Kerry Gaye Sanderson, (née Smith, 21 December 1950) is a retired Australian public servant and business director, who served as the 32nd

Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch, King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional, ceremonial and commun ...

, in office from 20 October 2014 to 1 May 2018. She is the first woman to have held the position. She has since served as Chancellor of

Edith Cowan University Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public research university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Parliaments of the Australian states and territories, Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is, , t ...

for 2019–2021. Sanderson attended

Churchlands Senior High School Churchlands Senior High School is an Independent Public Schools, independent public Education in Australia#Secondary schools, secondary school located in Churchlands, Western Australia, Churchlands, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, approxi ...

and the

University of Western Australia University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Crawley, Western Australia, Crawley, a suburb in the City of Perth local government area. UW ...

. She entered the public service after graduation, serving in senior positions in the Treasury and Transport Departments of the

Government of Western Australia The Government of Western Australia is the States and territories of Australia, Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government or the Western Australian Governmen ...

. Sanderson was chief executive officer of Fremantle Ports from 1991 to 2008. In the position, she undertook a restructuring of the operations of

Fremantle Harbour Fremantle Harbour is Western Australia's largest and busiest general cargo port and an important historical site. The inner harbour handles a large volume of sea containers, vehicle imports and livestock exports, cruise shipping and naval visits ...

, and was credited with increasing the port's efficiency and returning it to profit. After leaving Fremantle Ports, Sanderson was named

Agent-General for Western Australia An Agent-General ( or , masculine and feminine respectively) is the representative in cities abroad of the government of a Canadian province or an Australian state and, historically, also of a British colony in Jamaica, Nigeria, Canada, Malta, ...

for a three-year term (from 2008 to 2011), representing the government in the United Kingdom and Europe. On her return to Australia, she entered the private sector, holding board-level positions with several publicly traded companies. She was appointed to succeed

Malcolm McCusker Malcolm James McCusker (born 6 August 1938) is an Australian barrister and philanthropist who was the 31st Governor of Western Australia, serving from July 2011 to June 2014. Born in Perth, McCusker was educated at Hobart High School (in Hob ...

as Governor of Western Australia in August 2014.

Early life and public service

From

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Western Australia, Sanderson was raised in the city's western suburbs, attending Wembley Primary School and

. She later graduated from the

with

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

and

Bachelor of Economics A Bachelor of Economics (BEc or BEcon)Bureau of Labor StatisticsHow to Become an Economist/ref> is an academic degree, awarded to students who have completed specialised undergraduate studies in economics. Variants include the "Bachelor of Econo ...

degrees, with a mathematics concentration. After graduation, she worked in a computing job for a period of time, but subsequently switched to the public service.Georgi Stickels (22 July 1996). "Private sector's public warning" – '' BRW''. Retrieved from Factiva, 26 June 2014. Sanderson worked for the

's Department of Treasury for 17 years, including as director of the economic and financial policy division, and was then deputy

director-general A director general, general director or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''general directors'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'') is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer ...

of the Department of Transport for four years, becoming "one of the state’s most senior and well-regarded bureaucrats". She and her husband Lancelot John (Lance) Sanderson had two sons; he died in 2007.

Fremantle Ports

In October 1991, Sanderson was named acting general manager of Fremantle Ports, a publicly owned state government trading enterprise (GTE) responsible for

and attached facilities in

Cockburn Sound Cockburn Sound () is an inlet of the Indian Ocean on the coast of Western Australia. It extends from the south of the mouth of the Swan River at Fremantle for about to Point Peron near Rockingham. The total area of the sound is about . It ...

