Overlooked
As readers may realise, The Note’s own crystalline fragility has led us to be well aware of the danger of throwing stones in glass houses.
So it is not without some trepidation that we take a little space to note a wee publishing slip up at state energy utility Western Power that went to the highest levels.
Last week, we took a great interest in the decision by businessman and football governance expert Mark Barnaba to take on the challenge as chair of the electricity network.
What surprised us was, after checking our notes, that Jenny Seabrook didn’t get the gig. After all, wasn’t she deputy chair?
A sneak peek to check the utility’s website showed her listed in that role but reference to her disappeared when we clicked her name. Instead it revealed the credentials of six other people without the well-known Gresham Partners investment banker making an appearance.
It appears, Ms Seabrook was replaced as a director by John Cahill, the former CEO of Alinta Infrastructure Holdings, ex-CFO of Alinta and an existing director of Emeco Holdings.
Perhaps, we thought, that the recent changes at Gresham – including the defection of long-term local leader Michael Ashforth to Macquarie Bank – had prompted her to pull the pin on this board position.
Far from it, The Note was told. According to Ms Seabrook, she left the board in July when her term was due to expire, having felt that, after eight years, it was time to move on. She did, however, remain for a while as a consultant.