Outgoing Queensland fire chief Greg Leach will take up a new role as CEO of the Victoria State Emergency Service.

Mr Leach announced his retirement as Queensland Fire and Emergency Commissioner on October 3.

The new job marks a return to Victoria for Mr Leach, who has worked extensively in emergency services throughout the southern state since starting his career in 1986 at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Bendigo.

Before being appointed QFES Chief in 2019, he spent eight years with Rural Ambulance Victoria and then Ambulance Victoria, following the merger of the state’s three ambulance services into a single service in 2008.

He joined the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board as a Deputy Chief Officer and Executive Director, Organisational Learning & Development in 2014 and led a program of major reform to Victorian fire services.

Mr Leach said VICSES played a crucial role the state’s emergency preparedness and response, and he would ensure it remained a progressive and agile leader in the sector.

“I am honored to lead VICSES and look forward to working alongside its dedicated volunteers and staff to continue putting the safety of Victorians first,” he said in a statement.

Mr Leach takes up his new post on December 4, succeeding Stephen Griffin who has served as VICSES CEO since 2014