Former Liberal Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan has been appointed as South Australia's next Small Business Commissioner.
He will commence the role supporting South Australia's small businesses on 11 August for a three-year term.
Mr van Holst Pellekaan served as a Liberal MP from 2010 to 2022 and has a long history working with small businesses including as a cabinet minister in the former Liberal Government.
He also has seven years of experience as a small business owner in the retail and hospitality sector and has held positions as a board member and adviser to a number of commercial, infrastructure and service providing organisations.
His background in governance – across both state and local government - and in advising small, medium and large businesses makes the former Liberal Minister ideal for investigating complaints on behalf of small businesses in relation to their commercial dealings with other businesses as well as assisting with their dealings with state and local government.
Mr van Holst Pellekaan will work closely with Minister Michaels and report to her on matters impacting the state's vital small business sector.
There are currently 150,000 small businesses in South Australia, contributing more than $49 billion to our state's economy and employing 300,000 South Australians – approximately 40 per cent of our workforce.
As put by Andrea Michaels
I'd like to congratulate Dan van Holst Pellekaan on his appointment as South Australia's Small Business Commissioner.
The former Liberal Deputy Premier has a long history of working with small businesses – including as a small business owner himself – and his background in state and local government makes him ideal to support our state's small business owners.
Having been a small business owner myself, I truly appreciate the importance of receiving advice and support from someone who really understands what it's like to own a business and has a genuine understanding of the issues and pressures that come with it.
I think small business owners will feel heard and understood with him in their corner, and I look forward to seeing the strong and thoughtful advocacy I know he'll bring for small businesses across South Australia.
As put by Dan van Holst Pellekaan
I'd like to thank the Minister and the Malinauskas Government for this opportunity to be a voice for South Australian small businesses.
I look forward to working collaboratively to help the small business sector grow and thrive in South Australia, which the Business Council of Australia recently assessed as the best jurisdiction in Australia to do business.
I will continue to be a strong advocate for small business owners and I look forward to assisting them with advice and effective dispute resolution when challenges arise.
