CCIWA’s Board of Directors has announced former Newcastle Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, will lead Western Australia’s largest and most representative business organisation from next month.
Cock, who was born and raised in WA, was at the helm of the busy international airport in Australia’s largest regional economy for almost a decade.
Prior to that, he was Perth Airport’s Executive General Manager Operations and Customer Experience and held numerous environmental scientist positions across a range of businesses.
Cock takes over from outgoing CEO Chris Rodwell and will begin in the role on Monday, February 3rd 2025.
CCIWA President, Nicki Ivory, said after an extensive search, the Board was confident Cock is the right person to lead the organisation into its next chapter of growth and performance for members and the wider business community.
“Peter brings significant expertise in strategy, leadership, commercial acumen, and government engagement to the role. Membership and stakeholder engagement are front and centre for Peter, having successfully built Newcastle’s airport’s annual revenues in Australia’s largest regional economy,” Ivory said.
“Peter is a highly capable leader who will bring a strong understanding of business and commerciality, which is the right lens to represent the business community in Western Australia.
“It’s Peter’s deep understanding and commitment to collaboration and engagement that will move CCIWA into its 135th year of operation.”
Cock said he was honoured and excited to drive CCIWA’s next chapter.
“Being born and raised in WA, including stints of working in and around Bunbury, the CCIWA vision of “WA is the best place to live and do business” resonated for me, it’s something I believe in and was a huge attractor in applying for the role,” Cock said.
“A strong focus will continue to be our members, and how as an organisation we can continue to drive value for members through provision of services and insights, and direct advocacy.
“There are exciting opportunities and challenges facing Western Australia which, more than ever, requires strong and aligned voices across the business community to help shape this future. I am especially determined to ensure WA makes strong headway in its energy transition and in building out its defence capacity.”
Ivory said the appointment of Cock would ensure CCIWA’s strong record of public policy advocacy would continue.
“Dr Cock’s leadership and expertise will allow CCIWA to continue to drive a strong policy agenda on behalf of business and the broader economy,” she said.
Cock has a Bachelor of Environmental Science, PhD in Environmental Science from Murdoch University, and has completed several leadership programs including Stanford’s Executive Program in Strategy and Organisation.
Most recently, he was a Mental Health Ambassador for SafeWork NSW and was the 2019 Businessperson of the Year for the Hunter Business Chamber.
