Our Executive

The Chief Executive

Benn Gramola is the Chief Executive and Registrar of the Education Standards Board (ESB). He commenced this role in April 2025.

He is responsible for leading the agency to ensure there is a focus on minimising any risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of children, and that the agency is working towards meeting the requirements of Recommendation 7 of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. 

He has extensive experience as a senior executive leader across a broad range of regulatory operating environments, including vocational education and training and primary industries. Benn also has significant expertise in implementing the principles of risk-based regulation, application of legislation, policy, risk management, change management and strategy.

Prior to joining the ESB, Benn led numerous large scale regulatory reforms for the Commonwealth and State Governments, which resulted in significant improvements in regulatory practices and improved the sector’s ability to understand its legislative requirements.

As well as Benn’s extensive experience, he has completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA), as well as other executive level training, which has provided him with the analytical skills to improve business outcomes and strategically analyse areas for efficiencies. 

Contact
Office of the Chief Executive
Phone: 1800 882 413
Email: esb.oce@sa.gov.au 

Director, Strategy and Governance

Audra Cooper is the Director, Strategy and Governance at the ESB. 

Audra is responsible for leading the strategic, corporate and governance functions and change management across the agency. This includes designing and delivering actions to achieve Recommendation 7 of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. She served as Acting Chief Executive of the ESB from December 2024 until April 2025. 

Over the past 20 years Audra has worked in strategic policy, with a focus on innovative change management. She has led major, across government initiatives with the Social Inclusion Unit and worked for a number of years in Cabinet Office, and the Department of Premier and Cabinet. She worked with the Department of Education for 12 years in a number of roles leading change and reform. This included the co-ordination of the department’s responses to major incidents such as findings of royal commissions, investigations and coronial/court matters. 

Prior to working with the ESB, Audra was the Director of Customer and Information Services for the Department for Education. In this role, she oversaw diverse multi-disciplinary teams and functions providing leadership, advice and support to key stakeholders.     

Audra has a Bachelor of Social Science, a Graduate Certificate in Urban Management and Policy and Master of Social Science in Urban Management and Policy. She has worked in the public sector for more than 30 years. 

Director, Regulatory Practice and Operations

Sean Heffernan is the Director, Regulatory Practice and Operations at the ESB. He commenced this role in June 2023.

He is responsible for leading the early childhood education and care (ECEC) regulatory functions, including the intake and application assessment, quality assessment and compliance and investigations functions. He is also responsible for leading and implementing reforms to the ECEC regulatory processes and practices following the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. 

Prior to joining the ESB, Sean was a Director the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). During this time, he was responsible for leading registration management, risk intelligence, stakeholder engagement and regulatory reform. He also led a review of ASQA’s service standards, focussed on improving service to the public and registered training organisations. 

Sean has worked in the public sector for over 10 years’ and led various functions across government including in compliance and enforcement, audit and risk, performance as well as corporate services and stakeholder engagement.