Chief Executive Officer
Sam Barbaro
Sam was appointed Western Power CEO in August 2022. He has been a member of the Executive team since 2014 serving firstly as the Executive Manager of the Governance & Assurance and then the Executive Manager Asset Operations.
Sam has held senior positions since the late 1990s and has experience across a wide range of industries. He has a law degree from the University of Western Australia and joined the corporate sector after spending a decade practicing law in top tier law firms. Sam has a diverse range of technical and management experience in strategic leadership, stakeholder management, operational delivery, legal and financial regulation and governance, culture and change management and safety and compliance. Sam is passionate about contributing to the community and driving positive outcomes.
Sam is a non-executive Director of Leadership WA and a Director on the Board of Energy Networks Australia.
Executive Manager Asset Operations
Zane Christmas
Zane is an experienced operational leader with over 28 years in the electricity network industry. He started as an apprentice electrician and has progressed through to senior leadership positions in both government owned and private organisations.
Zane has been with Western Power for 11 years. During this time he has worked in several roles including Works Management, Future Grid Alliance Manager and for the last few years the Head of Network Maintenance Planning and Delivery.
He holds electrical trade qualifications, Diplomas in Electro Technology and Project Management, a Masters of Business Administration and is a graduate of the Leadership WA Signature Program.
As the Executive Manager for Asset Operations he leads a large, diverse workforce accountable for the operation, expansion and maintenance of the network to ensure it remains safe, reliable and meets the needs of our community.
Executive Manager Asset Management
Gair Landsborough
Gair joined Western Power in December 1993 as a cadet engineer before moving through the graduate program. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical), Bachelor of Commerce (Management) and Master of Applied Finance from the University of Western Australia.
Gair’s technical roles in the company include stints in network planning, maintenance strategy and investigations, while his financial expertise in strategic financial modelling was showcased working closely with Government stakeholders to implement electricity market reforms.
Since 2006, he has held senior management roles in operations, program and project management, contracts and finance. Gair brings his wealth of Western Power knowledge to the Executive team, most recently as Head of Operational Maintenance responsible for over 1,000 field employees essential to delivering our billion dollar work program.
Chief Technology Officer
Sandra Smallbon
As the Chief Technology Officer, Sandra is responsible for growing Western Power’s Digital Capability Strategy and driving innovation across the organisation. Sandra leads a dynamic team of skilled technologists across the Technology and Innovation business unit, to deliver a whole-of-organisation approach to leverage technology to solve complex business challenges and drive operational excellence.
With over a decade and a half at the forefront of Operations and Enterprise Technology, Sandra has a proven track record of strategic leadership, delivery and a deep understanding of technology. Sandra has held key roles across the resource sector and most recently at the Water Corporation.
Sandra joined Western Power in December 2023 and holds a Masters degree in Information Technology from Deakin University.
Executive Manager People
Jo Christie
Jo joined Western Power in July 2023 as the Executive Manager of People, responsible for creating a strong, safe and diverse workforce leading our Human Resources, Safety, Property & Fleet, and Training functions.
Jo’s extensive Executive experience spans more than 10 years in a diverse range of industries including aged care, fast moving consumer goods and hospitality. Prior to this, Jo worked for 20 years in the Human Resources sector.
Jo is a confident, articulate and respected communicator who builds productive relationships with key stakeholders at all organisational levels throughout the employee lifecycle.
She is passionate about transforming organisations, creating an inclusive, respectful and compassionate culture that makes it safe for people to innovate and be their best self at work every day.
Jo holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Psychology from Murdoch University and a Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Development from Curtin University.
Chief Financial Officer
Jacqui Hall
Prior to joining Western Power in 2012, Jacqui held financial leadership positions in both private and publicly-listed companies across a variety of sectors including mining, retail and telecommunications.
In those roles and in her time at Western Power, she has built extensive skills and experience in cash flow management, statutory reporting, financial management, knowledge of the regulatory landscape, risk management, change management and corporate governance. She has a strong commitment to ensuring wise investment decisions that deliver the best outcomes for our customers.
Her most recent role as Head of Finance and Metering saw her establish an in-depth understanding of our business and successfully sponsor major transformational projects including our Advanced Metering Infrastructure program.
Jacqui holds a Bachelor of Business, with a double major in Accounting and Business Law from Curtin University and is a Certified Practising Accountant.
Jacqui is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Executive Manager Energy Transition & Sustainability
Matt Cheney
Within a rapidly changing energy landscape as Australia moves towards net-zero, Matt Cheney leads Energy Transition & Sustainability at Western Power, the network operator of WA’s main electricity grid. Responsible for delivering a whole-of-organisation approach to energy, sustainability and decarbonisation, Matt oversees the significant work underway to deliver key transmission projects required to support the renewable generation needed to enable industry decarbonisation.
With more than 20 years’ experience in business and management systems, planning, operations and service delivery, Matt has initiated and led industry-changing projects including grid transformation and performance. He has led the delivery of future-focused energy initiatives to manage the increasing uptake of solar including advanced metering infrastructure, Western Power’s role as Distribution System Operator and ongoing integration of EVs.
Executive Manager Legal, Governance & External Relations and General Counsel
Andrew Cook
Andrew joined Western Power in 2012 as our Legal Counsel, following an extensive career in the private sector in the areas corporate, commercial and property practice law.
Andrew is currently the General Counsel and Executive Manager Legal, Governance & External Relations and has Executive responsibilities for Legal, Compliance, Enterprise Risk, Internal Audit, Governance & Secretariat, Communications, Media and Customer & Stakeholder Relationships. He also performs the role of company secretary providing assistance to the Board and its committees.
He has a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce from Murdoch University.