Catherine Mooney appointed Chief Executive Officer of South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy
Media Release Date: 1 December 2025
The Council of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy is pleased to announce Catherine Mooney as its new Chief Executive Officer, commencing 2 December 2025.
Catherine is an experienced ASX resources leader with more than twenty-five years’ experience shaping corporate reputation across energy, mining and local government sectors, and is known for her deep industry knowledge and building collaborative partnerships.
She worked in the highly regulated energy sector at AGL for more than 10 years, leveraging knowledge of the market forces affecting the National Energy Market (NEM), policy settings, government and stakeholder engagement to support development projects and issues affecting legacy operational sites.
Catherine spent more than six years at BHP, supporting the Olympic Dam expansion, and advocating for major infrastructure projects in water, road, rail, and energy with key stakeholders nationally.
She takes the reigns from Nicola McFarlane who has served as SACOME’s Interim Chief Executive Officer since August 2025.
Announcing the appointment, SACOME President Carl Kavina said that Catherine had been selected from a high calibre field of national and international candidates identified through an exhaustive search and selection process run by Acacia Executive Search.
“We are delighted to welcome Catherine to this role. She brings deep industry experience, strong advocacy skills and a focus on building collaborative partnerships, which will deliver increased benefits for our members across the State.”
“The SACOME Council thanks Interim Chief Executive Officer Nicola McFarlane for ensuring a smooth transition, having provided stability and continuity in the delivery of the South Australian Resources Sector’s Pre-Election Priorities for 2026, following collaborative consultation with SACOME’s members and bipartisan dialogue with government.”
Quotes from Catherine Mooney
Reflecting on the appointment, Catherine said “South Australia’s resources sector is a powerhouse of growth, contributing significantly to the State’s economy and employing tens of thousands of South Australians.
"We are uniquely positioned to meet surging global demand for copper, which is essential for electrification, renewable energy, and electric vehicles.
“Gas remains a vital part of Australia’s energy transition, ensuring reliability, affordability and sustaining the competitiveness of heavy industry and manufacturing in the State.
“And exploration, discovery and development of new deposits is equally important. By supporting mineral explorers, we can accelerate the pipeline of future projects, strengthen the industry’s competitiveness, and deliver long-term value for all South Australians.
“I look forward to meeting with all our members and working together to advocate for the advancement of the sector. Their success underpins our local economy and is critical to realising South Australia’s full potential as a global leader in the shift to sustainable energy and resources.”
The Council of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy is pleased to announce Catherine Mooney as its new Chief Executive Officer, commencing 2 December 2025.
Catherine is an experienced ASX resources leader with more than twenty-five years’ experience shaping corporate reputation across energy, mining and local government sectors, and is known for her deep industry knowledge and building collaborative partnerships.
She worked in the highly regulated energy sector at AGL for more than 10 years, leveraging knowledge of the market forces affecting the National Energy Market (NEM), policy settings, government and stakeholder engagement to support development projects and issues affecting legacy operational sites.
Catherine spent more than six years at BHP, supporting the Olympic Dam expansion, and advocating for major infrastructure projects in water, road, rail, and energy with key stakeholders nationally.
She takes the reigns from Nicola McFarlane who has served as SACOME’s Interim Chief Executive Officer since August 2025.
Announcing the appointment, SACOME President Carl Kavina said that Catherine had been selected from a high calibre field of national and international candidates identified through an exhaustive search and selection process run by Acacia Executive Search.
“We are delighted to welcome Catherine to this role. She brings deep industry experience, strong advocacy skills and a focus on building collaborative partnerships, which will deliver increased benefits for our members across the State.”
“The SACOME Council thanks Interim Chief Executive Officer Nicola McFarlane for ensuring a smooth transition, having provided stability and continuity in the delivery of the South Australian Resources Sector’s Pre-Election Priorities for 2026, following collaborative consultation with SACOME’s members and bipartisan dialogue with government.”
Quotes from Catherine Mooney
Reflecting on the appointment, Catherine said “South Australia’s resources sector is a powerhouse of growth, contributing significantly to the State’s economy and employing tens of thousands of South Australians.
"We are uniquely positioned to meet surging global demand for copper, which is essential for electrification, renewable energy, and electric vehicles.
“Gas remains a vital part of Australia’s energy transition, ensuring reliability, affordability and sustaining the competitiveness of heavy industry and manufacturing in the State.
“And exploration, discovery and development of new deposits is equally important. By supporting mineral explorers, we can accelerate the pipeline of future projects, strengthen the industry’s competitiveness, and deliver long-term value for all South Australians.
“I look forward to meeting with all our members and working together to advocate for the advancement of the sector. Their success underpins our local economy and is critical to realising South Australia’s full potential as a global leader in the shift to sustainable energy and resources.”