Dynamic new South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission chief executive announced

Senior executive leader Hannah Wandel OAM has been appointed the new chief executive of the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM).

Ms Wandel, a former executive director at the National Recovery and Resilience Agency, brings years of corporate, government and community expertise to the role.

She leaves her current position as First Assistant Coordinator-General at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to take up the role at SAFECOM.

The recruitment process identified Ms Wandel as the most suitable candidate due to her extensive senior executive experience in national disaster resilience, recovery, and emergency management policy, including leadership roles at NEMA and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

She replaces acting chief executive Mark Stratton who stepped into the role while the recruitment process was conducted.

Ms Wandel’s strategic expertise, deep understanding of regional challenges, and proven leadership, including implementing recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements and overseeing significant disaster recovery funding programs, make her highly suitable for the position.

Ms Wandel holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Media from the University of Adelaide and has been previously recognised as one of the Australian Financial Review’s top 100 Women of Influence.

She sat on the advisory panel to the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, providing advice on social and environmental risk and sustainability.

Having founded the Country to Canberra program to help break down gender and geographical barriers to success for rural women and girls, Ms Wandel was recognised with the Order of Australia Medal for her efforts.

The program saw her clock up more than 32,000kms to 80 bush communities throughout Australia, reaching more than 3,500 teenage girls through gender equality, leadership and empowerment workshops.

The appointment follows an exhaustive recruitment process by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment on behalf of the Minister for Emergency Services.

Ms Wandel will commence on 2 January 2026.

Quotes

Attributable to Rhiannon Pearce

I’m really excited at the appointment of Hannah Wandel to lead SAFECOM – she is an exemplary choice and an extremely high achieving South Australian.

Hannah’s wealth of organisational and disaster management experience fits perfectly with this role, and I am looking forward to working with her to ensure our emergency services remain world class.

I also wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the outgoing acting chief executive, Mark Stratton, who stepped to fill the role while following the resignation of the former chief executive.