. She was appointed

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

(CEO) in 1992, and was re-appointed for another five years in November 1997, going on to continue in the position until October 2008.Daniel Hatch (1 July 2008). "Sanderson quits as ports boss" – ''The West Australian''. Retrieved 26 June 2014. As CEO, Sanderson was credited with "turning Australia's most inefficient port into its fastest", despite "prejudice against her gender, and the reputation of Australia's waterfront for being notoriously slack". She re-organised the company along

total quality management Total quality management (TQM) is an organization-wide effort to "install and make a permanent climate where employees continuously improve their ability to provide on-demand products and services that customers will find of particular value." ...

principles and began charging fees based on cargo volume instead of time in port, with the company subsequently going from a A$37-million loss in 1990–91 to a profit three years later. She also re-negotiated with maritime unions, decreasing the number of

industrial award A modern award (or award previously known as an "industrial award") is a ruling in Australian labour law of the national Fair Work Commission (or its predecessor) or by a state industrial relations commission which grants all wage earners in one ...

s from 29 to six. Overall, Fremantle Ports more than tripled the value of its container

throughput Network throughput (or just throughput, when in context) refers to the rate of message delivery over a communication channel in a communication network, such as Ethernet or packet radio. The data that these messages contain may be delivered ov ...

during Sanderson's time as CEO, with total movements (in tonnage) growing by 56 percent.Charles Miranda (21 December 2008). "Selling it like it is" – ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

''. Retrieved 26 June 2014. Her replacement as CEO was Chris Leatt-Hayter, who was previously general manager strategic and commercial development.

Agent-General

In July 2008, Sanderson was named

, replacing

Noel Ashcroft Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * Noel Park, a suburb in Greater London, Engl ...

. Appointed by Governor

Ken Michael Kenneth Comninos Michael, (born 12 April 1938) is an Australian civil engineer, academic and former public servant who was the 30th Governor of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2011. Early life and career Michael was born in Perth, W ...

on the advice of

Alan Carpenter Alan John Carpenter (born 4 January 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th Premier of Western Australia, from 2006 to 2008. From Albany, Carpenter graduated from the University of Western Australia, and worked as a journ ...

, the

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

at the time, she took up the role in November 2008, becoming the first female agent-general in Australia. The agent-general is based at

Australia House The High Commission of Australia in London is the diplomatic mission of Australia in the United Kingdom. It is located in Australia House, a Grade II listed building. It was Australia's first diplomatic mission and is the longest continuously ...

, London, and, as head of the government's European Office, is primarily involved in promoting trade and investment, with some diplomatic functions. During her period as agent-general, Sanderson concentrated on attracting foreign investment and skilled immigrants to Western Australia, as well as promoting WA food and wine exports in European markets. She was also involved in promoting Australia's (successful) bid for the

Square Kilometre Array The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental organisation, intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square ...

, a radio telescope to be built near Boolardy. Sanderson left the position in December 2011, after her three-year term expired, and was replaced by Kevin Skipworth.

Private sector

During her time as Fremantle Ports CEO, Sanderson had also served on the boards of

Austrade The Australian Trade and Investment Commission, or Austrade ( ), is the Australian Government's trade, investment and education promotion agency which was also given responsibility for tourism policy, programs and research from 2013. Austrade ...

and the

Australian Wheat Board AWB Limited was a major grain marketing organisation based in Australia. Founded in 1939 by the Government of Australia as the Australian Wheat Board, in 1999 it became a private company, owned by wheat growers. It was acquired by Agrium in 2010 ...

, as well as serving a term as president of

Ports Australia Ports Australia is the peak body representing Australia's port authorities and corporations. The organisation's membership includes Government owned ports, some privatised ports, state marine regulatory authorities and the Department of Defence th ...

, an industry group. However, under the ''Agent General Act 1895'', she was prohibited from holding any private-sector positions during her period as agent-general. Shortly after finishing her stint as agent-general, Sanderson was named a non-executive director of Downer EDI, an engineering and infrastructure management firm. She was also named to the boards of

St John of God Health Care St John of God Health Care is a Catholic provider of health care services in Australia, with 24 hospitals and facilities comprising more than 3,400 beds. The group operates in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, ...

