Board of directors

Who we are

Our board of directors

Diane Smith-Gander AO

BEc, MBA, FAICD, FGIA, Hon.Dec, FAIM, GAICD

Non-Executive Director and Chair

Diane joined the Perenti Board on 16 October 2023 following the implementation of the DDH1 scheme of arrangement on 6 October 2023. 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.

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Diane has extensive Australian and international experience in banking and finance, technology, and strategic and management consulting. Diane is also the Chair of Zip Co Limited (ASX:ZIP), the Committee for Economic Development of Australia and HBF Health Limited. 

Diane chaired previously listed contractor Broadspectrum and served on the Wesfarmers board for more than a decade. She is also a past director of cooperative CBH and privately held North Queensland Airports.

Diane was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to business, women’s engagement in executive roles, gender equality and the community in 2019. She is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Governance Institute of Australia, and is a past President of Chief Executive Women.

Mark Norwell

BE (Hons), MBA, MAICD

Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer

Mark was appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Perenti in September 2018. Mark has over 20 years’ experience in the mining industry throughout Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the Americas. Mark holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree (honours) from the University of Western Australia and an Executive MBA from the University of New South Wales (AGSM). 

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Prior to joining Perenti Mark held several executive roles with Thiess and Leighton Contractors, as well as various operational leadership positions with Henry Walker Eltin and Macmahon.

His expertise spans underground, open cut and process engineering operations across a variety of commodities including iron ore, gold, copper, diamonds, nickel and oil sands.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree (honours) from the University of Western Australia and an Executive MBA from the University of New South Wales (AGSM). 

Mark’s strategy and growth expertise coupled with his operational experience have fostered a strong understanding of the success factors that drive business performance in the mining industry.

Alexandra (Alex) Atkins

BE (Mineral Expl’n & Mining Geol)2A Hon, BE(Mining), MBA(Fin), FIEAust CPEng EngExec NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) FAusIMM(CP) GAICD

Non-Executive Director

Alex Atkins is a non-executive director of ASX listed mining & mining services companies Perenti and Aquirian and is a former director of The Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (The AusIMM) and International Women in Mining (IWiM). Alex has two Bachelor of Engineering Degrees from WASM and UQ.

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Alex is a mining engineer, geologist and geotechnical engineer with an MBA(Finance) and 30 years’ experience in the mining industry. She is a Chartered Professional Fellow of The AusIMM and a Fellow, National Registered Engineer and EngExec of Engineers Australia.

In her early career, Alex worked in various mine site operations roles including as a mining engineer for Mt Isa Mines Ltd; underground miner/ airleg miner for Plutonic Resources at Mt Morgans; mining and geotechnical engineer for Murchison United at Renison Mine; and an underground miner, mining engineer/ deputy mine manager and geotechnical engineer for Placer Dome at Osborne, Kidston and Porgera mines. In 1998 she obtained her WA First Class Mine Manager’s Certificate of Competency and in 2000 obtained the QLD equivalent. 

Post children Alex pivoted to consulting and regulation, becoming WA’s first female district inspector of mines at the WA Department of Mines & Petroleum. She has also held senior and principal engineer roles at mining consultancies suchas AMC Consultants, Optiro, Alternate Futures & Alex Atkins & Associates. She has served as Chief Operating Officer at PETRA Data Science and Chief Advisor at Sustainability. She was named one of WIM(UK)’s 100 Most Inspirational Women in Mining in 2018 and was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019. She is also a member of the 30% Club’s Steering Committee.

Andrea Hall

FCA, GAIDC, MAppFin, BCOM

Non-Executive Director

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).

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Having commenced her career at KPMG in 1987, before retiring from the firm in 2012 as a Partner in Charge of the Perth Internal Audit, Risk and Control Services division within KPMG’s Risk Consulting area.

She currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of several listed and non-listed entities, including Evolution Mining, the Fremantle Dockers, Pioneer Credit, and the Insurance Commission of Western Australia.  She has also previously held non-executive directorship roles at several other prominent entities, including Automotive Holdings Group, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, and Lotterywest.

Andrea holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia, and she is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand. She served on the WA Council for Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand for seven years until 2011, the last year as the Chair. Andrea has also completed a Masters in Applied Finance (Corporate Finance).

Tim Longstaff

BEc, FCA, GAICD, F FIN

Non-Executive Director

Tim was appointed as a non-executive director on August 16, 2021, is Chair of Perenti’s Sustainability Committee and sits on the Audit & Risk Committee. Tim started his career in the audit division of PricewaterhouseCoopers then had a 25-year career in investment banking, with many years in Managing Director and senior executive roles at top-tier global firms. Tim holds a Bachelor of Economics degree.

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Through his career in Australia and overseas, Tim brings a depth of experience in strategy formulation, acquisitions and divestments, debt and equity capital markets, and investor engagement amongst asset-intensive industrial companies.  

Tim holds a Bachelor of Economics degree, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australia. 

Tim started his career in the audit division of PricewaterhouseCoopers. He then had a 25-year career in investment banking, with many years in Managing Director and senior executive roles at top-tier global firms. He has been a strategic partner and advised the Boards and CEOs of leading Australian and international companies on numerous transformational M&A and capital markets transactions.

More recently, Tim served as Senior Advisor to the Federal Minister for Finance and Leader of the Government in the Senate, and the Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Through this experience Tim brings valuable global geo-political perspectives and insights into the workings of Government.

Tim is also a director of ASX-Listed Ingham’s Group Limited where he sits on the Risk and Sustainability Committee. He also sits on the Board of the George Institute for Global Health where he is Chair of the Risk Committee and sits on the Audit Committee.

Craig Laslett

BEng, FIE, CP Eng, EngExc, FAICD

Non-Executive Director

Craig was appointed as a non-executive director of Perenti on 28 February 2022. Craig is a Civil Engineer with nearly 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.

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This experience includes accountability for HWE Mining and Leighton Mining for open cut mining, underground mining and materials processing services across operations in Australia and overseas.

Craig is currently the Managing Director of Leed Engineering, a privately owned Adelaide based civil infrastructure contractor. In addition to his professional career, he is passionate about enhancing the contribution and value provided by the contracting and services industries, including representing the industry at board and governmental levels. This includes enhancing digital capability and supporting industry diversity and providing opportunities for indigenous and disadvantaged youth, which he has pursued in his capacity as the past Chair of CareerTrackers.

Andrea Sutton

BEng Chemical (Hons), GradDipEcon, GAICD

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 20 years of operational, technical and corporate experience within the mining industry.

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Andrea’s prior roles include Non-Executive Director of Energy Resources of Australia and Managing Director and Chief Executive of Energy Resources of Australia. Within Rio Tinto, Andrea has been the Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Security, Managing Director with the Support Strategy Review team, General Manager – Operations at the Bengalla mine, and General Manager – Infrastructure within Rio Tinto’s Iron Ore business.

Andrea is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Engineers Australia, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chief Executive Women.

Andrea is a board member of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and a Non-Executive Director of Red 5 Limited (ASX:RED), Iluka Resources Limited (ASX:ILU), and Commonwealth company Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd (ANI).