Barminco acquisition” Mr Cole said.

“Since that time we have more than tripled our revenue and doubled the number of people we employ while building a diverse, successful and respected global mining services business focused on delivering value and certainty to our stakeholders.

“However, after three terms as a non-executive director and three years as chair, I believe it is the right time to pursue different challenges.”