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Former Perth Mint boss Jason Waters has officially stepped into the CEO role at Perth Airport.
Waters takes over from acting CEO Kate Holsgrove, who has been in the position since the exit of Kevin Brown last December. Though he does not have an aviation background, he previously served as CEO of Synergy and Verve Energy before his role at Perth Mint.
Waters will be tasked with taming a dispute with Qantas over moving terminals as well as overseeing a new runway.
“Perth Airport is preparing for its next wave of development which will transform our airport and deliver enormous economic benefits for Western Australia. This will include new terminal facilities, multi-storey carparks, a new parallel runway and our first airport hotel,” he said.
“We will have a strong focus on delivering value for money for our airline partners and a high-quality travel experience for passengers.
“Apart from being one of the most important infrastructure assets in the State, Perth Airport’s property portfolio will play a key role in helping businesses to grow in Perth.”
In his previous role, Waters attempted to steer Perth Mint through an emerging scandal, with an ABC Four Corners investigation in March alleging it had diluted gold bullion beyond the acceptable standard of one of its largest customers and failed to comply with anti-money-laundering regulations.
These incidents date back to before he commenced the role.
In a statement responding to the ABC report, the Mint’s owner Gold Corporation acknowledged “shortcomings” in its regulatory compliance.
“The appointment of chief executive officer Jason Waters just under a year ago was the latest milestone in a significant refresh of the leadership team at The Perth Mint. This has included new heads of the refinery, treasury and risk and compliance areas,” the statement read.
“Under Mr Waters’ leadership, The Perth Mint is prioritising activities to progress its fully funded AML/CTF remediation program through the engagement of additional staff for Know Your Customer (KYC) checks as well as historical customer data remediation, enhanced KYC processes for new clients and an improved technology solution to support customer relationship management.”
