Veterans SA Team Members
The Veterans SA team is composed of individuals with extensive experience and a shared dedication to supporting the local veteran community.
Bianca Wheeler, GAICD – Director
Bianca Wheeler is a Royal Australian Navy veteran and an accomplished executive with extensive experience in strategy, strategic communications, crisis management, corporate and community relations, and organisational transformation. Joining Veterans SA in July 2024, she brings a wealth of knowledge from her diverse roles across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Bianca leads the Veterans SA portfolio, within State Government agency Defence SA, leveraging her previous role as the Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary at the Australian Logistics Council, where she was responsible for strategic direction, governance frameworks, and operational delivery.
Prior to this, she held significant leadership positions at Austrade, including Chief of Staff and Strategy, Communications & Engagement Lead, and Head of Export Supply Chain Service. In these roles, she successfully navigated complex international trade challenges and led high-performing teams to achieve strategic outcomes.
Bianca’s career also includes notable roles across a number of government departments in South Australia & the Northern Territory. Additionally, Bianca has a strong background in intelligence and security, having served as an Electronic Warfare Linguist (Indonesian) and Intelligence & Security Manager (Comms & Signals) with the Royal Australian Navy.
Bianca is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Graduate Certificate in Organisational Resilience, an Advanced Diploma in Indonesian, and diplomas in Electronic Warfare and Telecommunications Intelligence. Her commitment to excellence has been recognised with several awards, including a Chief of Defence Force Commendation and the Student of Merit at the Australian Signals Directorate.
Bianca’s leadership and strategic vision will be instrumental in advancing the Veterans Affairs portfolio, supporting veterans and their families through delivery of innovative programs and initiatives.
Barbara von der Borch – Grants and Administration Officer
Barbara is an accomplished project and administration professional with a diverse background spanning the university, corporate, local government and private practice sectors.
Throughout her career, Barbara has been recognised for her meticulous approach to process improvement and her commitment to delivering exceptional results.
She excels in designing and implementing streamlined procedures that optimise workflow and enhance organisational efficiency.
Barbara joined Veterans SA in June 2024 and is passionate about leveraging her skills to support the mission of Veterans SA, upholding the highest standards of service delivery to the community.
Lara Barnett – Strategy and Engagement Administration Officer
Lara joined Veterans SA in 2024 and is passionate about helping people achieve their potential in life post-service.
Leveraging her superior organisational skills and extensive event management experience, Lara is responsible for managing the South Australian Veteran Employer Network (SAVEN) and the Veterans SA Career and Business Mentoring Program.
Originally from the UK, Lara’s family has a long and proud history of Defence service. Her partner is a former member of the Royal Australian Navy and her role within Veterans SA provides the opportunity for her to exercise her commitment to supporting veterans and their families, particularly in their transition to civilian life.
Now based in Adelaide with a young family, she expertly balances work and family while maintaining a strong connection to the veteran community.
Helping to drive the agency’s stakeholder engagement efforts, Lara plays a key role in strengthening relationships with community partners and veteran support organisations.
Lara’s respectful and future-focused approach is an asset to the Veterans SA team and to those we serve.
Adam Tanner – Project Officer, Veterans and Families
Adam lives in Adelaide with his young family, joining Veterans SA as Project Officer, Veterans and Families, in February 2025.
He is an Australian Army veteran who completed five deployments (Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Afghanistan) during his 15-year career as a Rifleman in both Reserves and Regular Army.
Since leaving Defence more than a decade ago, Adam’s journey has been filled with challenges – reflecting the experience of many veterans – ultimately leading him to re-engage with the veteran community in different ways.
After discharge, he commenced working as a First Aid Trainer, drawing on his military experience to design and develop hands-on first aid courses for outdoor professionals.
After moving into youth work, focussing on school engagement and First Nations youth, Adam’s first step towards re-engaging with the veteran community was at Veteran Mentors in NSW where he was invited to take over the delivery of transformative camps using significant lived experience to support acutely at-risk youth.
During this time, Adam was also leading a team at headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation, where in 2023, he was the first individual to win a national award for reflective practice for his role in establishing a clinically integrated vocational support team.
At Veterans SA, Adam works to connect veterans and their families with the pathways and opportunities they need to thrive in South Australia whilst working to close gaps in service delivery and engagement.
He contributes his significant subject-matter expertise to the design and delivery of our veteran and family programs.
