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Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

    Leadership and people

    Adam Reid, Chief Executive

    Adam Reid

    Department of State Development

    Adam is the Chief Executive of the Department of State Development, the South Australian Government’s economic development agency responsible for building the state’s research, innovation and industrial capability, increasing workforce and skills capability and capacity and driving investment and trade to ensure South Australia is well-positioned to capitalise on the state’s significant economic opportunities.

    Adam brings over 20 years of experience in the South Australian public sector in industry, science and innovation policy and program delivery.

    Adam was previously the Chief Executive, Department for Industry, Innovation and Science, responsible for supporting sustainable economic growth through research and innovation, technology development, industry and business growth, manufacturing capability and skilled and business migration.

    Prior to becoming the Chief Executive, Adam was the Executive Director of the Innovation and Science division within the Department for Innovation and Skills, responsible for developing and supporting the state’s innovation system to drive economic growth.

    Previously Adam held executive positions within the Department of State Development and Department of Trade and Economic Development, where he led industry development policy and strategy implementation, small business and investment management. In his previous roles Adam led the development of the South Australia’s manufacturing strategy, the purchase and planning of the Tonsley Innovation District, investments in strategic research infrastructure and capabilities and the transition of the state’s automotive supply chain.

    Adam holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Adelaide.

    Chris Wood

    Executive Director, Invest SA

    Chris was appointed as Head of Invest SA in November 2022, and since his appointment Invest SA has attracted over $1 billion of national and international investment into South Australia.

    Formally Chris was CEO – Regional Development Australia (Adelaide) where he was leading multiple initiatives including RDA’s Regional Blueprint, cross departmental projects at the State and Federal level, and development of the RDSA investment pipeline of over 750 projects.

    Prior to that he established Edge International Consulting which provided commercial opportunity identification and investment facilitation services to domestic and international businesses to unlock long-term, sustainable projects (including infrastructure development and international joint ventures) to invigorate local economies, build wealth and create jobs. Chris was the Managing Director of Edge International Consulting for a decade.

    Before establishing Edge International Consulting, Chris was with the Australian Government and worked as Consul & Trade and Investment Commissioner in Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, where he led Energy and Agribusiness Investment Teams across North-East Asia.

    Dr Andrew Dunbar

    Executive Director, Research and Innovation

    Andrew is the Executive Director, Research and Innovation Group, responsible for developing and supporting the state’s innovation system in partnership with other parts of government, research organisations, industry and business, including responsibility for the Office of the South Australian Chief Scientist. The group is focused on supporting sustainable economic growth by increasing South Australia’s global standing in science and research, encouraging commercialisation of research through industry, research and government collaboration, and supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups and small business and attracting early stage and venture capital.

    Previous roles in the South Australian Government have included the Chief Operating Officer, Office of the South Australian Chief Entrepreneur and prior to this role, Director of the Office of Science, Technology and Research within the Department.

    Andrew has more than 17 years’ experience working in the life sciences (biotech and pharma) industry both in Australia and Europe.

    Andrew has a PhD in molecular biology/biochemistry from Flinders University, and is an Observer on the Board of the SA Venture Capital Fund, an Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources (ISER) at the University of Adelaide and is a Director of SABRENet Ltd. Previous roles included Board Director and Vice President of Childhood Cancer Association, Director Business and Corporate Development at Mayne Pharma Group and Senior Manager, Corporate Business Development and Acquisitions at Novozymes A/S, based in Denmark. He has also held senior roles at GroPep Ltd, Bionomics Ltd and CSIRO. Andrew is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

    Callan Markwick

    Executive Director, Industry and Workforce Capability

    Callan is the Executive Director, Industry and Workforce Capability, responsible for supporting sustainable economic growth through industry development, technology adoption and workforce strategies. With over 20 years' experience in leadership roles in both public and private sector, Callan has developed in-depth knowledge and expertise in modern manufacturing, local and national training and education systems, workforce planning and public sector policy and delivery.

    Prior to being Executive Director, Callan held senior roles delivering systemic reform, key partnerships with industry and complex projects and strategies of state and national importance. Callan holds a Graduate Certificate of Leadership from Deakin University along with tertiary qualifications in project management, human resources, training and career development.

    Diana Tembak

    Executive Director, Portfolio Delivery


    Diana is responsible for leading the strategic enabler teams which support and enable the delivery of the Department’s strategic and operational objectives. This includes responsibility for corporate & business services functions, people, policy, communications and engagement, governance and migration. The group is also focussed on driving and supporting the Department to drive an enterprise approach which delivers customer service with our people and clients.

    Diana has held senior legal, compliance and governance leadership roles in Government and prior to joining Government, worked in the private sector as a corporate and commercial lawyer. Diana holds a Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide.

    The Chief Scientist for South Australia

    The Chief Scientist provides independent advice to the Premier of South Australia, the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, and Cabinet, on matters of science and research, technology and innovation.

    Leading groundwater scientist, Professor Craig T. Simmons FAA FTSE was appointed to the role of South Australian Chief Scientist in April 2024.