Our Structure

Our Minister and legislation

Our Minister

The Honourable Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Science has responsibility for ChemCentre.

Enabling Legislation

ChemCentre is an independent statutory authority, established under The Chemistry Centre (WA) Act 2007. 

Our Board

ChemCentre is governed by an experienced Board, delivering the leadership that maintains our position as WA’s leading analytical chemistry services provider. 

Chair, Dr David Blyth

Dr David Blyth is a Director/Principal of a consulting practice working with senior executives and boards on strategy development and execution, organisation design, and executive talent management. He has more than 30 years’ experience in business, industry associations and business schools including as former executive Director of the Industrial Foundation for Accident Prevention (IFAP). David launched an Executive MBA program for Curtin University, where he spent four years as Program Director. 

David has worked widely in Australia and on assignments in China, South Africa, Ghana, the United States and the United Kingdom. He commenced as Chair of the Board of ChemCentre on 1 July 2022.

Deputy Chair, Tresslyn Walmsley


 

 

Tresslyn Walmsley is the Chief Executive Officer of InterGrain, a leading national wheat and barley breeding business and is responsible for managing research and commercial relationships.

Tress started her career in the small WA wheatbelt town of Three Springs working as an agronomist for the then Department of Agriculture before moving to managing the TOPCROP program in WA. 
In 2000, Tress changed career focus, moving into intellectual property and commercialisation. Tress played a key role in the development of the National End Point Royalty system used in the grains industry across Australia. 

Tress won the Telstra Young Business Woman for WA in 1999 and in 2015 was named the WA Rural Woman of the Year. In recent years, Tress has been active in promoting the grains industry as a career opportunity to school students and is a strong advocate for increased women’s participation in the grains industry.

Tress commenced in the role of Deputy Chair in July 2022.

Member, Dr Ian Harrison

 

 

Ian is a research scientist with over 30 years’ experience managing research and development programs and projects. Until his retirement in 2017, Ian was Director of R&D for Alcoa’s Global Refining System, leading a team of 60 scientists and technicians providing R&D for the world’s largest alumina refining system. Prior to joining Alcoa, Ian was a research leader with CSIRO and prior to that with Eastman Kodak.

Ian has held leadership positions with a range of industry and academic committees, including a Board role with the Parker Centre for Hydrometallurgy, and an Adjunct Professorship with RMIT University. Ian was also Chair or member of a number of industry advisory panels and Chair of collaborative alumina  industry groups the Alumina Technical Panel and AQW Inc.
Ian has a PhD in Photo-electrochemistry and an Honours Degree in Soil Chemistry and Chemistry. In 2015 Ian was awarded the prestigious RK Murphy Award for his contribution to industrial chemistry in Australia. He is known for his passion for the role of science in society and particularly the role of R&D, as well as for his strategic, scientific and leadership skills.

Member, WA Police Deputy Commissioner Kylie Whiteley

 

 

Kylie joined the Western Australia Police Force in 1988 and performed general duties in the Perth Metropolitan area until 1994 when she completed Covert Training and Detective Training. Kylie was appointed a Detective at the Perth Criminal Investigation Branch in 1993.

In 2001 she was promoted to Sergeant in the Operational Safety and Tactic Training Unit at the WA Police Academy becoming a weapons and tactics instructor and worked on key programs. In 2003 Kylie returned to covert operations until 2007 she was promoted to the Officer in Charge of the South West Detectives in Regional WA.

In 2012 returned to Perth and took on the role as Divisional Head at the Investigative Practices Unit leading and coordinating change in the agency’s investigation practices. She was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2013.

In 2013 Kylie moved to the Mid-West Gascoyne District in the North of WA as Inspector and later was promoted to Superintendent of the District covering 19 Police Stations including the remote location of the Burringurrah Multi-Functional Policing Facility, reaching through to stations as far north as Meekatharra and south to Jurien Bay.

In 2015 Kylie was promoted to Commander in the State Crime Portfolio responsible for Forensic, Licensing Enforcement, Family Violence and a range of other agency priorities., In 2018 she implemented change to the Metropolitan Policing Operations across Perth. In 2018 she was appointed to Assistant Commissioner of the Judicial Services and Operations Support Portfolio before being appointed the head of Professional Standards encompassing Internal Affairs Division, Police Complaints, Security and Risk (Cybersecurity) and the Management Audit Unit.

Kylie then moved to the Deputy Commissioner role for the WA Police Force in January 2022 and was substantively appointed on 6th September 2022 being responsible for State Crime, Specialist and Support Services, Standards and Legal and the State Intelligence and Command Portfolio.

