Originally published by Sean Smith of The West Australian
11.05.2026
Former Fortescue boss Nev Power is taking the helm of Strike Energy as part of sweeping board and management changes aimed at repositioning the WA onshore gas play ahead of a landmark December half-year.
Mr Power will succeed Strike’s chair of the past nine years, prominent WA corporate adviser and investment banker John Poynton, while former former Fortescue chief Shelley Robertson will run the company as its new chief executive.
She replaces Peter Stokes who is leaving after just 11 months.
Mr Poynton’s retirement was announced simultaneously with that of fellow director Mary Hackett, the moves slimming Strike’s board to down to what the company says is more appropriate to the company’s size.
It is understood Ms Robertson has been on gardening leave since departing Fortescue nearly a year ago.
She appears an ideal appointment for Strike, which is approaching first sales from its South Erregulla gas-fired power plant in the Mid West in October and a final investment decision on development of its West Erregulla project, owned in partnership with Gina Rinehart, by year’s end.
As its chief executive for nearly three years, Ms Robertson built up rival Perth Basin gas company Norwest Energy before being lured to Chris Ellison’s Mineral Resources as its energy chief in 2019.
MinRes later bought the junior after her departure for Fortescue in early 2023.
“Shelley is a seasoned player; she knows the basin, she knows the scene, she knows the players,” Mr Poynton said.
During his tenure, Strike has built up a dominant tenement position in the Perth Basin and entered production through its Walyering field. But the stock has struggled on the ASX on Strike’s unsuccessful efforts to secure a buyout or get bigger by snapping up a rival in the consolidation of the region.
Two years ago, it was forced to abandon its ambitions for full ownership of West Erregulla when it was beaten out to project partner Warrego Energy by Ms Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.
“There’s a certain number of things which you can control, and a certain number of things you can’t,” Mr Poynton said.
“You just have to play the cards, and the market will always determine its views on your efforts on that.”
Mr Poynton recalled Strike had only a couple of uncommercial assets in the Cooper Basin when he came aboard, and “now it has three of four different things that all look pretty good”.
Mr Power, Strike’s deputy chair, told investors Strike was “well positioned to supply vital, on-demand electricity and gas into the WA market”.
“In parallel , we will continue our growth trajectory through ongoing exploration of our extensive Perth basin tenements,” he said.
The stock was 0.5¢ better at 12¢ at Monday’s close, valuing Strike at $414 million. That compares with highs above 50¢ just two years ago.
Ms Robertson, who will begin in the new job on June 1, said she intended “to work closely with the board in developing a strategic vision for the company, and with the talented Strike team in delivering existing projects … whilst continuing to grow and add value to the asset portfolio”.
