A breakdown of the latest appointments in the Australian Public Service and across the public services of the states and territories.
APS Senior Executive Service
Band 1
Adam Pritchard is the new assistant commissioner at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority has made Laura Harris its executive director of aged policy and communication.
Petula Curcio is the next national criminal intelligence manager at the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC).
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has appointed Nicholas O’Kane as general manager of risk and policy.
Geoffrey Kimber is now senior executive lawyer at the Department of Education.
Jonathan Gilbert, Luke Arnold, Siva Sivakumaran and Katherine Willcox have been made assistant secretaries at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Band 2
The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has promoted Edwina Spanos to first assistant secretary.
Other federal
Geoffrey Nettle to reconsider Robodebt referrals to NACC
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has appointed Geoffrey Nettle AC KC to independently reconsider its decision not to investigate referrals made about the Robodebt scheme.
He will independently assess the referrals and decide whether and, if so, how the NACC should deal with any corruption issues arising from them.
Mr Nettle is a former justice of the High Court (2015-2020), before which he served as a judge of the Victorian Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Victoria.
The National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton recently took a stand against the flack he has received. It was in relation to his role in the NACC’s decision not to investigate anyone referred to it from the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme.
Geoffrey Nettle was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1992, practising in state and federal courts principally in commercial equity, taxation and constitutional matters. Photo: High Court.
New Heads of Banking and Economic Research at the RBA
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has made two senior appointments.
Sarah Brown will be Head of Banking, while Dan Rees is set to be Head of Economic Research.
As Head of Banking, Ms Brown will lead the RBA’s specialised banking services to the Federal Government, and overseas central banks and official institutions. Last financial year, the RBA processed more than $1650 billion in banking payments and transactions. Ms Brown brings more than two decades of experience to the role, having most recently held senior positions within business and retail banking at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
As Head of Economic Research, Ms Rees will take on the RBA’s research strategy, which provides insight into its policy process and deliberations. This includes promoting greater engagement with universities and think tanks. He brings five years of experience at the Bank for International Settlements as principal economist and chief of staff to the general manager, but has also held several senior positions at the RBA.
Sarah Brown will join the RBA in February 2025, while Dan Rees is expected to take up his role in July. Photo: LinkedIn/Vox China.
Rob Stefanic to leave Department of Parliamentary Services
After nine years at the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), Secretary Rob Stefanic will not return from leave.
DPS confirmed this in response to The Mandarin, with a spokesperson reporting that his appointment as Secretary had “concluded”.
“Jaala Hinchcliffe will continue to act as Secretary of DPS while a merit-based process to appoint a new Secretary commences in the new year,” the spokesperson said.
“The Parliamentary Services Commissioner [Dr Gordon de Brouwer] has been asked to conduct this process.”
Mr Stefanic initially took leave in October, following reports by The Guardian that the NACC had raided DPS.
A month later in Estimates, Ms Hinchcliffe confirmed this and an ongoing workplace investigation regarding the outgoing secretary’s relationship with former deputy secretary Cate Saunders. The Acting Secretary said the probe’s focus was on arrangements that saw Ms Saunders receive an incentive-to-retire payment.
Senate president Sue Lines and Speaker of the House Milton Dick thanked Mr Stefanic for his service in a staff email.
As Secretary, Rob Stefanic supported the transformation of the ICT offering, bringing a catering operation into DPS and a new Parliament Shop. Photo: LinkedIn.
Dr Ian Oppermann made Data Standards chair
The Federal Government has appointed Dr Ian Oppermann as the Data Standards chair for Digital ID and Consumer Data Right (CDR) for a two-year period from 1 March, 2025.
Dr Oppermann brings experience from the International Organisation for Standards, the International Electrotechnical Commission, Standards Australia and as the NSW Government’s inaugural Chief Data Scientist.
The outgoing Data Standards chair Andrew Stevens was inaugural chair of the Data Standards Body, leading the charge on establishing the CDR and championing the importance of consumers accessing their data, over the past seven years.
Dr Ian Oppermann will head up management of Digital ID, which now has more than 13 million Australians registered on its system. Photo: Standards Australia.
Defence Housing Australia appoints new managing director
The Federal Government’s business enterprise charged with supplying housing and related services to Australian Defence Force members has made Andrew Jaggers PSM its new managing director.
