Former BankWest general manager Tony Iannello has accepted a three year contract after beating a field of more than 70 applicants to take the position vacated by Stephen van der Mye at the height of Perth's electricity crisis in February.

Dr van der Mye’s tenure ended in a public relations disaster for the government after it was revealed that he refused to move from Melbourne and refused to accept an independent report which found Western Power's faulty equipment was responsible for causing a fire at Tenterden last December that killed two women.

The locally-born Iannello will receive a similar remuneration to Dr van der Mye, just under $500,000, but has already vowed to present a more customer-friendly approach, admitting that he had also been struck by the February energy crisis.

Western Power Chairman Neil Hamilton said the board was delighted to have been able to secure an executive of Iannello's experience and calibre to manage the organisation through a period of continued change and significant challenge.

"Tony is an outstanding executive who has played a major role at BankWest through its own periods of change and had responsibility for managing a range of divisions inside the bank.

"In many respects, this role at Western Power will be similar, overseeing management of a number of individual functions such as generation and networks, and ensuring their combined effort delivers safe, reliable and competitive power to West Australians.

"Tony will have direct personal responsibility for managing Western Power's role in energy reform, including the strengthening of the organisation's capabilities in the competitive marketplace.”