Leadership in Challenging Times

Shackleton Epic Expedition Leader Tim Jarvis AM, is one of the world’s leading explorers and possesses an extraordinary adventure and leadership resume. He is also a best-selling author, film-maker and public speaker.

Jarvis has previously completed a re-enactment of Sir Douglas Mawson’s 1912 trek across Antarctica in an attempt to answer some of the questions and controversies surrounding Mawson’s tragic expedition. The best-selling book and award-winning documentary of the same name, Mawson: Life and Death in Antarctica (When Hell Freezes Over on UK Channel 4), is Jarvis’

account of the re-enactment and his struggles to overcome extreme isolation, physical deprivation and his own self-doubt. Jarvis is also the author of another best-selling book, The Unforgiving Minute, about his first three polar expeditions.
A senior associate of Sustainability for Australasia at Arup and Director of an outcome-focused environmental initiative Do-Tank, Jarvis is also a sustainability adviser on multilateral aid projects for the World Bank and AusAID. As an internationally certified environmental auditor Jarvis’ specialist disciplines include environmental auditing/site assessment, provision of sustainability advice, EIA preparation and review, natural resource management planning, and EMS design and implementation.

With Masters in both Environmental Science and Environmental Law, Jarvis is a 2009 Yale World Fellow and 2010 Member of the Order of Australia for “service to conservation and the environment, particularly through advisory roles to developing countries regarding land sustainability and resource management, as an explorer and to the community”.
Jarvis holds the record for the fastest unsupported journey to the South Pole and the longest unsupported journey in Antarctica in 1999.

Hon Susan Close MP, Deputy Premier

Susan Close is the Deputy Premier of South Australia and the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water; Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science; and Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy.
Susan has been the Member for Port Adelaide since 2012.

Before entering parliament, Susan was an executive in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and played a key role in the establishment of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary as a community advocate. She previously worked at the University of Adelaide managing student services and holds a PhD from Flinders University.

Leanne is currently the CEO of the Victorian Leadership Development Centre – a new Victorian public service organisation promoting the aspiration, growth and success of public sector leaders. Prior to this role Leanne was the Assistant Commissioner, ATO People, at the Australian Taxation Office with responsibility for the design and implementation of workforce strategy to ensure the ATO’s diverse workforce of 22,000 staff has the capability and future bench strength to support the organisational vision and future directions.

Over the course of her career, Leanne has worked across a wide range of human resource and people development areas in Australia, Asia and the UK, including national and international management roles at Westpac and HSBC and a consulting role at DDI, an international organisational development consultancy. Leanne has an MBA and a Bachelor of Business (Economics). Leanne brings to the CEO role extensive knowledge and experience in addition to her passion for developing leaders.

Appointed on 1 July 2014, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Erma Ranieri works passionately towards creating a world-leading public sector that serves South Australians well, does what it says it will do, and to which every public servant is proud to belong.

With the role of the public sector being to serve and support South Australia to thrive, Erma leads sector-wide reform to modernise the public sector and continue to build on its value and service to the South Australian community.

Erma has worked for more than 30 years to help organisations optimise productivity and employee wellbeing. She was named a 2014 Telstra Business Woman of the Year as SA Winner of the Telstra Community and Government Award for her role in leading transformational change throughout the public sector.

With a key focus on flexibility, diversity and leadership development to ensure the public sector is positioned as an Employer of Choice, Erma continues to challenge cultural and structural barriers to drive innovative, collaborative and connected services for the community.

Rick was appointed to lead the Department for Treasury and Finance in April 2022.

He joined after 6 successful years as Chief Executive of the Department for Education, and prior to that as Chief Executive of the Attorney-General’s Department for 4 years.

With expertise in policy and strategy development, transformation, public sector reform and project delivery, Rick’s knowledge of public administration comes from an expansive career working as an executive at a variety of South Australian central government agencies.

Prior to being appointed to the role of Chief Executive, Attorney-General’s Department, Rick worked with government and non-government clients as PricewaterhouseCoopers SA Government and Health Leader.

Rick has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Adelaide and a Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management from Griffith University.

Rick was recognised as Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division in January 2024 for significant service to public administration, and to the community of South Australia.