Former Dexus COO Tanya Cox settles into the chair of the World Green Building Council, while Grant Thornton, Russell Kennedy, HASSELL and Northrop make several notable appointments.
Tanya Cox has been appointed chair of the World Green Building Council for a two-year term. The WorldGBC brings together green building councils and sustainability leaders from 70 countries. Cox has served on the WorldGBC’s board since 2016, and is the second Australian to serve as chair, after Tony Arnel, who recently stepped down from his role as global director of sustainability at NDY. Cox is also a former chair and current director of the Green Building Council of Australia board and a non-executive director of various ASX listed and unlisted boards, including proptech company Equiem. She was formerly chief operating officer of DEXUS for 11 years.
Jon McCormick joins Cushman & Wakefield as the new head of integrated facilities management in Australia and New Zealand. McCormick will lead the firm’s facilities management, trade services and public private partnerships and a team of around 1,400. He joins the agency from Brookfield Global Integrated Services (BGIS) where he spent 21 years, including most recently as managing director for Asia Pacific. BGIS was sold to global facilities management services provider CCMP Capital Advisors in 2019 for a reported US$1 billion.
Grant Thornton has appointed five new partners, bringing the accounting firm’s total number of partners to 176. Madina Aziz and Shona Cram are partners in Grant Thornton’s audit and assurance division; Jared Grima and Jonathan Mather in financial advisory; and David Gibson in private advisory. Each of the partners has worked with Grant Thornton or one of its predecessors for their entire careers.
Marcus Carmont has joined supply chain and commercial property services consultancy TM Insight as its new executive director of business development. Carmont, the former Toll Group global head of sales and business development, will be based in Melbourne. TM Insight is looking to bolster its supply chain solutions across the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia. Carmont, who also held senior management positions at CEVA Logistics, will work alongside chief customer officer Nathan Bingham.
HASSELL has appointed Nik Killis as head of client and future business. In this role he will combine insights and data to enhance the design process and directly benefit project outcomes. Killis has spent the last decade with Arup, most recently as digital advisory leader. This is Killis’ ‘second act’ at HASSELL, having spent seven years as head of market and business development earlier in his career. HASSELL has also appointed Dan Cox from Carr design in its hospitality and leisure sector.
Russell Kennedy Lawyers has promoted four new principals: Sara Hatcher (property and development), Kylie Walsh (public law and litigation), Daniel Silfo (local government prosecutions and enforcement) and Rory Maguire (corporate and M&A).
Northrop has five new principals: Aaron Hughes (structural section manager, Sydney), Angus Brien (flooding group manager, Newcastle), Josh Neil (lead structural engineer, Brisbane), Kieran Steele (electrical manager, Canberra) and Simon Matthews (hydraulic and fire discipline manager, Sydney).
Access Housing Australia and Housing Choices Australia have joined forces to become one of Australia’s largest community housing providers. The merged entity, Housing Choices Australia, is now responsible for the management of nearly 7,000 social and affordable homes with assets valued in excess of $900 million. Housing Choices Australia managing director Michael Lennon will lead the expanded organisation. WA operations will be led by executive general manager Neil Starkie, who joined Access Housing in February in the role of interim chief executive officer. Access Housing former chairman David Lantzke and director Matt Raison have joined the board, led by Heather McCallum.
Laurie Aznavoorian joins Bates Smart as strategy and research lead. Aznavoorian has spent nearly four years with BVN as organisational designer and senior practice director. She’s also worked for Gensler, Geyer and operated her own workplace consultancy.
Bridgeen Rocks has commenced a new role as client director AECOM after more than 12 years at HASSELL, three as principal. Rocks has played a prominent role in NAWIC for many years and has served as president of the New South Wales chapter.
Forest and Wood Products Australia has a new lead program development manager for mid-rise construction: Jennifer Cunich. The former CEO of the Australian Institute of Architects and executive director of the Property Council is also an independent director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.