"The Centre for Strategy and Governance, a quietly influential collective … with one thing in common: lots of experience in the highest levels of government. The most influential voices outside of government on improving the APS"
The Mandarin, 4 October 2018
VALE Mike Taylor AO
The Centre for Strategy and Governance sadly acknowledges the passing, on 1 June 2023, of one of our founding Members, Mike Taylor AO.
Raised in rural and urban Victoria, Mike achieved much in a public service career spanning almost 40 years in both the Victorian and Australian Public Services, including as Secretary of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services. His expertise, leadership, professionalism and integrity were recognised in 2007 when he was awarded an Order of Australia for his contribution to the management of natural resources and industry policy development at the Federal level and also in Victoria, particularly in the area of agriculture, and through contributions to transport, water, food and safety standards.
Upon his retirement as Secretary, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in 2009, his then Minister Anthony Albanese commented in Parliament, ‘To his great credit, Mike Taylor embodies the finest traditions of the Public Service. He has faithfully served the minister and the government of the day.’
In the following decade, Mike predictably threw himself into many public-spirited endeavours, including as Chair of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, Chair of the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation, Board Member of the Melbourne University Business School, Director of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, Board Member Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Member of the Australian Statistics Advisory Council and a Governor of the Crawford Fund. These positions were deftly blended with his love of travel with his wife Eve, support for his daughters Erica and Rachel and being ‘Pa’ to his four grandchildren.
Mike was, quite simply, a remarkable person. His loss will be keenly felt by his family, his many friends, and those organisations for whom he worked tirelessly. We at the CSG will miss his irrepressible energy and enthusiasm, his pragmatic counsel, and his loyal friendship.
Glenys Beauchamp AO, PSM
Ms Glenys Beauchamp was Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Health from 18 September 2017 to 28 February 2020, when she retired from the Australian Public Service. From the end of March to May 2020 Glenys returned to assist the Australian Government procure personal protective equipment for the health system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Glenys has had an extensive career in the Australian Public Service and served as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (2013–2017) and Secretary of the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport (2010–2013). She served as Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2009–2010) and senior positions in the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2002–2009).
Ms Beauchamp also held several executive positions in the ACT Government including Deputy Chief Executive, Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services and Deputy Chief Executive, Department of Health. She has also held senior positions in housing, energy and utilities functions with the ACT Government.
Since retiring in 2020 Glenys has provided consultancy services to assist public sector organisations and governing boards through change, strengthen governance arrangements and improve performance. Ms Beauchamp’s current appointments include Chair of Food Standards Australia New Zealand; Chair of the Australian Building Codes Board; director of the McGrath Foundation Ltd; member of the Industry Innovation and Science Australia Board. She is also a non-executive director of Health Metrics Pty Ltd and Chair of the advisory board for Region Group Pty Ltd. She is a National Fellow of the Australian Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Glenys was awarded an AO in 2023 for distinguished service to public administration, particularly innovative health reform, industry and science policy, and program delivery; and a Public Service Medal in 2010 for coordinating Australian Government support during the 2009 Victorian bushfires.
Qualifications: BEc (ANU), MBA (UC)
Contact: [email protected]
Lynelle Briggs AO
Lynelle Briggs is a member of the board of Goodstart Early Learning and of The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Development Program Committee. Lynelle was a Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. She recently completed a review into public sector board appointment processes.
Lynelle was formerly Chair of Maritime Super, Chair of the General Insurance Code Governance Committee, Chairperson of the NSW Planning Assessment Commission, member of the Australian Rail Track Corporation board, independent councilor on the Council of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Chairperson of ASIO’s Audit and Risk Committee, and Chairperson of the Jigsaw Theatre Company. She chaired the Shipping Workforce Development Forum, the Inquiry into Compliance, Work Health and Safety Laws in the ACT, and the Catholic Development Fund Steering Committee. Lynelle was also the Independent Project Facilitator for the Millers Point Accommodation Project.
During her executive career, Lynelle Briggs was Australia’s Public Service Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of Medicare Australia. She was Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transport and Regional Services. Lynelle has extensive public service experience, working in a variety of fields, including social security, health and community services, transport, employment and labour market support and veterans’ affairs. She was closely involved in unemployment and retirement incomes policies, health care agreements, transport and infrastructure policy, private health policy and health care delivery.
In the mid-1980s, Lynelle was policy adviser to the Minister for Community Services before spending two years with the New Zealand Treasury.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 419 632 932
Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC
Liz Cosson retired as Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) in January 2023. Liz was also President of the Repatriation Commission and Chair of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.
Before joining the Australian Public Service in 2010, Liz had 31 years of distinguished military service in the Australian Army, including becoming the first woman promoted to the senior rank of Major General. After working in the Commonwealth Departments of Health and Home Affairs (then Immigration and Citizenship), Liz returned to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in 2016 as a Deputy Secretary before being appointed Secretary in May 2018.
