Movers & Shakers: New deputy CEO at the NDIA

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The latest senior public sector appointments from across the country.

Senior Executive Service

Band 3

At the National Disability Insurance Agency, Corri McKenzie was promoted to deputy chief executive officer, strategy and service improvement, based in Victoria.

Band 2

Mathew Fox was promoted at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to first assistant secretary.

Ben Sladic moved from the Department of Health and Aged Care to take up the role of chief financial officer at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Band 1

Three people were appointed program managers at the Australian Bureau of Statistics: Luke Hendrickson, Sean Crick, and Michelle Ducat.

Coming from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Sarah Burr was appointed to an SES Band 1 position at the Attorney-General’s Department.

Juanita Pettit moved from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to become program manager at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

At the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Chris Schilling was promoted to deputy director, research.

Senior leadership roles open in Defence

Three senior leadership roles are vacant at Defence.

At SES Band 2 level, there are two vacancies: one for a first assistant secretary, strategic policy and one for a first assistant secretary, international policy.

The former requires positive vetting, the latter negative vetting.

There is also a vacancy at the Defence Science and Technology Group for a chief joint operations and coordination role, based in Bungendore.

Inaugural chair for Australia-India Relations

Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong named former managing director and CEO of Export Finance Australia Swati Dave as chair of the advisory board to the Centre for Australia-India Relations.

Dave has also spent time at National Australia Bank, Deutsche Bank and Westpac.

Wong said the centre would open later this year.

“The centre will promote stronger business and cultural understanding between our two countries. It will also deliver the Maitri (friendship) Program, involving research and cultural partnership grants, fellowships and scholarships,” the minister said in a statement.

“Ms Dave brings valuable strategic, leadership and business experience to the role from her extensive senior executive and non-executive director roles across the public and private sectors.”

Monitors for City of Greater Geelong named

Prue Digby and Peter Dorling will oversee the appointment of the new CEO for the City of Greater Geelong.

As previously covered by The Mandarin, the Victorian government announced monitors would be appointed to oversee the recruitment of a new CEO earlier this year following concerns by the chief municipal inspector.

Both Digby and Dorling have experience as municipal monitors, with the South Gippsland Shire Council and City of Greater Geelong respectively.

Victorian local government minister Melissa Horne said Greater Geelong residents deserve a local government representative of their needs.

“Both Prue Digby and Peter Dorling have extensive experience, skills and knowledge to effectively guide the City of Greater Geelong to refocus on its community,” the minister said.

Long-serving mandarin Tony Cook named Education sec

Tony Cook has been appointed the new secretary of Education, replacing Dr Michele Bruniges.

Cook is a long-time public servant, most recently deputy secretary, higher education, research and international at the department, commencing April 4.

“Mr Cook brings to his new appointment significant policy experience and strong stakeholder relationships, particularly in the education sector,” the prime minister said in a statement.

Read The Mandarin’s full coverage here.

Members for Classification Review Board revealed

Stephanie McCaughey, Clifford Weeks and Damien Power were appointed to the Classification Review Board.

McCaughey has worked with both the royal commissions into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse and Mental Health Care in Victoria.

Weeks has worked in both the Northern Territory and Western Australian governments and Power was a former member of the board.

“The Government would like to thank Ms Margaret Clancy for her service as a Member, whose term expired on 5 December 2022,” a statement from communications minister Michelle Rowland read.

The appointments run from February 3 until September 14 next year.

Key Dominello digital adviser decamps to Canberra

Jordan Hatch, formerly at the Digital Transformation Office, will return to the federal public service to lead a new reg-tech and innovation branch in the Department of Finance.

Hatch was most recently an advisor to NSW customer service minister Victor Dominello, who will leave state politics after the March 25 election.

“Happy to share that I have joined the Regulatory Reform Division at the Department of Finance, leading a new branch for Regulatory Technology and Innovation,” Hatch said on LinkedIn.

“Looking forward to working with regulators across Australia to adopt new technology and digital practices, and working with a great team in the division on priority reforms for government.”

Read The Mandarin’s full coverage here.

Inaugural Homes Tasmania CEO

Eleri Morgan-Thomas was named the inaugural CEO of Homes Tasmania, a new agency on housing affordability.

Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff said Morgan-Thomas would bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role.

“Ms Morgan-Thomas has extensive experience in housing and homelessness in both the government and non-government sectors, including designing the NSW Social and Affordable Housing Fund, establishing Mission Australia Housing and Chairing National Shelter,’’ Rockliff said.

