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 Defence and Space Industries. 

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.

I am a proud Aboriginal woman who heralds from the Mirning and Kokatha peoples from the Far West Coast of South Australia.

In 1990 I attained a Social Work degree. My early career highlights have been in front line Aboriginal child and family services and foster care work. Over the past 30 years, I have contributed to the formation of policy at the state and national level, and excellence in service innovation and community development in regard to Aboriginal health, education, child and family welfare, foster care, and youth justice services across metropolitan and regional areas, including rural and remote South Australia.

The work I have undertaken over the years has led me to a range of executive leadership roles in the South Australian Government, including four years as the Aboriginal Justice Director in the Attorney General’s Department, ten years as SA Health Aboriginal Health Branch Director, and two and a half years as Director, Aboriginal Education.

As an Aboriginal person, I understand the roles and responsibilities that are intricately provided by family and community. I acknowledge their stories and experiences, and strive to respond to them meaningfully through policy and practice change that places a high value on culture.

I am passionate about creating change through the voices of our Aboriginal children and young people in South Australia. The development of culturally informed and culturally safe child and family policy and services must include their voices.

Emma started her career in health as a paediatrician, over the last 20 years Emma has held senior executive roles in large health services across metropolitan and regional areas.

In addition to her clinical training, Emma has invested in building her leadership skills through completing a Graduate Certificate in change management, an Executive MBA, completing the advanced training program in quality and safety at Intermountain health care and an
executive coaching certificate. Emma believes that to achieve different outcomes in healthcare we need a different type of leadership. Emma believes we need a leadership that leans into the expertise and experience of people on the ground and focuses on building the capability of our workforce. This type of leadership requires courage, requires focus on the people, connection, trust and collaboration.

Leigh Sales AM is a multi award-winning author and journalist at the ABC and anchors the much-loved Australian Story program. Before that, she presented the network’s prime time current affairs program 7.30 for 12 years.

She has been the face of the ABC’s major events coverage, including federal election and budget nights. Leigh has interviewed every living Australian Prime Minister and innumerable world leaders and celebrities from Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair to Paul McCartney and Elton John.

She’s the author of four books, including the national bestseller Any Ordinary Day and her latest co-written with Annabel Crabb, Well Hello. Their wildly popular podcast Chat 10 Looks 3 has hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Julie-Anne is the Chief Executive Officer of the South Austrlaian Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). She has extensive experience across South Australian government having worked as an Executive in the Department for Trade and Investment, Department of Treasury and Finance, Courts Administration Authority and SA Health.

She commenced her career as a Podiatrist and worked clinically before moving through academia and into health leadership. Her career has spanned the public sector in Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and Adelaide.

Julie-Anne’s leadership skills have been developed in her various roles across the public sector and augmented through the life lessons of being a part of a family.

Ilona Horan is the Director of Corporate Services. Following a successful career in the Australian Army, Ilona joined Defence SA in September 2016, where she fulfilled various roles in strategic planning, project management and investment and relocation support. In her current role, Ilona oversees the agency’s corporate services functions, including the management of human resources, WHS, office management, procurement and contracting, while also supporting defence and space organisations to invest in South Australia. Ilona was responsible for establishing the Defence and Space Landing Pad at Lot Fourteen, which provides a base for international and interstate companies to establish operations in South Australia.

SA Water employs 1,500+ South Australians and operates $14+ billion of assets in delivering essential water and sewerage services to more than 1.7 million South Australians.

Jacqueline joined in 2020, bringing 30+ years’ experience in senior financial roles in professional services, manufacturing, and infrastructure, working for KPMG, GH Michell & Sons, Detmold Packaging and TRILITY Group. Jacqueline has strong analytical, strategic and commercial skills and knowledge. As CFO, Jacqueline leads finance, tax, supply chain, performance, business improvement, change, economic regulation and pricing. Passionate about diversity, challenging the status quo and garnering the best from each individual, Jacqueline is focused on empowering her people and fostering change, continuous improvement and innovation.

Jacqueline is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Alumni of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation, and sits on the South Australian Government Financing Authority Advisory Board.

As an accomplished Education Director with 23 years of dedicated government service in education, I catalyse improvement and equity in education through dynamic, responsive, and collaborative leadership. Enhancing coherence and empowering teams, I drive transformative change, fostering high-performing environments. I enable conducive conditions for every child and young person’s success.

As a grateful transplant organ recipient, my personal experience ignited my passion for advocating for organ and tissue donation and giving back for the gift of life I received.

My journey embodies commitment to education, family, and advocacy, reshaping futures through empowerment and cultural enrichment. With unwavering dedication, I believe in the power of belief: Empowerment unlocks the potential for anything to be possible. Pursue your dreams with unyielding determination, even amidst the toughest challenges. The mind’s resilience knows no bounds; believe, and anything becomes possible.

Angela is a Senior Executive with over 20 years’ corporate and defence experience.  Angela joined BAE Systems Australia in 2009 as a Senior Legal Counsel, progressing to the Chief Counsel role and is now BAE’s Chief People Officer.

Reporting to the CEO, Angela is part of the Executive Lead Team at BAE Systems, which is the largest Defence Company in Australia with over 6000 employees, and is responsible for setting the strategy within Australian and export markets and is collectively held accountable for the performance of BAE’s national operations.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May served as leader of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019. She is the second female in British history to hold the position.

Theresa May served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019, during an extraordinary time in global affairs. She is currently the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead — a position she’s held for over two decades.

Mrs. May has been involved in politics at all levels for many years, starting out stuffing envelopes at her local Conservative Association before going on to be a councillor in the London Borough of Merton from 1986 to 1994. In May 1997, she was elected as the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, the constituency in which she lives. She has held various positions in Parliament since. In 2005, Mrs. May co-founded Women2Win, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of Conservative women in Parliament and in public life.

Appointed Home Secretary in May 2010, Mrs. May made history by becoming the longest-serving Conservative Home Secretary in the past 100 years. During this time, she oversaw reductions in crime, reform of the police, and the introduction of the landmark Modern Slavery Act.

Following her election as Leader of the Conservative Party, Mrs. May was appointed Prime Minister in July 2016, where she became the first woman in British history to hold the position since Margaret Thatcher.

As Prime Minister, Mrs. May led negotiations with the European Union after the country’s historic Brexit referendum. She also oversaw the largest ever cash boost to the UK’s National Health Service and the largest expansion of mental health services in a generation. She launched a 25-year Environment Plan and introduced legislation to end the UK’s contribution to global warming entirely. She also established the first ever Race Disparity Audit to shine a light on injustices, and published a Modern Industrial Strategy to ensure that the jobs of the future are created across the whole country — not just in London.

During her time in Downing Street, the UK’s national debt fell, there were more people in work than ever before, and taxes were cut for 32 million people.