Power 50: South Australia’s most influential people of 2023 ranked

It’s crunch time for households and businesses and it’s up-ended the annual list ranking South Australia’s most powerful people. See who made our Power 50 list.

Penny Wong, Grant Stevens, Travis Head, Kevin Gallagher and Kayla Itsines rank among South Australia’s Power 50 of 2023. Artwork: Darren Gover

The financial crunch facing households and businesses has up-ended the annual list ranking South Australia’s most powerful and influential people.

The prospect of profound economic changes, impacting the entire state, has triggered a reordering of those at the top, propelling Santos chief Kevin Gallagher to number one and Vice Admirals Mark Hammond and Jonathan Mead into the top 10.

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SA’s economy stands to lose more than $100m annually if a merger between Santos and the much-larger WA-based resources firm Woodside proceeds and Adelaide headquarters are abandoned, given the state’s largest firm’s $22.7bn turnover dwarfs other companies.

Mr Gallagher is a key player in a determining whether SA’s ASX-listed ranks are further diminished.

Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher. Picture: Mark Brake

Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

By contrast, the $368bn nuclear-powered submarine project, including Adelaide-based construction, represents a transformative moment for SA’s economy.

The two vice admirals, who headline the list of new inclusions, have a mammoth task to develop a shipyard at Osborne and a skilled workforce to build the world’s most complex machines.

The past year has been one of relative stability in the power and influence ranks, following 2022’s dramatic overhaul, triggered by seismic political changes – including state and federal regime switches.

Another new entrant is Adelaide-based BHP chief operating officer Edgar Basto, who with colleague Jennifer Purdie is developing a master plan for a vast SA copper province.

This, in turn, will shape the future of the proposed multibillion-dollar Northern Water Supply Project, slated to include a desalination plant and pipeline network.

Cricket World Cup hero Travis Head, anointed as Australian co vice-captain, rockets into 25th on the line-up in his debut.

Cricket World Cup hero Travis Head. Picture: Ryan Pierse, ECB via Getty Images

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who was 25th on the list last year, surges to fifth in 2023.

Earning trust and respect from the community is a difficult task for civic leaders.

Mr Stevens has this rare commodity, as was demonstrated by the outpouring of grief and sympathy when his teenage son, Charlie, was killed in an alleged hit-run crash at Goolwa in November.

Arman Abrahimzadeh, who with sisters Atena and Anita has been at the forefront of raising awareness about family violence since their mother Zahra was murdered by their father in 2010, is another new entrant.

Their Zahra Foundation was at the forefront of successful calls for a royal commission following a spate of women killed by men who were domestic partners.

South Australian Governor Frances Adamson at Government House in Adelaide. Picture: Tom Huntley

Governor Frances Adamson, who has earned respect for applying her diplomatic skills across the wider SA community, is included for this and her foreign policy expertise at a crucial geopolitical juncture in our region.

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