Morgan-Thomas will start next month.

The premier also thanked Peter White for acting as CEO since December 2022.

Victorian expert advisory panel for State Electricity Commission

Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action secretary John Bradley will chair an expert advisory panel for the Victorian State Electricity Commission (SEC).

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews named Bradley to lead the panel to advise the government on “bringing back the SEC”.

The other panel members are former AEMO CEO Audrey Zibelman, former Telstra CEO Andy Penn, Climateworks Centre CEO Anna Skarbek, former chief scientist Alan Finkel, former executive officer of the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre Jo Benvenuti, and interim SEC CEO Chris Miller.

“We promised we wouldn’t waste a moment setting up the SEC to put power back in Victorians’ hands, and we’re getting on with it — with our Expert Panel up and running to make sure we deliver cheap, clean energy for Victorians,” Andrews said in a statement.

Read The Mandarin’s full coverage here.

New director of the National Portrait Gallery

The board of the National Portrait Gallery named Bree Pickering as its new director.

Formerly director of the Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), Pickering said she was looking forward to contributing as the gallery enters its 25th year.

“The gallery is dynamic and innovative, and as a young national cultural institution, it is well positioned to respond to and reflect upon our culture and history.

“I join the gallery at an exciting time with the recently launched National Cultural Policy promising a reinvigoration of the arts and culture sector.”

NPG chair Penny Fowler added Pickering was “an ambitious and transformative arts leader”.

“[Pickering] steered the refurbishment and relaunched MAMA into a dynamic operational stage.

“Her vision and ideas had positive impacts across all aspects of the business, from education to governance to building the collection and establishing a dynamic exhibitions and public program,” the chair said.

Former commissioner to oversee ACT Dhulwa recommendations

Former Fair Work commissioner and Tasmanian industrial commissioner Barbara Deegan was named by the ACT mental health minister Emma Davidson to implement mental health recommendations.

The recommendations are from the Inquiry into Legislative, Workplace Governance and Clinical Frameworks at the Dhulwa Mental Health Unit, with all 25 recommendations to be implemented by March next year.

Deegan will lead a board to implement the recommendations, with Canberra Health Services and the Office of Industrial Relations and Workforce Strategy in attendance.

Davidson said the ACT government were taking the recommendations in the report seriously.

“There’s a wide range of expertise on the Board and it will make such a strong contribution to ensuring that the implementation of recommendations is sustainable and that they stick over the long term. It will report to me as they consider the implementation of the recommendations.

“I’m grateful to Barbara for agreeing to continue her involvement with the Dhulwa work, as well as all of the other members of the Board. I look forward to working with the Board as it gets underway,” the minister said.

Former APS commissioner to review federal appointments

Lynelle Briggs, a former APS commissioner, was named by public service minister Katy Gallagher to look into the “jobs for mates” culture of public sector appointments.

Gallagher said being on a government board should be about what you know, not who you know.

“I look forward to Ms Briggs’ robust recommendations on how the government can put merit and integrity back at the centre of the public sector appointment process. She brings a whole stack of expertise, obviously, to this job,” the senator said.

Read The Mandarin’s full coverage here.

ACT coordinator general for housing to be established

A new office of the coordinator general will be established within the ACT Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.

ACT chief minister Andrew Barr said the creation of the role would address the sustainability of the territory’s housing.

“Population growth will continue in the coming decade and housing demand will grow. That is why we are establishing the Office of the Coordinator-General for Housing — to centrally deliver and coordinate this whole-of-government priority,” Barr said in a statement.

“The ACT Government is investing in our city and in infrastructure that is built for Canberra, to ensure that our city continues to be one of the most liveable in the world.”

Included in the office’s remit will be delivering policy to improve housing affordability and the re-establishment of the Rent Relief Fund.

Federal government seeks input on inspector-general of animal welfare

The federal government is seeking feedback on a new Inspector General for Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports (IGAWLAE).

Agriculture minister Murray Watt said the government takes animal welfare seriously, including live exports.

“The live export industry, state and territory governments, production industries and animal welfare bodies will be consulted on the specific animal welfare objectives of the expanded office,” the minister said.

“All submissions will be considered and will assist in informing the establishment of the new position.

“The IGAWLAE will strengthen animal welfare assurance and increase accountability and transparency for animal welfare in livestock exports.”

Submissions are due by 5pm on March 2.