Ian Edwards appointed Synergy CFO ahead of RWWA departure

Racing and Wagering Western Australia chief executive Ian Edwards will join energy retailer Synergy as chief financial officer on November 16.

The appointment gives Edwards a new role after his departure from RWWA was confirmed in August. His tenure as chief executive is due to end in November.

“Excited to be joining Synergy in November and becoming part of another organisation that plays such an important role in Western Australia’s future,” Edwards said on LinkedIn.

Synergy, formally the Electricity Generation and Retail Corporation, said Edwards would join its Executive Leadership Team. It described him as an experienced executive with a record in organisational performance and sustainable growth.

The corporation also identified governance and stakeholder engagement as areas of expertise Edwards would bring to the position as it pursues its strategic priorities.

Edwards joined RWWA as chief financial officer in October 2017. He became interim chief executive in October 2020 before receiving the permanent appointment two months later.

His move to Synergy returns him to a chief financial officer position after six years leading the organisation responsible for the WA TAB and racing across the state.

During Edwards’ tenure, the TABtouch Western Trilogy and Racing WA TV were launched, broadcast reach was broadened and the WA TAB underwent substantial changes during a difficult period for wagering operators.

When his departure was announced, Edwards described serving as RWWA chief executive as “one of the greatest privileges of my career”. RWWA chair Karen Farley said he had helped create a more capable and strategically focused organisation while investing in its workforce and long-term planning.

The leadership transition coincides with an independent review examining Western Australia’s racing industry and its financial sustainability and governance. Commissioned by the Cook government in December 2025, the review could deliver its final recommendations in October.

The review examines the framework established by the Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003 and ways to sustain the state’s racing industry. An interim report was understood to have reached the government in June.

RWWA had begun planning its leadership transition when Edwards’ departure was confirmed. It is expected that there will be an interim chief exeutice announed in the next month.