Former State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) CEO Carmel Donnelly has been awarded a Public Service Medal in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Ms Connelly, who served as the first SIRA CEO from March 2017 to July last year, led the delivery of a compulsory third party reform package. She was in the spotlight in 2020 after criticising the performance of icare at a NSW Parliamentary inquiry.

Currently, she serves as Chairperson of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).

“Carmel is a leader that is highly regarded for her integrity and passion for improving outcomes for the people of NSW,” current SIRA CEO Adam Dent said.

Ms Donnelly built SIRA into a trusted, effective and independent regulator that prioritised the interests of injured people and policyholders, and held insurers accountable for their performance and public outcomes, the citation says.

After the Hayne royal commission, she established principles to guide SIRA’s regulatory approach and introduced Customer Service Conduct Principles to ensure insurers met community expectations, the citation says.

“Ms Donnelly was an early advocate for mentally healthy workplaces, employees with a disability, and Indigenous people in the public service,” it says.

“Her courage, resilience and collaborative approach, combined with a steadfast commitment to public service have underpinned her impact as a public sector leader.”