Learn about our speakers
Susan Close
Minister for Education and Child Development
Minister for Higher Education and Skills
Susan Close was first elected as the State Member for Port Adelaide in February 2012.
She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Public Sector in February 2013.Following the 2014 State election, Dr Close was appointed Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade and Minister for the Public Sector. She was appointed Minister for Education and Child Development in February 2015 and retained the Public Sector portfolio.
Dr Close has also chaired two parliamentary select committee inquiries.
Before entering parliament, Dr Close was an executive in the public service and previously worked at Adelaide University as Director of Student Services. She and her partner, Declan have two children who attend public schools.
Erma Ranieri PSM FIPAA
IPAA SA President, Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment
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.
Dan Butler
Public Policy, Strategy, and Innovation
Public Sector Innovation Lab
Daniel Butler has been working in public sector reform in South Australia since 2008. Prior to managing Change@SouthAustralia he worked in the Public Sector Performance Commission where he co-designed the High Performance Framework. Dan is a member of IPAA SA’s Divisional Council.
Raymond Spencer
Chair
South Australian Economic Development Board
Mr Raymond Spencer was born in Adelaide and studied at the University of Adelaide.
Raymond has extensive business experience derived from living and working in the USA, India and Europe and brings more than thirty-five years of leadership in international business, management planning, technology, finance, organisational culture and mergers and acquisitions.
In addition to being Chair of SAHMRI, Raymond is Chairman of the South Australian Economic Development Board (EDB), Chairman of Capgemini’s Financial Services Global Business Unit (FS GBU), Chairman of Signostics Limited, and a director of Rubicon Technology, Inc. (RBCN) a NASDAQ listed manufacturer of advanced electronic materials. He is an investor in and director of a number of private companies and is a member of the investment committee in three US-based venture funds.
Highly experienced in directing international projects, Raymond has worked in eighteen countries including the United States, Australia, India, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. He has also advised corporations and not-for-profit groups on organisational, cultural, and leadership initiatives.