About | Who we are (What we do) | Executive Team

Executive Team

Michaela BENSLEY

Michaela Bensley - SACE Board

Chief Executive, SACE Board of South Australia

Michaela is the Chief Executive of the SACE Board of South Australia. Michaela has a history of leading an education organisation at a range of levels across a diverse range of functions and has been the Deputy Chief Executive of the SACE Board for the last three years. 

In close partnership with the Chief Executive, Michaela worked to implement the Board’s vision by supporting the leadership direction and governance necessary to ensure the successful delivery against strategic and financial goals. 

Michaela is heavily invested in the SACE Board’s purpose of shaping education so that students thrive. Her deep understanding of the SACE ensures there is essential alignment between this purpose and its articulation in the pillar of Connected Qualification. 

Michaela is excited by the opportunity to build on the SACE Board’s business maturity as a Bold Leader, particularly in the areas of continuous improvement, evaluation, automation, and customer service excellence. 

With a commitment to adaptive leadership Michaela’s approach supports and promotes an innovative and inclusive workplace culture, focussed on delivering services that align with strategic purpose and create maximum impact.

Michaela continues to represent the SACE Board on a range of state and national committees and forums.

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Nicholas BRICE

Nicholas Brice - SACE Board

Deputy Chief Executive

Nicholas Brice is a seasoned leader in the fields of educational leadership and project management. With a career spanning over two decades, he has continually demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence and innovation in the education sector.

Nicholas began his journey in education as a dedicated teacher, where his passion for inspiring students and fostering academic growth became evident. His natural and learned leadership abilities saw him take on roles of increasing responsibility. Throughout his tenure in varying leadership roles, Nicholas exhibited skills in educational leadership, implementing progressive strategies to enhance teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and student wellbeing and engagement. 

As the Deputy Chief Executive of the SACE Board, he oversees the strategic direction and operational management of the Board, ensuring the delivery of high-quality educational programs and services to students across South Australia.

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Hassan MEKAWY

Hassan Mekawy - SACE Board

Director of Education Services

Hassan Mekawy is the Director of Education Services at the SACE Board of South Australia. His career at the SACE Board has spanned over a decade where he has focused on developing, aligning and delivering transformational education initiatives connected to the organisation’s strategic vision. 

With over 25 years’ experience and leadership within the Australian education sector across three states, Hassan’s achievements include establishing and managing the Institute of Educational Assessors, which was designed to support teachers and strengthen their assessment literacy, as well as delivering courses and events to over 5000 primary and secondary teachers in South Australia, Northern Territory and internationally.

An innovative thinker and experienced educator, Hassan is a member of the University of Adelaide School of Education Advisory Board and the University of South Australia Bachelor of Secondary Education Advisory Group.

A passionate champion of SACE Board’s Reconciliation Action Plan journey, Hassan has established strong relationships within the Aboriginal community to develop and manage the SACE Board’s Aboriginal Education Strategy.

Hassan was awarded a Master of Education from Flinders University and a Bachelor of Arts and Post Graduate Diploma in Education from La Trobe University.

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Sam MILL

Sam Mill - SACE Board

Director, People & Performance

Bio to come...

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Claire TOLA

Director, Operations Transformation and Enterprise Portfolio Manager

Bio to come...

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