Member, Colin Murphy

 

 

Colin Murphy PSC is President of the Institute of Public Administration Western Australia (IPAWA) and is a former WA Auditor General. He is one of three Commissioners appointed to the Royal Commission into the suitability of Crown Perth to hold a casino gaming licence.

Colin has extensive experience in finance and administration in State and Commonwealth government roles. He has held key strategic leadership roles in the State Government Departments of Justice, Treasury and Finance, Land Administration and the Building Management Authority. He was the Business Manager for Murdoch University and has also held financial management roles with the Commonwealth Department of Finance in Perth and Washington DC.

Colin holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a Fellow, former Board member and Past State President of CPA Australia and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand. 

Member, Jane Cutler

Jane Cutler is an experienced Non-Executive Director with a portfolio that includes roles in governance, compliance, finance and strategic development. She is a current Director of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and WestCycle, and President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).

Jane  has more than 30 years of board and senior executive experience across public, commercial and not-for-profit sectors with particular expertise in the resources, oil and gas, financial services, maritime, environment and technology industries.

She is also a Non-Executive Director of Southern Ports Authority, WA and Member,  WA Division, Australian Institute of Company Directors. Her previous roles include CEO of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority and various senior executive positions in corporate entities in the resources sector in Australia, including at Woodside, BHP and Esso.

Member, Miriam Stanborough

Miriam was appointed a Member of the Board of ChemCentre on 1 July 2022. Miriam is a chemical engineer with more than 20 years’ experience in the minerals processing industry, across commodities including copper, uranium, gold, silver, alumina, lithium and mineral sands.

Miriam has held roles in technical development, production management, project management, business improvement, human resources & diversity strategy, and sales and marketing.

She holds additional degrees in Arts and Mineral Economics, is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Miriam’s other current board roles include Chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia, Non-Executive Director of Pilbara Minerals and BCI Minerals, and Deputy Chair of the Northern Agricultural Catchments Council and Scouts WA.  With her husband, she runs a beef cattle operation in the south-west of WA.

Our Executive

Chief Executive Officer - Peter McCafferty

Peter McCafferty was appointed CEO in June 2017. Prior to this he was Director of the Scientific Services Division at ChemCentre. Before joining ChemCentre, Peter worked at WMC, Genalysis and Wesfarmers CSBP.

Peter has chemistry and business qualifications from Curtin University and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has held positions with the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), Australian Water Association (AWA), Water Research Foundation (USA) and the Australian Institute of Management (WA). Peter is a recipient of the AWA’s Don Montgomery Award and the RACI’s Wilf Ewers Citation.

He has over 50 research publications, co-authored one book, and has represented ChemCentre at many state, national and international forums. In 2019 he was invited to join Curtin’s Molecular and Life Sciences Advisory Board.

Director Scientific Services Division - Nigel West

Nigel West is a graduate of Curtin University chemistry school, AIM Leadership programs and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has extensive experience in the public and private sectors, utilising a range of analytical chemistry techniques to solve problems for industry, government and the public. Nigel has a range of publications including determining the fate of drilling fluids in the North West shelf, identifying signature odours of sub-Antarctic seabirds and quantifying disinfection by-products from swimming pools. He has and continues to represent ChemCentre on State advisory committees.

Director Forensic Science Laboratory - Bianca Douglas

With a career in forensic science spanning more than 20 years, Bianca Douglas has extensive experience in the provision of scientific services and expert opinion across a range of forensic disciplines relevant to the WA Police Force, Office of the State Coroner and Racing and Wagering WA. She is a graduate of the University of Western Australia and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Bianca is a member of a range of professional societies and represents ChemCentre on several State and national committees and advisory groups relevant to forensic science.

Director Business and Corporate Services - Lina Barbato

Lina Barbato joined the executive team as the Director Business and Corporate Services in February 2018.  Lina brings extensive senior management, project management and governance experience spanning across a breadth of public sector agencies that includes undertaking major reforms over a 25-year career. Lina is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds Board Director memberships with Bentley and Community Districts Bendigo Bank and Advocare where she is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Postal address

ChemCentre
PO Box 1250
BENTLEY DC WA 6983

t: (08) 9422 9800
f: (08) 9422 9801
e: enquiries@chemcentre.wa.gov.au

ABN : 40 991 885 705

Street address

ChemCentre
Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar
Resources and Chemistry Precinct
Corner Manning Road and Townsing Drive
Bentley WA 6102

Reception: Level 2, South Wing, Building 500.

Deliveries: Ground floor - use Conlon Street entrance

ChemCentre