IPAA Queensland Stewards on the Couch Series
Steve Gollschewski APM – Commissioner, Queensland Police Service
IPAA Queensland invites the public purpose community to attend the first instalment of our Stewards on the Couch series for 2025.
This event will see Commissioner Steve Gollschewski APM interviewed by Commissioner Paul Stewart APM, take to the couch to have a conversation about senior leadership, public service, his vision for a modern police force in Queensland, and the challenges of public leadership.
During this conversation, attendees can expect to hear more about the esteemed career of one of the state’s most trusted senior public leaders. This event will share insights and perspectives from Commissioner Gollschewski APM across his more than four decades in public sector service and leadership, where he has played instrumental roles in the response to some of Queensland’s most devastating disasters.
This event is a must attend for anyone keen to understand the career journey of one of Queensland’s top public leaders and connect with others in the sector.
Stewards on the Couch follows a casual, ‘in conversation’ style format where the interviewer, and the interviewee take to the couch to conduct an informative, engaging and interactive discussion.
The audience are invited to participate in a short Q&A opportunity after approximately one hour of conversation. After event content has been conducted, there is a short but engaging networking session afterwards over refreshments.
DETAILS:
Date: Tuesday 25 February 2025
Time: 4.15pm for a 4:30pm start with networking refreshments after
Location: Multifunction Rooms 1 & 2, Level 41, 1 William Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 and Livestreamed
In person Pricing: free for individual (full financial) members, $35 for organisational members, $65 for non-members.
Livestream Pricing: free for individual (full financial) members, $20 for organisational members, $35 for non-members.
Registration terms – Please refer to our Supply of Services Terms.
Accessibility – along the lines of “IPAA Queensland is committed to ensuring our events are accessible to everyone. Please contact us prior to the event to discuss any adjustments required. This may include (but not be limited to) use of a hearing loop, accessible seating or support with entering the building and accessing the event space.”
Privacy – Please refer to our privacy statement.
Photography – By attending an event or a course, you acknowledge that your photo might be taken and you consent to the taking and use (including in any publication or production) of any such photo by us in whole or in part, and in conjunction with any words or drawings, in electronic or print form.
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ABOUT THE STEWARDS ON THE COUCH SERIES
Stewards on the Couch is a regular and highly popular feature of IPAA’s annual event program, where one or more chief executives is joined by a respected journalist or facilitator ‘on the couch’ for an informal, conversation-style interview.
These events provide the IPAA community an opportunity to learn more about the influences, priorities, and core values of stewards leading public purpose work along with the key challenges and opportunities facing their organisation and/or sector. Guests are invited to stay for networking and refreshments after the interview.
ABOUT STEVE GOLLSCHEWSKI apm
The 21st Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service (QPS), Steve Gollschewski APM has more than 44 years of experience in policing, disaster management, governance and reform and was successfully appointed on 22 April 2024.
Before being appointed Commissioner, Steve was selected by the Premier of Queensland to be the Special Coordinator for Police and Emergency Services Reform in December 2022, following the Commission of Inquiry into Police Responses to Domestic and Family Violence.
As Special Coordinator, Steve provided oversight of the QPS reforms including those arising from the Women’s Safety Justice Taskforce, the Commission of Inquiry into Police Responses to Domestic and Family Violence, the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA, as well as a number of associated inquiries, inquests and reviews along with in-flight QPS reforms. The Special Coordinator also provided oversight of the Disaster and Emergency Management Reform which delivered significant transformational activities and Machinery of Government changes for QPS, emergency services and relevant agencies.
In his previous role as the former State Disaster Coordinator for Queensland, Steve was the Commander for the operational response to the global COVID-19 pandemic in support of public health authorities. He has extensive experience in disaster management and has been responsible for coordinating the Queensland Government response to weather related emergencies including the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley floods in 2011, flood evacuation of St George in 2012 and Cyclone Oswald in Bundaberg in early 2013. He also coordinated the overall disaster responses to Cyclones Ita, Marcia, Nathan and Debbie along with the state-wide fire responses in 2019 and the severe flooding in southern Queensland during early 2022.
In 2018, Steve led the largest security operation in Australia for the decade as Commander of Operational Sentinel at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He has also managed the initial QPS planning and preparation for the security of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. He is a graduate of the AFP Management of Serious Crime Program, the Leadership in Counter- Terrorism (LinCT) program, ANZSOG, and is a graduate – and program visiting fellow – of the Australian Institute of Police Management. He has completed post graduate studies in Leadership through Charles Sturt and Harvard universities.
ABOUT PAUL STEWART apm
Commissioner Paul Stewart APM commenced with Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) in 2018. Commissioner Stewart was previously Deputy Commissioner for QCS’s Community Corrections and Specialist Operations. During this time, he was the senior responsible officer for a number of transformational bod
ies of work, including the Queensland Parole System Reform and the QCS Intelligence Review.
Before joining QCS, Commissioner Stewart had a 35-year career in the Queensland Police Service, holding positions including the Assistant Commissioner of People Capability Command and Community Contact Command and as the Chief Information Officer and the Director of Media and Public Affairs.
Commissioner Stewart holds a Master of Technology Management, a Bachelor of Science and is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Virginia with studies in police leadership and management, human behaviour, criminal profiling and crime analysis. Commissioner Stewart is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds extensive experience serving on a range of Boards across the criminal justice system.
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