Board of
directors
Diane Smith-Gander AO
Non-Executive Director
& Chair
BEc, MBA, FAICD, FGIA, Hon.Dec, FAIM, GAICD
Diane joined the Perenti Board on 16 October 2023 and was subsequently appointed as Chair on 12 March 2024. Prior to becoming a full-time company director in 2009, Diane enjoyed a successful executive career with Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC), primarily in banking operations, technology solutions and change management roles. Diane was also a Partner of McKinsey & Company.
VANESSA TORRES
Managing Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Vanessa Torres has been appointed Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Perenti, commencing 1 June 2026, bringing more than 25 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across the global resources industry and a strong track record in driving growth, business transformation and building high performing teams in complex global operations.
Andrea Hall
Non-Executive Director
FCA, GAIDC, MAppFin, BCOM
Andrea was appointed as a non-executive director on December 15, 2019. Andrea is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and a Masters in Applied Finance (Corporate Finance).
Craig Laslett
Non-Executive Director
BEng, FIE, CP Eng, EngExc, FAICD
Craig was appointed as a non-executive director of Perenti on 28 February 2022. Craig is a Civil Engineer with more than 40 years of engineering, project management and executive experience across some of Australia’s largest publicly listed mining services and infrastructure companies, including a role as the Managing Director of Leighton Contractors, a subsidiary of the Leighton Holdings Group, now CIMIC Group.
Andrea Sutton
Non-Executive Director
Andrea joined the Perenti Board on 16 October 2023 following the implementation of the DDH1 scheme of arrangement on 6 October 2023. Andrea brings over 30 years of operational, technical and corporate experience within the mining industry.
GREGORY WALKER
Non-Executive Director
Gregory is an international mining professional with over 45 years of experience managing complex mining operations and delivering sustainable results. Renowned for his ability to build strong community and cultural relationships, Gregory has led teams in Australia, the USA, Canada, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic, and Papua New Guinea.
Vincent (Vince) Nicoletti
Non-Executive Director
BBus (Accounting), MSc (Mineral Economics), FCPA, CISA, CIA
Vince is an experienced finance and strategy executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across the energy, mining, contracting and services sectors. He is currently Chief Financial Officer of Alinta Energy, where he is responsible for finance, tax, treasury, risk management and strategy.
Group Executives
VANESSA TORRES
Managing Director
& Chief Executive Officer
Vanessa Torres has been appointed Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Perenti, commencing 1 June 2026, bringing more than 25 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across the global resources industry and a strong track record in driving growth, business transformation and building high performing teams in complex global operations.
Michael Ellis
Chief Financial Officer
Michael was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of Perenti in September 2024. He previously served as Vice President Finance for Perenti’s Contract Mining division and has been in various roles within the group for over 10 years.
Gabrielle Iwanow
President Contract Mining
As a leader, Gabrielle has become known for progressive change and growth. Working at OZ Minerals, she developed pathways to double the size of the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine, growing it into one of the largest underground hard rock operations in Australia.
Raj Ratneser
President Mining & TECHNOLOGY Services
Raj is a senior executive and qualified lawyer with more than 30 years’ national and international experience across legal, commercial, governance, risk and internal audit primarily in the resources, engineering and construction industries.