Defence Housing Australia (DHA) will take on the current Deputy Secretary of Business Enabling Services within the Department of Finance to lead its continuing operations.
Before his current role, Mr Jaggers was Deputy Secretary of the Commercial Group for six years. He has successfully implemented major property projects and made a significant contribution to the Federal Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Jagger will take up the role of DHA managing director on 4 February, 2025. Photo: DHA.
ACNC brings on Cate Bennett as Assistant Commissioner
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissioner Sue Woodward AM has announced Cate Bennett as Assistant Commissioner of Operations and Engagement in February 2025.
She will be one of two Assistant Commissioners with a portfolio covering ACNC’s advice service team, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.
Ms Bennett has been in various roles across the Victorian public sector, Beyond Blue and the Leukemia Foundation.
Cate Bennett was most recently Global General Counsel and company secretary at Movember. Photo: Facebook.
States and Territories
Former top police officer to lead ACT Corrective Services
A former senior AFP and ACT police officer who led the committee tasked with improving the culture and performance of the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) has been appointed to lead ACT Corrective Services (ACTCS).
Leanne Close will take up the role of ACTCS Commissioner from 13 January following selection from a national recruitment process.
Ms Close will be responsible for ACTCS’s executive leadership, including the adult prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre, and community corrections.
During her time in the justice sector, Ms Close worked in the AFP and ACT Policing for 30 years, with her most recent roles as Deputy Commissioner Operations and Deputy Commissioner National Security. She also spent time as Deputy Secretary, Criminal Justice Group, at the federal Attorney-General’s Department.
In the past four years, she has been Head of Counter-Terrorism and National Security Programs at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. She is a member of the Victorian Department of Justice and Safety Expert Advisory Group.
Last year, Leanne Close took on the ESA change project, a key recommendation of the review into the agency’s executive management. Photo: Risk 2 Solution.
Neisha D’Souza to lead Sydney Olympic Park Authority
The Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) will have Neisha D’Souza as chief executive officer (CEO) on an initial 12-month contract from January.
SOPA is the statutory authority that oversees the management and promotion of Sydney Olympic Park.
The Sydney Olympic Park Master Plan 2050 was recently exhibited for feedback. The plan proposes to deliver up to 13,000 homes, 32,000 jobs, affordable housing, new education and health spaces, hotel accommodation, community facilities, and public spaces. Submissions are now being considered, with the master plan’s finalisation expected in mid-2025.
Ms D’Souza led the Strategic Advisory Services team over several years at Property and Development NSW. She also oversaw the NSW Government’s property audit that found 40 government sites for developing thousands of new homes and the Government Property Framework.
Neisha D’Souza will take over from outgoing SOPA CEO Carla Armanet. Photo: LinkedIn.
Trustees appointed to NSW Responsible Gambling Fund
The NSW Government has appointed four new trustees to the Responsible Gambling Fund Trust (RGF), tasked with advising on the funding of initiatives that prevent and reduce gambling harm.
Established in 1995 through a levy on casinos, the RGF plays a crucial role in directing funds to programs that promote safer gambling practices. It also supports initiatives aligned with the Office of Responsible Gambling’s goal of working towards zero gambling harm in NSW.
RGF trustees are appointed to provide expert advice to the Minister on the use of the fund for harm minimisation efforts, including research, community education, support services, and policy development. They also offer strategic guidance on gambling policy and regulation.
The new trustees are:
- Luke Lindsay, who oversaw statewide gambling support services and community programs;
- Siobhan Toohill, former chief sustainability officer at Westpac;
- Maria Vassiliadis, who held senior roles with the eSafety Commissioner and federal departments;
- Kara Lamond, who experience in governments and not-for-profits.
They will take over from outgoing trustees Dr Clive Allcock, Professor Paul Delfabbro, Elizabeth Lyne and Professor Joel Negin.
NSW Government appoints Corrective Services Commissioner
Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong has appointed Gary McCahon PSM as the Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) Commissioner.
He most recently spent four years at Queensland Corrective Services as Deputy Commissioner of Custodial Operations. Before that, Mr McCahon worked at CSNSW as head of the Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy in Sydney, director of custodial operations for the northwest and southwest regions, and general manager of the State Operations Group.
