Verve Energy CIO leaves after 45 years
Western Australian energy company Verve Energy chief information officer Peter Lawrence will be retiring from his position at the energy company this year.
According to company spokesperson Peter Winner, Lawrence has been with the company and its predecessors for 45 years. He was an electrical engineer by profession, Winner said, and since the mid 1990's had focused more on IT and systems analysis.
He began as chief information officer in March 2006, when the company was created after the Western Australian Government broke up energy company Western Power.
"He's been at the helm of the IT systems and everything that has had to be done as a result of that break-up, as well as starting up [the] separation [of IT systems]," Winner said.
Verve Energy was now in the process of separating its IT systems and setting up its own services. "So he's [Lawrence] got that going [and] everything in place for that to occur when he finishes up on July 1," Winner said.
The company has advertised for a new chief information officer, who is expected to start 1 July, reporting to the chief financial officer.
The job required the successful applicant to develop and implement a new operating model for Verve Energy's Information Technology and Communications department, according to the job advertisement.
A degree in information technology, computer science or a related discipline was expected.
The company came under fire for giving pay rises of up to $70,000 for executives in 2008-09, despite posting a $171 million loss.