Movers & Shakers: Promotions at tax office, new director general

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The latest senior public sector appointments from across the country 

Senior Executive Service 

Band 1 

The Australian Taxation Office has promoted Rhys Manley to tax counsel network assistant commissioner, Richard Mold to support services and improvements assistant commissioner, and Nitin Gulati and Louise Andolfatto to tax counsel network assistant commissioners. 

In further promotions at the tax office, Renae Ali has become PGI objections and independent review assistant commissioner, Darryl McCarthy has become planning, reporting and evaluation assistant commissioner.

New ATO engagement and assurance commissioners include Karen Price, Box Hill; Benjamin Middleton, Parramatta; Nadia Alfonsi, Brisbane; David Stevenson, Melbourne; Michelle Sams, Sydney; Timothy McCarthy.

Gregory Pugh and Jessica Pratt have been appointed assistant commissioners at the Department of Health.

The Department of Home Affairs has promoted Justin Douglas to assistant secretary economic analysis and regulation.

Reserve Bank deputy departs

Deputy governor of the Reserve Bank Dr Guy Debelle will step down from his role next week to join Fortescue Future Industries in June. Dr Debelle will be Fortescue’s new chief financial officer.

In a statement, Debelle said he was honoured and privileged to have enjoyed a 25-year career with the Reserve Bank contributing to ‘improving the welfare of the Australian people’. He added that he looked forward to contributing to ways business could address climate change in his new role. 

“The Bank is a great institution which serves Australia well, including most recently through the policy response to COVID which has helped the country come through the crisis in a strong position,” Debelle said.

Governor Philip Lowe thanked Debelle for his ‘outstanding service’ and noted he made major contributions to monetary policy, to financial market operations and to the management of the Reserve Bank. 

“Guy has been a great colleague and I wish him all the best in his new position,” Lowe said.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will announce a new deputy governor in due course. 

New director-general of WA Department 

WA’s Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries new director-general is Lanie Chopping.

Chopping, whose career in the public sector spans more than a decade, has been acting in the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries role since May. 

She also currently serves as commissioner for Legal Aid WA.

Chopping has been commissioner for consumer protection in Western Australia at the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, and as deputy director-general, public sector reform at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Since acting in the director-general` role, she has overseen a new organisational structure and leadership team, driven reform for local government regulation, and strategic planning and restructuring to address findings arising from the Perth Casino Royal Commission.

New chief of state’s infrastructure body

Dr Jonathan Spear will be the next CEO of Infrastructure Victoria, the state’s independent infrastructure advisory body.

Spear has been acting CEO for four months and was previously Infrastructure Victoria’s deputy CEO, chief operating officer and general counsel.

“Jonathan’s passion and commitment to the provision of expert evidence-based policy and reform advice in support of improved social, economic and environmental outcomes for the state is evident in his focus and extensive achievements to date,” chair Jim Miller said.

“Jonathan has played a major role in the success of the organisation since its establishment, and we are delighted that he will lead Infrastructure Victoria at this critical juncture when there is a pressing need for both rigorous advice and pragmatic solutions.” 

Spear said the government body provided an important role as change and uncertainty across all sectors accelerates. 

“We want to ensure that Victoria is an even better place to be because of our work in providing advice and research that is both rigorous and relevant,” he said. “We are focused on workable solutions and practical options that government can implement.” 

Flood Recovery 

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has been appointed to lead Northern NSW’s flood recovery, while the Australian Defence Force’s major general Jake Ellwood will oversee the state’s flood recovery in Queensland.

Lanyon will retain his role as deputy commissioner, allowing him to deploy the full resource of NSW Police while marshalling all other government resources.

He will work under the direction of Resilience NSW Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. 

The ADF’s Jake Ellwood has served in Townsville, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and two tours in East Timor. 

“When bad things happen, Australians come together,” he said. “My job is to coordinate everyone’s efforts to ensure the job is done efficiently and people are back on their feet as fast as possible.” 

Competition Council and Takeovers Panel reappointments  

Julie-Anne Schafer has been reappointed as the part-time president of the National Competition Council for three years.

Schafer, a distinguished lawyer who has been recognised for her contributions in Queensland, was first appointed as NCC President in 2015. 

Schafer was appointed to the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation in September 2021 and has extensive board experience with her current board roles including non-executive director roles at Queensland Urban Utilities, CS Energy and Av Super.

Meanwhile, Alex Cartel has been reappointed as the president of the Takeovers Panel for three years. 

The panel provides a mechanism for peer review of takeovers activity, with the aim of being more efficient, less formal and quicker than the courts. 

Four new members will join the panel including Alberto Colla, Timothy Longstaff, Deborah Page and James Burchnall while a further 12 members have been reappointed.  

NSW ombud appoints new executive team 

The Office of the NSW Ombudsman office is undergoing a refresh, appointing three new team members. 

Leanne Townsend has become deputy ombud of Aboriginal programs, Helen Wodak has been appointed deputy ombud of monitoring and review, and Jacqueline Fredman is the new ombud of complaints and resolution.

Townsend has been chief executive of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy for nine years; Wodak has worked in the NSW ombuds office since 2013, when she joined as principal investigator and Fredman has been a senior executive in the federal public sector for the past nine years most recently as chief corporate officer of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.