The latest senior public sector appointments from across the country.
Senior Executive Service
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The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications has promoted Diane Brown, Stephen Arnott, and Marisa Purvis-Smith to deputy secretary roles.
Kirsty Faichney and Christopher Birrer have been promoted to deputy chief executive officer roles at Services Australia.
Scott Dewar has been promoted from the Defence department to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as deputy security of national security and international policy.
Christopher Locke has been promoted from the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources to become deputy secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
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Bridget Gilmour-Walsh has become principal legal and policy adviser at the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Brendan Dowling has taken a FAS digital and technology policy role at the Department of Home Affairs.
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Rae Kaspiew has been promoted to research deputy director at the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Jessica Guthrie has been promoted at the National Indigenous Australians Agency to closing the gap branch manager.
Isolde Lueckenhausen has been promoted to general manager at the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources.
James Gargan has been promoted to national manager at Services Australia.
Emma Funnell and Simon Joyce have been promoted to senior executive at the Defence department.
Emma Swinbourne has been promoted to assistant secretary at the Attorney-General’s Department.
New NDIS commissioner
Tracy Mackey is the new NDIS quality and safeguards commissioner.
She has been chief executive of the NSW EPA since October 2019, and previously had senior executive positions with the NSW Department of Education.
In the new role, Mackey will be responsible for upholding the rights of people with disability and promoting their health, safety and wellbeing while receiving support under the NDIS.
NDIS minister Linda Reynolds has appointed her to the role for a three-year term that starts on January 10, 2022.
First female NSW police commissioner
Karen Webb will be the next NSW police commissioner, after serving in the force for more than 34 years and most recently as a deputy commissioner.
She has served as assistant commissioner of the Police Transport & Public Safety Command and more recently, deputy commissioner of corporate services.
Webb will replace outgoing commissioner Mick Fuller, who said he was “incredibly pleased” with Webb’s appointment.
“She has a strong record in operational leadership roles, and has made both an outstanding region and specialist commander,” Fuller said.
“The future of the NSW Police Force – and its 22,000 employees – is in good hands.”
Webb will be the first female commissioner of the oldest police force in the nation.
Treasury makes board appointments
Carolyn Kay has become a part‑time member of the Foreign Investment Review Board for a five-year period.
Kay has more than 30 years’ experience in the finance sector both in executive and non-executive roles. As an executive, she has worked as a banker and as a lawyer at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Linklaters & Paines.
Professor Deborah Ralston has been reappointed as a part-time member to the Payments System Board (PSB) for a five-year period. The PSB has responsibility for determining the Reserve Bank of Australia’s payments system policy. She’s been a member since 2016.
Carol Schwartz has been reappointed as a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Board for a further five-year period. Schwartz has been a member of the RBA Board since 2017.
ACT chief justice appointed
Justice Lucy McCallum will become the next chief justice of the ACT Supreme Court.
McCallum became a NSW Supreme Court judge in 2008 and was appointed to the NSW Court of Appeal in 2019.
“I am very excited to be returning to the ACT to take on this role,” McCallum said in a statement.
She will start her new role as the sixth chief justice of the ACT Supreme Court in March 2022 and replaces outgoing chief justice Helen Murrell, who was the ACT’s first female Chief Justice.
“I’m looking forward to working with Canberra’s judges and magistrates and the broader legal community to build on the achievements of chief justice Murrell and cement the Territory’s reputation as a place of excellent jurisprudence,” McCallum said.
NBN Co gets new chair
Kate McKenzie will be the new chair of NBN Co and Nerida Caesar is a new non-executive director on the board.
McKenzie, with more than 30 years of experience in government and senior executive leadership, joined the board in 2019.
She replaces outgoing chair Dr Ziggy Switkowski.
Caesar is a non-executive director of Westpac, a member of its technology committee, and legal, regulatory and compliance committee.
Both terms are for three years, beginning on January 1, 2022.
New role for Australian Agriculture
Su McCluskey has been appointed as the first special representative for Australian Agriculture.
She is currently the commissioner at the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research.
The role will promote Australian agriculture’s sustainability and innovation agenda internationally.
McCluskey said she was looking forward to advocating for Australian agriculture.
“I’m proud to take on this new role and support Australian agriculture on the world stage,” she said in a statement.
“As producers of clean, reliable and premium produce, based on sustainability and innovation, we have much knowledge to share and new markets to develop.
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