Gary McCahon was awarded the Public Service Medal in September for his service to corrections. Photo: QCS.
Jaclyn Symes to replace Tim Pallas as Victorian Treasurer
The Victorian Government has reshuffled its Cabinet following the exit of Treasurer Tim Pallas, with former Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes taking on the role.
As an Upper House MP for northern Victoria, Ms Symes said she may seek a seat in the Lower House due to her new role.
Sonya Kilkenny will replace her as Attorney-General, including the role with her current portfolio of Planning Minister. The new Treasurer’s former role as Emergency Services Minister has been reallocated to Vicki Ward, who’s already in charge of Natural Disaster Recovery and Equality.
Incoming Treasurer Jaclyn Symes has a difficult task ahead, with Victoria’s net debt rising to more than $150 billion this year. Photo: Facebook.
Chief Justice appointed to Victoria’s Supreme Court
Richard Niall has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, replacing retiring Chief Justice Anne Ferguson.
Since 2017, Justice Niall has served as a judge of appeal of the Supreme Court, presiding over criminal and civil appeals as well as matters in the trial division. He was appointed Victoria’s Solicitor-General in 2015.
In 2010, Justice Niall was appointed Queen’s Counsel, with notable appearances in the High Court of Australia in areas including human rights law and environmental law. He will be the 13th Supreme Court Chief Justice of Victoria.
Another notable appointment in the Victorian legal sector is Samuel Hay KC being made the new chair of the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB).
He will succeed retiring chair Fiona Bennett, who has served in the role since 2013 and was a member of the Legal Services Board since 2008.
Mr Hay was appointed a member of the VLSB in May 2023 and has previously served as chair of its Investment and Funding Committee. He has also served as president of the Victorian Bar Council and is currently chair of conferences at the Australian Bar Association.
Key roles announced for VCAA review
Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll has announced the appointments of Dr Yehudi Blacher PSM and Margaret Crawford PSM to lead a review of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).
The VCAA will undergo a “root-and-branch review” following revelations that nearly half of this year’s exams have fallen prey to “cheat sheets”.
Lead reviewer Dr Blacher will head up a team of specialist experts conducting a comprehensive organisational review of all elements of the exam authority’s structure and operations. This includes a review into the production issues that affected this year’s VCE exams. Before this, he was a professorial fellow at Melbourne University between 2012 and 2022.
As the independent monitor, Ms Crawford will oversee all aspects of exam preparation, management and production. Her work will include consideration of recommendations from previous reviews, including the Bennett Review, and any early recommendations from the root-and-branch review. She has served for many years as a senior public servant in the Victorian, NSW and Federal governments.
VCAA chief executive Kylie White stepped down from her position following the VCE exams debacle despite being recruited just last year. Photo: VCAA.
Jenny Mikakos to be next chair of LanguageLoop Board
The Victorian Interpreting and Translation Services (VITS) LanguageLoop Board has welcomed Jenny Mikakos as its new chair. She currently sits on the board of Optometry Australia and Early Childhood Management Services.
VITS LanguageLoop has more than 3600 professional interpreters, who provide translation services in over 190 languages, including First Peoples languages.
Ms Mikakos will continue the leadership of outgoing chair Professor Kathy Laster AM, who was appointed in 2020 and guided the board through a period of significant growth and transformation.
The incoming chair brings a wealth of knowledge from her experiences in strategic governance, community services, public administration and law.
Wealth of development appointments in WA
To wrap up the last Water Cooler of the year, here are the latest major appointments in WA’s development sector.
Cate Brooks has been made CEO of the South West Development Commission (SWDC) after serving as director of the Collie Delivery Unit in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet since 2022. She will take over from Mellisa Teede, who served in the role for more than five years.
Myrianthe Riddy has been made chair of the Peel Development Commission (PDC) after serving on the board of the Rottnest Island Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Council of WA and Destination Perth. She will take over from David Doepel, who held the role for more than four years.
Ryan Hall has been appointed to the Development WA Board, while current member Jo Gaines’s tenure has been extended. Mr Hall is the current director of development services at the City of Greater Geraldton and has worked in a variety of roles for Karratha, Wanneroo, Vincent, Gosnells and Townsville.
