The Water Cooler: Comings and goings in the APS

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

Alicia Dennis has been named as Assistant Secretary for Civil Maritime Strategy and Policy in the Department of Home Affairs.

Helen Salouros is the new General Manager for Chemical and Biological Metrology at the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

The Australian Public Service Commission’s new Assistant Commissioner for Executive Remuneration and Statutory Offices is Matthew Bowd.

Allan Teves has been named as the new executive director of case management at the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Brendan Lynam has been named as the new head of the environment information policy and strategy branch in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) has named Bianca Selway and Tracey Crawford as new Assistant Directors-General.

Inga Petkovich has been named as a national manager at Services Australia.

The Australian Electoral Commission’s next Assistant Commissioner for Role Services and Foundations will be Jessica Fraser.

Jennifer Bahen will be the executive director of regulatory operations at the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

Cara Sergeant and Sarah Ross have been named as Assistant Secretaries in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Jacinta McDonald has been named as the new Assistant Secretary of the Regional Policy Branch of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

Duncan Anderson, Hannah Lipshut, Gemma Cooper and Taylor Black have been appointed as Assistant Secretaries in the Department of Finance.

Joda Walter has been announced as the new Assistant Commissioner for Cyber Governance in the Australian Tax Office (ATO).

Band 2

Rowena Park has been promoted to General Manager of Regulatory Action, and Ashleigh McDonald to General Manager of Information Rights, within the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Donna Degen and Christian Hirst have been promoted to First Assistant Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Robert Argent is the new Chief Scientist of the Bureau of Meteorology.

Other federal

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a ministerial reshuffle on 16 January to fill the ministries vacated by retiring member Bill Shorten.

“Today I announce updates to the Cabinet and the ministry following the foreshadowed resignation of Bill Shorten MP as Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services,” he said.

Senator Katie Gallagher has been sworn in as the new Minister for Government Services, replacing Mr Shorten, who will not stand at the next election. Senator Gallagher has retained her Finance, Public Service and Women portfolio.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth is the new Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Minister for Youth Anne Aly is now also the Minister Assisting the Minister for the NDIS.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also announced a reshuffle of the Coalition’s shadow ministry as the pre-election campaign heats up.

He said a Coalition government would get Australia “back on track” and that the appointments would further strengthen the Coalition team as the election approached.

David Coleman is the Coalition’s new Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, replacing South Australian Senator Simon Birmingham, who will be resigning at the next election.

Melissa McIntosh is the new Shadow Minister for Communications and has retained her responsibilities as Shadow Minister for Western Sydney.

Senator Claire Chandler has been appointed to the shadow ministries of Government Services and the Digital Economy, and Science and the Arts, replacing Paul Fletcher, who will not seek re-election at the next poll.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will oversee a new Shadow Ministry for Government Efficiency.

Tony Pasin has been appointed as the Shadow Minister for Roads and Road Safety, which will sit under Senator Bridget McKenzie’s Shadow Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.

Julian Leeser has been appointed as the new Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Senator Matt O’Sullivan is the new Shadow Assistant Minister for Education.

Kerrynne Liddle is the new Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence, adding to her current role as Shadow Minister for Indigenous Health Services.

Ted O’Brien is now the Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Reliability in addition to his existing role as Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

Michael Sukkar is the new Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives.

Scott Gregson has been named as the next CEO of ASIC, effective from 17 March.

Stephanie Crowe has been appointed as the new head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).

The ACSC is the Australian Government’s technical authority on cyber security and sits within the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).

It provides an avenue for organisations large and small to partner with the government and adopt a security framework to protect their information technology and operational technology systems, applications and data from cyber threats.

Over her 15-year career at ASD, Ms Crowe has held several key roles in signals intelligence and cyber security, including leading ASD’s technical advice and assistance programs for industry and building ASD’s cyber threat intelligence capabilities.

Australia’s former Chief Scientist Cathy Foley has been appointed to the board of the CSIRO.

David Latina has been named as the Commissioner of the Anti-Dumping Commission until 2030.

Mr Latina has previously held senior positions with the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Small Business Victoria, Deloitte, and the Victorian Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

He most recently developed a new, long-term vision for the Victorian manufacturing sector through the Made in Victoria 2030: Manufacturing Statement.

Michael Manthorpe has been appointed as the interim head of the Defence and Veterans’ Service Commission.

A ministerial statement said Mr Manthorpe would head the interim organisation and work across government to deliver the establishment of a legislated oversight body by September 2025, one of the 122 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans’ Final Report.

Mr Manthorpe has served in the Australian Public Service for 37 years, including as Commonwealth Ombudsman, which incorporates the roles of Defence Force Ombudsman, from 2017 to 2021.

Matt Anderson has been reappointed as director of the Australian War Memorial.

