IPAA SA, in collaboration with the Adelaide Women’s Collective, continues its conversation series exploring the questions often left unspoken around leadership, confidence and career progression.

This session featured Jackie Bray, Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection, who shared reflections on her leadership journey across the public and private sectors, including her experience leading major service delivery reform, building strategic partnerships, and delivering complex work with a direct impact on communities.

Designed for senior and emerging female leaders across South Australia’s public sector, the series creates a space for open and honest discussion about building influence, navigating challenges and leading with confidence in complex environments.

Each session features a senior South Australian Government executive sharing candid reflections, practical insights and lessons learned throughout their career. Authentic dialogue is encouraged, creating space for the conversations we do not always have but often need.

During this conversation, Jackie explored leadership, resilience, reform and the realities of leading in high-impact public service roles, offering attendees practical insights drawn from her own career and experience.

Learn about our speakers

Jackie Bray

Chief Executive
Department for Child Protection

Jackie Bray is the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection.

Prior to this, Jackie was the inaugural Head of the Office for the Early Years, which was established as a single point of strategic leadership for universal early years, services across government, NGOs, and the broader Early Childhood sector.

Jackie has worked in the public and private sector across several senior executive positions both in the United Kingdom and South Australia including UK Health Services, Department for Families and Communities and as the Deputy Chief Executive in the Department for Correctional Services. It was while working in the UK Health Service that Jackie found her passion for major service delivery reform around changes that affect the community services.

Jackie is a professional and strategically minded executive, with an extensive knowledge and experience of creating partnerships, policy development and strategic reform within the South Australian public service.

Jackie is passionate about developing a transparent and accountable department, one with strong and effective leaders and a highly capable workforce equipped to meet their challenges and succeed within a positive organisational culture.

Event brought to you by

IPAA SA
Adelaide Women’s Collective

Date
Wednesday, 15 July