Dr Peta Smith, Chief Executive
With almost 20 years of experience in state government, Peta’s experience spans diverse portfolios affecting South Australians, including school education, disability, early years, and justice. Previous roles include interim Chief Executive of the Office for Early Childhood Development, Executive Director of Strategic Policy and External Relations in the Department for Education, and Executive Director of reform to services for children outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme in South Australia within the Premier’s Department. Peta has also worked as a university lecturer and has served on boards in the areas of health, legal services, and children’s services.
Mandy Turnbull, Director, People & Partnerships
BA (Hons), CPHR, CMgr, FIML
Mandy is an accomplished leader with more than 10 years’ executive experience across people, culture, change and project functions, working within complex and highly regulated environments.
Prior to her appointment at the LSA, Mandy worked across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in Australia, the UK and South Africa. Mandy brings a wealth of experience within the disability sector and is passionate about organisations that positively impact the lives of the people they support. She has a particular interest in managing, mentoring, and developing people to perform at their best to ensure that frontline service delivery is effectively supported.
Mandy holds a first-class Honours degree in Leadership and Management, is a Certified HR Practitioner, and a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders.
As Director, People & Partnerships, Mandy leads a diverse, dedicated team who work to support the LSA in the areas of Human Resources, Work, Health, Safety & Wellbeing, Research, Education & Programs, Communication & Engagement, and Learning & Development.
Maria Ross, Director, Corporate
Maria Ross is an experienced financial services and corporate leader with extensive expertise in governance, policy, risk management, compliance, legal and assurance. With a career spanning the United Kingdom and Australia, she brings a deep understanding of complex regulatory environments, strategic policy development and the corporate frameworks that support organisational performance and effective service delivery.
Maria spent seven years at the Financial Services Authority in London, working in financial services regulation and contributing to significant domestic and European regulatory reforms. Her work included developing domestic policy for the UK’s implementation of Basel II and the Capital Requirements Directive, as well as Solvency II. She also co-led policy development and implementation across the European Union for UCITS, collaborating closely with central banks and regulators across the region.
Following her return to Australia, Maria spent six years with National Australia Bank in Melbourne, holding roles across Group, Wholesale Banking, and Business and Institutional Banking business lines. Her work spanned risk management, compliance and governance, alongside supporting legal teams in structuring and advising on complex transactions, including cross-jurisdictional matters.
Prior to joining LSA, Maria managed a multidisciplinary team at the South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance, delivering governance, risk and assurance services.
Since joining LSA, Maria has played a pivotal role in strengthening the organisation’s corporate foundations. Having previously served as Senior Manager, Governance and Legal, she was appointed Director, Corporate, where she leads the Procurement, Finance, Governance & Legal, and Digital Architecture teams. Together, these functions provide the strategic leadership, expertise and essential corporate services that enable LSA to deliver on its purpose.
Maria is passionate about achieving meaningful and lasting outcomes for the people LSA supports. She works collaboratively with staff and stakeholders to build strong, sustainable frameworks that promote sound decision-making, organisational resilience and continuous improvement. Experienced in navigating complex environments, Maria combines strategic insight with a practical, solutions-focused approach to delivering organisational and community outcomes.
Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts (Music Studies), an Honours Degree in Law and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. She is admitted to the Supreme Court and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
