The Honourable Hieu Van Le AC
Hieu Van Le was born in Central Vietnam, and studied Economics at Da Lat University. Hieu and his wife, Lan, arrived in Darwin in 1977 as two of the Boat People refugees from Vietnam. They settled in Adelaide, initially at the Pennington Migrant Hostel.
Hieu returned to study at the University of Adelaide, where he earned a degree in Economics and Accounting, and later a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He gained Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) accreditation, and from 1991 worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Upon his retirement from ASIC in March 2009, he held the position of Senior Manager – Financial Services Regulation.
During this time, Hieu served on many community boards and committees, in particular those relating to cultural and linguistic diversity, business, the arts and education. In 1995 he was appointed a member of the SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC), becoming Deputy Chair in 2004. When Hieu became Chair of SAMEAC in 2007, he was the first person of Asian background to lead this organisation in South Australia.
In August 2007, Hieu was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia. After seven years in this role, on 1 September 2014, Hieu was sworn in as the 35th Governor of South Australia. He concluded his term on 31 August 2021. During this time, Hieu served as patron of over 230 organisations. It is understood that Hieu is the first Vietnamese-born person who has ever been appointed to a Vice-Regal position in the world.
Hieu was awarded the Australia Day Medal in 1996 for outstanding service to ASIC, and has been awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the advancement of multiculturalism.
In 2010, Hieu was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for outstanding service to community, social inclusion and international engagements, and in June 2016, was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for outstanding service to the community and to the State of South Australia.
In December 2021, the Italian Government awarded Hieu the title Cavalieri (Knight) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (OMRI). He has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Adelaide University and Flinders University.
Currently, Hieu is the Chairperson of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust Board. He is also patron, life member, honorary member, director, trustee or ambassador for 25 other organisations.
