Adam Dent (pictured above), CEO of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), has resigned. “Mr Dent has been absent from duty since earlier this year and has recently tendered his resignation,” said a short SIRA statement shared with Insurance Business.

Earlier today, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dent tendered his resignation after being absent since January.

Dent became SIRA CEO in 2021. His previous leadership experience covered a range of public, private and not-for-profit organisations. In 2016, Dent resigned as NSW State Emergency Services (SES) Commissioner after being convicted of mid-range drink driving.

Dent is the second CEO to resign from the state’s public insurance system in less than a week. On Wednesday, Insurance & Care NSW (icare) announced the departure of its CEO Richard Harding.

In recent years, icare has experienced severe budget problems.  According to news reports, since 2019 the government has spent nearly $4 billion in bailouts.

icare, the NSW worker’s compensation scheme, is one of the three statutory insurance bodies in the state regulated by SIRA.

“Dr Petrina Casey will continue to act in the SIRA CEO role while we work through future arrangements,” said the SIRA statement.

Casey joined SIRA in 2015 has was appointed executive director of Motor Accidents Insurance Regulation in 2021.