Scott Morrison has appointed three new secretaries to head Australian Public Service departments.
The prime minister has named Kathryn Campbell as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ray Griggs as Secretary of the Department of Social Services and Katherine Jones the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department.
Campbell and Griggs will take the reins of their respective departments on July 22, while Jones will start on August 16.
All three appointments have five-year tenures.
“I have every confidence that they will lead by example and ensure the Australian Public Service continues to play an integral role in our nation’s COVID-19 recovery and provide high-quality services to all Australians,” the PM said.
Campbell fills the DFAT vacancy left by the retirement of Frances Adamson.
A long-term public servant, Campbell is currently the Social Services secretary, having been the secretary of Human Services from 2011 to 2017. She has also held deputy secretary roles in the Finance and Education portfolios.
In 2017 she appeared as a subject of an Australian Senate committee inquiry into the Robodebt debt recovery scheme.
Campbell has also had senior roles in the Australian Army Reserve and was the first woman appointed to the rank of Major General. She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 2010 for outstanding achievement as the Commanding Officer of the Sydney University Regiment.
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019 for distinguished service to public administration and the army reserve.
Vice Admiral Griggs replaces Campbell as the Social Sevices boss. He has led the National Indigenous Australians Agency since his appointment as its inaugural chief executive officer in July 2019. He was previously the associate secretary of the Indigenous Affairs Group inside the Department of Prime Minister and cabinet.
He was the Chief of Navy and Vice Chief of the Defence Force between 2014 and 2018 and was appointed as an Officer in the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force.
Jones will fill the top job in the A-G’s department left vacant since Chris Moraitis was appointed as Director-General of the Office of the Special Investigator in January.
Currently associate secretary of the Department of Defence, Jones has previously held deputy secretary positions in the Finance and A-G’s departments. In A-G’s she was the deputy secretary responsible for national security, criminal justice and emergency management.
Jones received a Public Service Medal in 2017 for outstanding public service in the area of national security and emergency management.
Governor-General David Hurley has officially accepted all three recommendations from the prime minister.
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