EnergyAustralia's CIO of almost seven years to leave

EnergyAustralia’s CIO of almost seven years Julie Bale is retiring, with former group CTO of PEXA Eglantine Etiemble appointed as the new tech chief.

Outgoing EnergyAustralia CIO Julie Bale.

Bale announced her intended departure in a LinkedIn Post last week, which a spokesperson for the utility declined to comment on when approached by iTnews.

Etiemble announced her appointment to the CIO role in a LinkedIn post of her own on Thursday morning.

“Energy is one of the most critical sectors for Australia right now,” Etiemble wrote.

“The transformation underway, towards a cleaner, more digital and resilient energy system, will shape our economy and communities for decades to come. 

“Technology will play a central role in enabling that transition, and I’m incredibly excited to be part of that journey.”

Etiemble most recently spent over three-and-a-half years as the group CTO of electronic property settlement platform operator PEXA, and was previously an IT executive with DuluxGroup.

In her LinkedIn post, Etiemble acknowledged Bale’s “remarkable career in technology leadership” and  “the modernisation she has led” at EnergyAustralia.

In a statement, EnergyAustralia said that Bale would stay until July “to support a comprehensive handover”.

EnergyAustralia managing director Mark Collette said that Etiemble’s “track record of delivering technology transformation at scale, combined with her focus on collaboration and partnership between technology and business teams, makes her ideally suited to lead our technology agenda.”

“Technology and data are critical enablers of our strategy – from delivering better customer experiences to optimising our energy assets to supporting the nation’s energy transition,” he said.

“Eglantine’s experience leading digital transformation, platform modernisation and AI adoption positions us well for the next phase of evolution.”

Collette also acknowledged Bale’s “outstanding contribution to EnergyAustralia.”

“Julie has strengthened our technology capability, our cyber resilience and our ability to operate effectively in an increasingly complex environment,” he said.

“She has also championed a collaborative operating model that has fundamentally changed how technology and the business work together. 

“We wish Julie all the best in her retirement.”