(2012-2014) and

Atlas Iron Atlas Iron is an Australian mining company and an iron ore explorer, developer and producer, predominantly active in the Pilbara region and is owned by Redstone Resources, a fully owned subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting.

(2012-2014), as well as being on the board of government entities holding positions with a number of charities and non-profit organisations. Additionally, Sanderson was appointed an

adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, but the term is gen ...

Curtin University Curtin University (previously Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology) is an Australian public university, public research university based in Bentley, Western Australia, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. ...

's business school in January 2013. She resigned from her corporate positions before the start of her term as governor.— (25 August 2014)
"Kerry Sanderson AO named WA's first female governor"
– WAtoday. Retrieved 25 August 2014. After her term as governor, Sanderson was appointed to the board of St John of God Healthcare (Chair since May 2018) and been named to the board of the Western Australian Cricket Association (since 2021). She continues as a director of the WA Parks Foundation (inaugural chair since October 2016) as well as patron or ambassador of a number of not-for-profit entities.

Governor

In August 2014,

Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...

, the

Premier of Western Australia The premier of Western Australia is the head of government of the state of Western Australia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role of the prime minister of Australia at a federal level. The premier leads the executive br ...

, announced that

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

Queen of Australia The monarchy of Australia is a key component of Australia's form of government, by which a hereditary monarch serves as the country's sovereign and head of state. It is a constitutional monarchy, modelled on the Westminster system of parli ...

had approved Sanderson's nomination as the 32nd

, succeeding

whose term had expired on 30 June. Appointed for an initial three-year term, she was sworn in on 20 October, becoming the first woman to hold the position. During her time in office, Sanderson lived at

Government House, Perth Government House is the official residence of the governor of Western Australia, situated in the central business district of Perth, the state capital. It was built between 1859 and 1864, in the Jacobean Revival style. Government House is loca ...

, the governor's official residence. After the 2017 state election, Sanderson swore in her second premier,

Mark McGowan Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer who served as the 30th premier of Western Australia from 2017 until his retirement in 2023. He was the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Austr ...

of the Labor Party. In her speech at the opening of state parliament in May 2017, she broke convention by including personal commentary on a political matter, namely Western Australia's disproportionate share of goods and services tax (GST) revenue. Her official secretary confirmed that the material had been inserted into the speech on the initiative of the governor, rather than being composed by the

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

as is usually the case. On 3 April 2018, McGowan announced that former federal Labor leader and

Australian Ambassador to the United States The ambassador of Australia to the United States is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the director of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the United States of America. The embassy is located in ...

Kim Beazley Kim Christian Beazley (born 14 December 1948) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. Since 2022 he has served as chairman of the Australian War Memorial. Previously, he was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and Leader of the ...

, would succeed Sanderson as governor upon the expiration of her term on 1 May 2018.

Honours

VAdm Satish Soni exchanges a momento with the Governor of Western Australia

;Orders * 14 June 2004:

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO) "For service to the development and management of the port and maritime industries in Australia, and to public sector governance in the areas of finance and transport in Western Australia" * 13 June 2016:

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AC) "For eminent service to the people of Western Australia, to the promotion of international investment, scientific research and export opportunities, and through roles with maritime, mining, emergency management and not-for-profit organisations." * 28 December 2019: Sanderson was appointed

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...

(CVO) in the

2020 New Year Honours The 2020 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

for her services as Governor of Western Australia. ;Medals * 1 January 2001:

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...

"For service to the maritime industry" ;Organisations * 1996:

Telstra Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets related products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 stock index, and is Australia's largest telecomm ...

Business Woman of the Year (Western Australia)

Honorary degrees

* 2005:

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

(

) * 2015: Honorary Doctorate (

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanderson, Kerry 1950 births Living people Agents-General for Western Australia Australian chief executives Australian corporate directors Australian women in business Academic staff of Curtin University Governors of Western Australia Companions of the Order of Australia Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at Churchlands Senior High School Politicians from Perth, Western Australia University of Western Australia alumni Australian women business executives Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Women governors of the Australian states