Wendy Steendam

Wendy is a highly respected police leader with more than 30 years’ experience at Victoria Police. Her ability to drive service excellence is particularly evident in her work on the Victoria Police Capability Plan, and in her commitment to transforming frontline policing through innovation and research.

Her longstanding commitment to addressing police response to violence against women and children should be recognised and commended.

Over her career, Wendy has developed strong and effective relationships across government, law enforcement agencies, corporate entities and a range of community agencies. She has contributed as a member of many boards of management, both within policing and more broadly across the community sector.

Wendy has performed significant senior executive roles across Victoria Police, delivering far-reaching reforms in areas as diverse as information management, violence against women and children, cultural change and strategic policy, crime, drugs and counter-terrorism.

She was instrumental in developing and implementing the Victoria Police Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence and the inaugural Victoria Police Violence Against Women Strategy.

Most recently in October 2016, Wendy was responsible for delivering Victoria Police’s first ever Capability Plan. The Capability Plan is a new roadmap for defining how Victoria Police will more effectively serve and protect the Victorian community. Wendy embodies the qualities that we need to harness in the next generation of leaders: integrity, drive and innovation.

Her leadership and the achievements throughout her career to date, exemplify the excellent contributions of women in leadership.