Chief Executive, Olympic Dam Task Force and Deputy Chief Executive, Resources and Energy, Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade Resources and Energy.
Dr Paul Heithersay was appointed to the position of Chief Executive of the Olympic Dam Task Force in December 2010. He is the Deputy Chief Executive, Resources and Energy, in the Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade Resources and Energy (DMITRE).
Dr Heithersay's role at the Olympic Dam Task Force provides a "single entry point" into government for private sector stakeholders in the development of resource investment projects that are particularly significant in terms of size and complexity.
As Deputy Chief Executive, Resources and Energy, Dr Heithersay leads DMITRE's Minerals, Resources and Energy divisions. These divisions manage the State's mineral, gas, petroleum and energy sectors on behalf of the people of South Australia.
Before joining the Public Service in 2002, Dr Heithersay spent more than 20 years in the mining industry in Australia and Southeast Asia and China for North Ltd and its predecessor Geopeko.
In June 2012, Dr Heithersay was awarded a Public Service Medal for his outstanding public service to the growth and development of the mineral resources sector in South Australia and in November 2012, elected to the Fellowship of the Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (ATSE). In October 2013 Dr Heithersay was awarded the prestigious Legend in Mining award for his role in guiding South Australia's transformation into a major destination for investment in mineral resources and energy.
The Society of Economic Geologists has appointed Dr Heithersay as the 2014 International Exchange Lecturer. This is the Society's lectureship that is intended to bring leading economic geologists to lecture venues worldwide, in order to interact with economic geology professionals and students, and act as an ambassador for the profession and SEG.
