Our Ombudsman

Jane Pires, Energy and Water Ombudsman

Jane Pires was appointed Energy and Water Ombudsman in December 2016.

She brings with her more than 30 years of experience in customer service and complaint management.

Jane has extensive senior executive experience in dispute resolution, mediation and conciliation.

Additionally, Jane:

• is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD)
• is an executive member of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association (ANZOA), the peak body for ombudsmen in Australia and New Zealand
• chairs the Queensland chapter of the Thriving Communities Partnership
• holds a Master of Business Administration majoring in dispute resolution from Charles Sturt University.

Jane served on the board of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals Australia (SOCAP) for 10 years, including 3 years as president and 5 years as vice president. In 2023, Jane was awarded the SOCAP Lifetime Achievement Award for her significant contributions to the consumer affairs and dispute resolution industry over the course of her career.

Jane chairs the Standards Australia QR-015 Complaints handling committee responsible for the new Australian Standard AS 10002:2022 Guidelines for complaint management in organizations, published in March 2022.

She is also the Australian representative on the committee for international standard ISO 10002:2018 Quality management — Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for complaints handling in organizations.

Jane was awarded the Australian Standards Meritorious  Contribution Award (National) in 2022 for her work leading the charge in reviewing, updating and developing standards that make use of international best-practice, new technology and help to improve overall access standards and fair and reasonable outcomes for customers.

In September 2018, Jane was also appointed to the role of Land Access Ombudsman for Queensland.