Former engineer Ian Shepherd has been appointed chairperson of Southern Ports Authority, tasked with driving development at the government trading enterprise.
Mr Shepherd brings more than four decades worth of technical, management, governance and leadership experience, having most recently served as chief executive of professional services company GHD for eight years.
The appointment marks the end of Rob Cole's three-year term as chair of the Southern Ports board, which controls affairs at the ports of Bunbury, Albany and Esperance.
Former National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority chief executive officer and former Woodside Energy's Natural Gas president Jane Cutler has also been appointed to the board.
The pair are set to commence their roles on February 1, 2020.
WA Ports Minister Alannah MacTiernan said each of the authority's ports played a critical role in the ongoing economic success of regional WA.
"We need to develop a strong infrastructure plan for the region and its interface with other ports," she said.
"Ian Shepherd brings deep engineering, infrastructure and logistics experience to the role of Southern Ports chairperson, and will help to drive continued economic development and jobs across the regions.
"We are deeply appreciative of Rob Cole's leadership of the Southern Ports Authority as chairperson from 2016.
"He entrenched robust governance frameworks in the Authority as it transitioned from three businesses into one, and oversaw trade and financial performance that place the Authority in good stead.
"Jane Cutler brings experience in the resources industry to the Southern Ports Authority Board and will be an important part of the ongoing success of the ports."
