Stephen Petris

Stephen works with a range of public and not-for-profit organisations and has significant experience in natural resource management, primary industries, science and technology, rural development and fire management.

Project experience

Strategy development and facilitation

• produced the corporate plans and underpinning strategy frameworks for successive Department of Sustainability & Environment (DSE) and Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Secretaries and Executives
• led major strategic planning initiatives for executives in a range of sectors including science and technology, climate change, environmental protection, crisis support, natural resource management, rural services, property administration and spatial information  
• supported South Australian environment and natural resource management agencies position themselves as contributing to the government’s sustainable development agenda
• designed and facilitated a wide range of major strategic planning events and workshops.

Policy development, implementation and evaluation

• led DPI’s contribution to a number of major whole-of-government policy statements, including the Victorian Government’s Economic Statement, Leading the Way, the Innovation Statement, and the Provincial Victoria Economic Statement
• managed the development and implementation (including monitoring and evaluation) of a series of initiatives that together secured over $180m for primary industries and natural resource management related science and technology, infrastructure, and regional development
• designed and facilitated policy skills courses for the Australian Public Service Commission
• evaluated the effectiveness of a major policy development process for an energy department.

Organisational design

• led the development of an effective strategic alliance between a university and a government department for a major new biotechnology facility
• supported a fire management agency to clarify the roles and responsibilities of their executive team
• provided advice to senior executive executives on a range of organisation design issues.

Education / accreditation / board membership

• Masters of Business Administration, University of Queensland / Mt Eliza Business School
• Bachelor of Arts (Hons) / LLB (Hons), Monash University

Past employment

Stephen has 15 years of experience in the Victoria Public Service at senior levels. Previous roles include the establishment and leadership of DSE’s Strategy & Innovation Unit and the DPI’s Strategic Policy Unit.  

Interests

Stephen loves bushwalking, camping holidays and travelling overseas with his wife and teenage children. In his spare time he loves composing and playing music on his favorite guitar.