The acting chief executive officer of Airservices Australia, Rob Sharp, has been appointed as the full-time CEO.

Mr Sharp has been acting in the role since July 2024. He has an extensive background in transport management roles, including as secretary of Transport for NSW, CEO of Virgin Australia Airlines, and CEO of Tigerair Australia.

He has also served as a member of the board of Newcastle Airport, and a member of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Aviation Safety Advisory Panel.

Former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell has been appointed as the inaugural council chair of Screen Producers Australia (SPA).

Ms Carnell is also the former chief executive officer of both the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Food and Grocery Council, and is the current chair of the Australian Made campaign.

She has had a long-standing engagement with the screen sector, including participation in SPA’s Screen Export Council, as well as her work as the inaugural Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, where she represented the interests of more than two million small businesses nationwide – including those in the screen industry.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced Professor Ute Roessner as its new CEO.

The ARC says Professor Roessner is a renowned biochemist and innovative researcher who has made significant contributions to the field. She currently holds the position of pro vice-chancellor (Research Initiatives and Infrastructure) at the Australian National University.

Professor Tony Haymet has been named as Australia’s new Chief Scientist.

Professor Haymet is an oceanographer and a former emeritus director and vice-chancellor, and distinguished professor, at the University of California’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He has also held the positions of chair of the Antarctic Science Foundation, and fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

He is a co-owner of MRV Systems, a company that manufactures ocean robotic systems.

David McGrath has been appointed as CEO of the National Mental Health Commission after a nearly two-year search to fill the role.

Mr McGrath is a former senior executive of NSW Health and former chair of the National Mental Health Standing Committee. He was also an adviser to the World Health Organization for more than a decade.

Melissa Harris has been named as the new chief executive officer of Geoscience Australia.

Ms Harris will assume the role in late February, succeeding Dr James Johnson, who announced his retirement last September after serving as CEO since 2016.

Ms Harris has 30 years of experience in the Victorian public sector, working in local and state government. She is currently the chief executive and registrar of titles at Land Use Victoria. She has previously held the positions of director of planning information systems at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and executive manager of service and business improvement at the City of Port Phillip.

In 2023, Ms Harris was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service and transformation of geospatial, planning and land administration in Victoria.

Tony Maher has been appointed as the new chair of Safe Work Australia.

Safe Work Australia is a national tripartite policy body tasked with lifting national workplace health and safety standards by improving work health and safety (WHS) and workers’ compensation arrangements.

Mr Maher replaces long-term mining executive Joanne Farrell as Safe Work Australia chair and currently holds positions on the boards of Mine Super and the Net Zero Economy Authority.

Diplomatic appointments

Dr Peter Hunter has been appointed as Australia’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Dr Hunter will also represent Australia in the Central African Republic, the Republic of Djibouti, and the Republic of South Sudan. He will also work with the African Union, based in Ethiopia, as well as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Michael Hoy has been appointed as the new High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam.

Susan Ryle has been appointed as Australia’s next High Commissioner to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Rod Brazier has been appointed as Australia’s next Ambassador to Indonesia.

Matthew Barclay will become Australia’s next High Commissioner to the Republic of Nauru.

Former Chief of Defence Force General Angus Campbell (Ret’d) will be Australia’s next Ambassador to Belgium, a role that includes the posts of Ambassador to the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Luxembourg.

Peter Truswell has been appointed as Australia’s next Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, which includes accreditation to Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia.

Brenton Kanowski has been appointed as Australia’s next Consul-General in Lae in Papua New Guinea.

States and Territories

Theresa Warwick has been named as a new presidential member of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT).

Geniere Aplin has been appointed as the new CEO of the NSW state insurance agency icare.

Peta Harwood has been appointed as the new Queensland State Planner.

South Australian Assistant Minister for Autism Emily Bourke has had the role of Minister for Emergency and Correctional Services added to her portfolio.

Michael Brown is the new South Australian Assistant Minister to the Premier, and for AI and the Digital Economy.

Kyam Maher is South Australia’s new Special Minister of State and has retained his roles as Minister for Electoral Matters, as Electoral Commissioner, and Minister for Parliamentary Resources.

South Australian Treasurer Stephen Mullighan has also taken on the role as Minister for Police.

Katrine Hildyard has been named as South Australia’s Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, and has retained her ministry of Child Protection.

Kristy Bourne has been named as the next Secretary of the Tasmanian Department of Justice.

Chris Shanahan is the new Chief Justice of the Tasmanian Supreme Court.

David Wolf has been appointed as chair and Natasha de Silva as Sessional Commissioner to the Victorian Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Commission.

Samuel Hay is the new chair of the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB).

Terence Palmer has been elevated to the bench of the Western Australian Supreme Court.