The SA Water Board

The Board of SA Water is responsible for the overall corporate governance of the Corporation including approving the strategic direction and values, monitoring performance and evaluating senior management.

The Board meets monthly and is supported by a number of committees established to assist the Board with its responsibilities covering audit, asset management and remuneration matters.

Board Profiles

Philip Pledge, Chairman
BEc, FCA

Chairman of the Board since March 2002
Chairman of the Asset Management Committee

Philip was a Partner of Ernst and Young from its formation in 1989 until his retirement in 2001, and served as the National Chairman of Ernst and Young from 1992 to 1994. From January 1996 to September 1998 he was Chairman of SA’s TAB, as well as President of the SA State Council of the Institute of Company Directors from October 1996 until 1998. He is currently a director of the Financial Planning Association of Australia Pty Ltd and chairman of the Clean Energy Innovation Centre - Interim Advisory Board. His particular skills are performance improvement, business planning and corporate restructuring. Philip chairs the Board’s Asset Management Committee and the Human Resources Committee.

Annabel Digance
MMgt (Health Services), Grad Dip Counselling, BNursing, FAICD

Non-executive director since August 2004

Annabel has extensive board experience in both the public and private sectors. Previously she has held senior positions in the public sector, predominantly in health. Practiced in public policy, Annabel has a balance of sound strategic and evaluation principles in financial, business and human resource management and practices. Annabel is also a successful business owner. She is a board member of Australian Central Credit Union. Annabel is a member of the Board’s Audit Committee and the Human Resources Committee.

Annabel Digance

Dr Graham Allison
FTSE, BSc (Hons), PhD (Chem)

Non-Executive Director since July 2001

Graham has many years of involvement with hydrology in Australia and overseas. He has been involved with many water and environment related organisations. These include Cooperative Research Centres for Waste Management and Pollution Control, Catchment Hydrology and Freshwater Ecology. Prior to his current consulting role, he was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Water Resources, a national research body. Graham is a member of the Board’s Asset Management Committee.

Sybella Blencowe
BA, MTP, LLB, GDLP

Non-executive director since July 2008

Sybella has extensive legal experience in environment, planning, property, local government and commercial litigation. She has been in private legal practice for 20 years, in commercial law firms as a partner, before establishing her own specialist law firm. She has served on government business enterprise boards including as chair of the South Australian Forestry Corporation and as a director of SAGRIC International Pty Ltd. She has also served on Ministerial advisory committees including as Chair of the Abalone Fisheries Management Committee and Deputy Presiding Member of the Natural Resources Management Council. She was also Presiding Member of the City of Marion Development Assessment Panel. Sybella is a member of the Board's Asset Management Committee and Human Resources Committee.

Hon Frank Blevins

Non-Executive Director since December 2002

Frank was elected to the SA Legislative Council in 1975 and to the House of Assembly in 1985. He served the State as Deputy Premier and across a range of Ministerial portfolios including Treasury, Mineral Resources, Transport and Agriculture and Fisheries for ten of his twenty two years in Parliament. Having held senior government Ministries over many years, Frank brings valuable knowledge and experience, particularly in the field of economics and finance. Frank chairs the Board’s Audit Committee.

Frank Blevins

Catherine Cooper
LLB, GDLP

Non-executive director since July 2008

Combining a legal and business background, Catherine has strong expertise in areas including strategic planning, project management, business re-engineering, corporate governance and change management. She has extensive executive management experience across a broad industry base that includes Fosters Brewing Group, Elders Ltd and Bendigo Bank. At a board level, Catherine has had wide involvement as both Chairperson and Director for a number of organisations, including Minda Inc, Dairy Authority of SA and Fisheries Council of SA. Catherine is a member of the Board’s Audit Committee.

Anne Howe

As Chief Executive of SA Water, Anne Howe is also a member of the Board.

Appointed as our Chief Executive in March 2001, Anne was previously Chief Executive of Services SA and Deputy Chief Executive in the Department of Administrative and Information Services. In these positions she achieved significant benefits for the Government in the development of partnerships between the public and private sectors to deliver Government services. She has provided national leadership as the Chair of the Australian Procurement and Construction Council, sponsoring such initiatives as the National Code of Practice for the building and construction industry. Anne is a director of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia, the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) and Water Quality Research Australia Ltd. She is also a member of the advisory board of the South Australian Government Financing Authority and a member of the Stormwater Management Authority. Anne is a member of the Board’s Asset Management Committee and the Government’s Water Security Council. She is also the State President of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.

Anne Howe