Richard Price has been promoted to chief executive of South Australian state government agency Defence SA, replacing Andy Keough.

The former senior executive with Saab has been with Defence SA since July 2016 as its executive director for defence and industry. Price also previously worked for British Aerospace.

South Australian Minister for Defence and Space Industries Martin Hamilton-Smith made the announcement in State Parliament on Thursday.

Keough, who started as Defence SA chief executive in July 2015, said in August he would be leaving to take up the position of Saab Australia managing director. He is due to start on November 13 2017.

Hamilton-Smith thanked Keough for his work at Defence SA over the past two years, particularly on the Future Submarine Project, and wished him well in his new role.

“Andy’s drive helped the South Australian government successfully lobby the federal government and change the national agenda on shipbuilding,” Hamilton-Smith said in a statement.

“We went from a proposed purchase of submarines built in Japan, to a continuous shipbuilding program based in South Australia that will deliver offshore patrol vessels, future frigates and future submarines.”