2023 Premier’s Excellence Awards

Peter Malinauskas is the 47th Premier of South Australia.

Born and raised in Adelaide, Peter studied commerce at the University of Adelaide and has dedicated his working life to improving the lives of everyday South Australians.

He was elected to State Parliament in 2015, became Leader of the South Australian Labor Party in 2018 and was elected Premier in 2022. In 2026, he was re-elected Premier for a second term.

Peter leads a government focused on delivering for South Australia and securing the state’s prosperity—both now and for generations to come.

Beyond his official duties, Peter’s greatest loves are his wife Annabel, their four young children, the mighty Port Adelaide Football Club and the Adelaide University Blacks.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg is an Australian Astronaut Candidate – the first to be trained under the Australian flag. The Space Systems Engineer is currently training with the European Space Agency in Germany.

Katherine has more than a decade of experience developing space programs and strategies, technologies, and missions across Europe, the US and Australia.

The mum of two is passionate about using human spaceflight and space to unlock opportunities for researchers and industry, and to inspire the next generation.

Katherine’s a keen volunteer, having worked with the Australian Army Reserves, Surf Life Saving, State Emergency Service, and Engineers Without Borders Australia.

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.