Speculation is mounting that departing ReGen Strategic founder Daniel Smith could be in line to join Premier Roger Cook’s office as chief of staff after the 2025 state election.
Speculation is mounting that departing ReGen Strategic founder Daniel Smith could be in line to join Premier Roger Cook’s office as chief of staff after the 2025 state election.
Mr Smith today informed staff that he will leave ReGen Strategic, the corporate consultancy business he founded as Campaign Capital in 2011.
His stake in the consultancy will be divested to partner Anthony Fisk, who joined the business in 2017, and comes as former long-serving chief of staff to Mark McGowan and current Roger Cook staffer Dan Pastorelli prepares for a political tilt of his own.
Mr Pastorelli, who is expected to remain as chief of staff to Mr Cook until the campaign ramps up next year, has been preselected and is likely to succeed Margaret Quirk in the safe Labor seat of Landsdale.
The incumbent won the seat with a 9.7 per cent margin at the 2021 state election. A Pastorelli victory in Landsdale would leave the premier’s office short of a chief of staff, with Mr Smith rumoured to be in the running for the gig.
Mr Smith was once a staffer to former Premier Alan Carpenter, and worked with Mr Cook at CPR Communications and Public Relations in 2007 – prior to the latter’s election as the member of Kwinana in 2008.
In a post published to the ReGen website following Mr Cook’s stunning ascent to Premier last year, Mr Smith was glowing of his former colleague.
“As a younger political operative, working with Roger was an eye opener for me. He was the first political animal,” he wrote.
“I had met who actively took time to sit down with members of other factions and build relationships.”
He was also supportive of those positioned to power around Mr Cook.
“There has never been a more qualified person than Rita Saffioti to become treasurer, nor a more loyal person to serve as deputy,” he said.
“And in committing to maintaining the highly talented Amber-Jade Sanderson’s role as a senior minister in his government, Roger will give his team the best chance of success.”
Mr Smith gave little away in a statement announcing his departure from ReGen today.
“As the founder of the business, I have always aspired to making myself redundant,” he said.
“Over the next few months, I am looking forward to playing with my kids, getting to the cricket and seeing what opportunities the new year brings.”
ReGen has undergone two reinventions since its foundation in 2011.
The firm rebranded from Campaign Capital to CGM Communications in 2017, before adopting its current name in 2022.
Mr Smith is currently the firm’s executive chair, with Mr Fisk its managing director.
Mr Fisk thanked Mr Smith for his work in founding ReGen.
“Daniel has a profound ability to recognise opportunity and bring people on the journey – qualities that have contributed greatly to the development of our business to date and set us up for an exciting future,” he said.
