In November 2023, the Commission welcomed Julie-Anne Burgess as its new Chief Executive Officer. Julie-Anne has extensive experience in South Australian public administration, having worked as an Executive in the Department for Trade and Investment, Department of Treasury and Finance, SA Health and as the Administrator of the Courts Administration Authority. Her career has spanned the public sector in Tasmania, NSW, Queensland and now South Australia.

Julie-Anne says she was attracted to the role because the work of the Commission aligns with her values. One of her reflections since commencing is that many people in the Commission seem to have this in common. ‘In my first few weeks one of my observations would be that the Commission team seem driven by, and genuinely living the values of the organisation. No one gives the impression they are here just because it is a job”, she said.

Julie-Anne’s main interaction with the Commission prior to her appointment was through evaluations, which she believes are an important means of engagement with public sector agencies. However, she was much less informed about investigations, and is now looking forward to “better understanding the process and rigour of investigations from our highly skilled and dedicated team.”

Immediately before commencing at the Commission, Julie-Anne completed an intensive High Performance Leadership program in Singapore run by the International Institute for Management Development. Attendance there was by virtue of a scholarship won by Julie-Anne. That institute is a Swiss based organisation which for 75 years has been providing executive education and degree programs. The scholarship is one of two offered each year through the Australian organisation “Chief Executive Women”. It allows the recipient to attend a course of their choice for career development. “The High Performance Leadership program provided me with time to reflect on my leadership, learn from two seriously talented Professors and meet an incredible cohort of international leaders who were all keen to learn,” she said.  If you want a taste of the program, Professor George Kohlrieser of the institute has a TedTalk on how hostage negotiation can assist with leadership (A hostage negotiator teaches leadership through bonding | George Kohlrieser | TEDxFultonStreet - YouTube ).

Julie-Anne is looking forward to continuing her steep learning curve about the team and the Commission’s ways of working, while also thinking about the next iteration of strategic planning to occur in 2024.