CEOs of new electricity businesses appointed

2/12/05 Energy Minister Alan Carpenter today announced the chief executive officers of the four new businesses that will be created when Western Power is separated into four stand-alone businesses from April 2006.

2/12/05
Energy Minister Alan Carpenter today announced the chief executive officers of the four new businesses that will be created when Western Power is separated into four stand-alone businesses from April 2006.

  • Mr Doug Aberle, CEO of the Networks business, which retains the Western Power name and is responsible for the transport of electricity within the South-West Interconnected System (SWIS). The SWIS is the area bounded by Kalbarri in the north, Kalgoorlie in the east and Albany in the south;
  • Mr Rod Hayes, CEO of the regional business, a regional power corporation responsible for the generation, transport and sale of electricity in all areas of the State outside the SWIS;
  • Mr John Lillywhite, CEO of the generation business, which is responsible for power generation within the SWIS; and
  • Mr James (Jim) Mitchell, CEO of the retail business, which is responsible for the sale of electricity within the SWIS.
    All positions will be based in Perth, except for the regional CEO, which will be based in Karratha.
    Mr Carpenter said the CEOs were chosen after a comprehensive Australia-wide search.
    The Minister said the restructure of Western Power into four separate corporations was a core component of the Gallop Government's reform agenda for the State's electricity sector.
    "Electricity reform will help develop a competitive electricity market which is essential to deliver better electricity services to Western Australians," he said.
    "Rather than one large entity overseeing a wide range of business operations, each corporation will now have its core business as its sole focus.
    "Our reform initiatives are paving the way for a more efficient electricity industry with sustainable improvements to reliability of supply, increased private sector investment in electricity infrastructure and downward pressure on electricity prices."
    Western Power's managing director, Tony Iannello, will remain as the chief executive of the business until March 31, 2006, after which each of the four new businesses will become legal entities in their own right.
    Other than the networks business, which keeps the Western Power name, the three other businesses will have new names and identities and it is expected that these will be announced in the near future.
    Brief career summaries of each of the new CEOs are detailed below.
    Minister's office: 9222 9699

    Networks Business chief executive officer
    Career summary - Doug Aberle
    Doug Aberle joined the State Energy Commission of Western Australia (SECWA) in 1974 as an electrical engineer.
    Doug has worked in a broad range of positions in SECWA and its current incarnation, Western Power. These have included manager of Muja Power Station, and roles as General Manager Transmission and Generation.
    From July 2004 to the present, Doug has been the general manager Networks Business Unit. He has defined a new vision for the future of the Network business consistent with creating a stand-alone Network business. Doug was integral in gaining the $2.3billion Government investment to upgrade infrastructure and improve reliability of supply in WA. He has established a series of targeted programs for spending on areas of greatest need.
    Doug has managed the organisation through several crises and considerable scrutiny while maintaining focus on safety and reliability of supply. He has overseen the successful 'Summer Ready' initiative that concentrated on the needs of the distribution system to ensure minimal disruption at the height of summer. He has also dedicated himself to the improved performance of the network's business through the 'One Step Ahead' program and other initiatives. These will positively impact on Network's'revenue and its ability to meet future performance measures.
    Doug holds Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) and Masters of Science Engineering degrees from The University of Western Australia (UWA). Doug is also a qualified counsellor and has a particular interest in the application of these principles to leadership and organisational development.
    Doug attended the Harvard University's Advanced Management Program and has completed an Advanced Management program at the University of Melbourne. He is also a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
    Regional business chief executive officer
    Career summary - Rod Hayes
    Rod is currently CEO of Gladstone Area Water Board in Queensland.
    The Gladstone Area Water Board is a Government-owned commercial business responsible for the development and delivery of a safe, reliable and efficient water supply to central Queensland. Its customers are major industries and local councils.
    As CEO, Rod has refocussed the Water Board's strategy from an engineering-focussed utility to a business concentrating on making commercial returns by understanding and meeting the needs of its current and potential customers.
    He has achieved this by restructuring the management team and recruiting a broad talent base. His particular focus has been the rebuilding of co-operative relationships with customers, Government stakeholders and regulators.
    Rod has put management processes in place to align individual and team accountabilities with the new strategy, steering the rebuilding of the business's internal capability. As a consequence of these changes, business performance has been consistently improving against all key indicators.
    Prior to this role, Rod was employed by Aurora Energy, Tasmania's electricity distribution and retail company. This Government-owned corporation employs approximately 1,000 staff and manages in excess of $1billion in assets.
    Rod undertook a variety of functional, change management and issues management roles, and was also responsible for high-level regulatory liaison with the Office of the Tasmanian Energy Regulator. He also served as Aurora's representative on the National Market Implementation Planning Committee.
    Rod also served as risk manager at the Hydro Electric Corporation of Tasmania in the late 1990s as it went through the process of disaggregation. He worked with the board, steering committee, project management team and external advisors to ensure that all risks were identified, assessed and adequately addressed through the implementation of management plans.
    Rod holds a combined Bachelor of Commerce and Law from the University of Tasmania.
    Generation business chief executive officer
    Career summary - John Lillywhite
    John joined Western Power in 1997 as head of its Retail division.
    Following a short stint as general manager regional, John moved into his current role as General Manager Generation in August 2004.
    His mission: To create a competitive, highly efficient and reliable power generation company and maximise value from its plant, fuel and skills portfolio within the WA wholesale electricity market.
    John has had great success in leading the teams that renegotiated gas and fuel contracts, and his leadership has prepared the generation business for the many challenges of change. He has focussed on restoring and building stakeholder confidence and developing and implementing a wholesale market trading strategy.
    He has overseen an improvement in renewable energy production and environmental credentials while also maximising value and cash flow from the existing and future 3000MW portfolio.
    John holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from The University of Western Australia, a postgraduate Diploma in Management (Marketing) from Curtin University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Monash Mt Eliza University. John also attended the Harvard University Advanced Management Program.
    Retail business chief executive officer
    Career summary - James (Jim) Mitchell
    Jim is currently working as the chief financial officer of Ergon Energy, Queensland, which is a State Government-owned energy business with more than half a million customers in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.
    As a senior financial executive, Jim has broad experience in the finance, energy, gas, mining, construction and banking industries.
    His expertise covers strategic financial planning, change management, financial reporting and control, investment evaluation and acquisitions, investor and banking relationships, treasury, capital raisings and project financing as well as risk management and hedging, financial systems and procedures, commercial negotiations and team building.
    Jim co-ordinates and manages the finance, information and group service functions. He manages approximately 600 staff across Queensland and is responsible for group strategic planning, joint venture negotiations, financial and energy risk management and IT&T.
    Jim is the chairman and director on joint venture companies, handling retail back office and IT&T functions for the Queensland's two electricity retailers and distributors.
    In addition, he oversees the investment evaluation for network, retail and business development projects and corporate change programs.
    Jim holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Queensland.

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