Martin Kinnear Haese (born 22 October 1965) is an Australian entrepreneur, educator and public figure. He was the

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

of Adelaide in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

from 2014 to 2018. Additionally, he served as the CEO of Business SA, the South Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, from 2019 to 2022. During the 2020 pandemic, his lobbying, leadership, and the chamber's services helped thousands of business owners. He currently has both private and State Government investments in his portfolio.

Career

Haese co-founded the Entrepreneurs' Organization in South Australia and later became the General Manager of the Rundle Mall Management Authority, a subsidiary organisation of the City of Adelaide, from 2010 to 2013. As General Manager, Haese successfully launched public holiday trading and built the case for a A$30 million public realm upgrade. From 2010 to 2014, Haese was the chairman of the Bay to Birdwood motoring event. He has served on various boards including the Adelaide Convention Bureau and South Australian Youth Arts Board, and holds a

Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular ...

(MBA) from the Australian Institute of Business. He was a guest lecturer for the

University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (UOW) is an Australian public university, public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately south of Sydney. , the university had an enrolment of more than 33,000 s ...

and the Australian Institute of Business for several years. Haese was elected Lord Mayor of Adelaide in November 2014, narrowly defeating incumbent Stephen Yarwood by 218 votes. During his term, Haese championed ambitious environmental and technological initiatives, driving forward numerous

smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

projects and positioning Adelaide as a global leader in sustainability through the Carbon Neutral Adelaide 2025 plan. He also oversaw the launch of Ten Gigabit Adelaide, an ultra-fast fibre optic data network developed in partnership with TPG Telecom, making it one of the fastest in the world. His leadership saw strategic investment collaborations with the

South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the highest ranking mem ...

to revitalise city infrastructure, including improved laneways, tramways, and bikeways. Haese also represented Adelaide on the world stage, serving as the national Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors in 2015 and speaking at the COP21 climate summit in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

the same year. He actively promoted Adelaide's successful bid to become a UNESCO City of Music, further elevating the city's global profile. In September 2018, Haese announced that he would not contest the upcoming local government election, concluding his term as Lord Mayor. The following year, in 2019, he was appointed CEO of Business SA, continuing his leadership role in shaping South Australia's economic and business landscape.

Personal life

Haese is married to Genevieve Theseira-Haese, a Singaporean born marketing and communications entrepreneur. Haese's passion for old cars started when he was young, washing his father's and grandfather's classic

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

s. Over the past 20 years, he has grown into an avid collector and now owns a 1969 Jensen Interceptor, a 1967 Jaguar 420G, and a 1967

Vanden Plas Princess The Princess is a badge engineered variant of the Austin A99 Westminster, manufactured by BMC from 1959 to 1968 and marketed under the Vanden Plas marque. The model was launched in October 1959 under the name Princess 3-litre. From July 196 ...

. Though he does not use them much, he enjoys restoring and servicing them, usually with the assistance of experts. Haese views classic cars as cultural artefacts and personal statements, and his support for preservation activities and motoring clubs is based on his conviction that the hobby supports local tourism and employment.

References

External links

Personal Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haese, Martin 1965 births Living people Mayors and lord mayors of Adelaide South Australian local councillors Australian Institute of Business alumni