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
Tracy Deveugle-Frink
As CTO, Tracy is responsible for building and growing Western Power’s Technology and Innovation team to deliver a whole-of-organisation approach to technology, cyber security, and business intelligence.
Since joining Western Power in 2018, Tracy has held several senior leadership roles in our Change & Innovation, Information Technology and Digital Products functions. With more than 15 years experience in innovation and transformation together with the evolving digital and data environment, Tracy and her teams aim to keep the business at the forefront of the energy industry.
Tracy holds an MBA from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Houston. She has also held Chair positions in several arts-based organisations and is currently the Chair of the Friends of Perth Festival.
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
With a demonstrated ability to lead and achieve transformational change, Matt brings together our Customer Decarbonisation, Strategy and Changing Energy Solutions functions to deliver a cleaner energy future for Western Australia.
Since joining Western Power in 2009 Matt has initiated and led industry-changing projects that have changed the way we do business including grid transformation and performance, and operational maintenance.
With more than 20 years’ experience in business and management systems, planning, operations and service delivery, his work at Western Power follows previous roles in defence and manufacturing.
Matt is responsible for building and growing Western Power’s Energy Transition & Sustainability team to deliver a whole-of-organisation approach to energy, sustainability and decarbonisation.
Matt holds a BEng (Aerospace Avionics) from the Queensland University of Technology.
Executive Manager Legal, Governance & External Relations and General Counsel
May Lin Chew
May Lin joined Western Power in December 2020 after an extensive international career in London, The Hague, Tokyo and Singapore with top-tier global law firms and in the private energy sector.
At Western Power, she has Executive responsibilities for Legal, Compliance, Enterprise Risk, Internal Audit, Governance & Secretariat, Communications, Media and Customer & Stakeholder Relationships. She was also concurrently the Company Secretary to the Board of Directors from December 2020 – September 2023.
With more than 20 years as a corporate lawyer and senior Executive leader, May Lin has led large, cross-functional teams in advising on and delivering innovative and cleaner energy solutions across a portfolio of major infrastructure and M&A projects. She strongly believes that shaping the discussion & influencing the debate around corporate culture and strategic business issues are keys to successful internal and external stakeholder engagement. May Lin’s current role combines her experience in balancing strategic delivery with enterprise risk mitigation as she leads an improved stakeholder & customer service strategy.
May Lin has a Bachelor of Laws from Murdoch University, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia, and is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Western Australia. She is also a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.