During her time with DVA, Liz has been responsible for leading the largest transformation of services available to veterans, families and staff. This included the introduction of digital access for veterans, implementation of access to free mental health services for anyone who served one day in the Australian Defence Force, the introduction of the veteran and family wellbeing framework, expanding the support and services available to the veteran community and driving cultural change.
As Secretary, she was able to steer the Department through the COVID pandemic, ensuring staff and veterans were supported through this difficult time and quickly adapted the department to ensure staff were able to work flexibly and service delivery wasn’t impacted.
Liz is a passionate advocate for the recognition of military service, citizen centric policy development, service delivery and transformational reform. During her military service and recent Australian Public Service career, Liz has a longstanding focus on the profession of service to nation.
Liz was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in 2001 and was appointed a Member in the Military Division of the Order of Australia in 2011 for her contributions to the Army and the delivery of profound organisational reform.
Liz has a Master of Arts (Strategic Studies) and Bachelor of Social Science (Human Resources).
Liz holds a non-executive Director position on the Board of RSL LifeCare Limited and is a Member of the AICD.
In 2019, Liz was inducted into the Women in Defence Hall of Fame.
In 2014, she was awarded the ACT Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership and Southern Cross University Alumnus of the year 2014.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 407 622 031
Greg Fraser FGIA
Greg Fraser is an expert in public and not for profit governance and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA) and formerly a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD).
He was an independent consultant in governance, risk management, program review and evaluation and strategic/business planning, and also worked collaboratively with PwC, RSM, WalterTurnbull and Directors Australia. This included developing and reviewing governance and risk management frameworks, conducting board performance reviews and providing governance and risk management training for Boards and executives. He developed a board performance review framework for the Jamaican Government’s public sector statutory and corporate agencies.
Greg has served on several corporate, public sector and not for profit boards and board committees, including with Dementia Australia (including its Governance Committee), Marymead and Marymead CatholicCare and The Neighbourhood Canberra. He is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the National Blood Authority.
Greg was Chief Executive of the ACT Department of Health and Community Care and acted in other ACT Government CEO level positions. He led major change in agencies providing services in health and community care, environment and conservation, sport, heritage and museums, arts and festivals, community services and housing, public sector budgeting and finance and corporate services.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 407 432 493
Ian Govey AM
Ian was head of the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) from 2010 to 2016, responsible for AGS’s role as the primary legal adviser to the Commonwealth and its agencies. Until its integration back into the Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) in early 2016, he was responsible as CEO for its successful operation as a government business enterprise.
Ian’s current roles include Chair, Banking Code Compliance Committee, Chair of the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), Chair, Federal Court of Australia Audit Committee, Deputy Chair, ACT Community Services Directorate Audit and Risk Committee, and Director of the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA).
Ian’s review work has included, in 2023, reviews into the ACT’s Integrity Commission Act 2018 and Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012.
Ian’s international experience includes serving as Counsellor (Legal) in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC (1988-1991) and as an elected member of the Governing Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) (2005 to 2014.
Ian held other senior policy positions in AGD and the Treasury which involved advising on reform of business law including international trade law, copyright and company law.
Ian was a member of the Council of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA), the National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council (NADRAC) and the International Legal Services Advisory Council (ILSAC.) He has been Ambassador for the Resolution Institute and a consultant on various matters for Commonwealth, ACT and State agencies.
He is a member of the Australian Academy of Law and in 2015 was awarded an AM for significant service to public administration and the law, as a leader in the provision of government legal services, and to professional organisations.
Ian is admitted as a legal practitioner in the Australian Capital Territory. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 417 493 365
Rosemary Huxtable AO PSM
Rosemary Huxtable retired as Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Finance in August 2022, a position she held from October 2016. As Secretary of Finance, and prior to that as Deputy Secretary Budget Group, Rosemary was closely involved in the preparation and delivery of the Australian Government Budget, oversaw the financial framework of Australian Government agencies, provided shareholder oversight of government business enterprises and cost-effective whole of government advice and services. She has worked closely with a wide range of government entities, particularly in the areas of Defence and national security, infrastructure and social policy.
Rosemary has a longstanding interest and commitment to public sector reform and effective organisational leadership, was chair of the Secretaries APS Reform Committee, and led reforms to improve transparency and accountability of Commonwealth public sector agencies.
Rosemary has extensive experience in health, aged care and social policy. She was Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care from March 2009 to June 2013 with responsibility for aged care, mental health and e-health and, prior to that worked extensively on health funding reforms across hospitals, pharmaceuticals and Medicare.
Rosemary is currently working as a consultant, providing strategic advice and policy development services, primarily to government and government related entities, including in the areas of health policy, defence and national security. She is conducting the Mid-Term Review of the Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement on behalf of all Health Ministers, is a member of the Aged Care Financing Taskforce and is involved in several expert panels in the Defence portfolio relating to the Review of the Surface Combatant Fleet and implementation of the Defence Strategic Review. She has recently supported clients on complex policy development, governance and organisational reform and the development and presentation of costs for large multi-year projects.
Rosemary received an Order of Australia in 2023 for distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of health and finance, and a Public Service Medal in 2005 for her contribution to Medicare reform.
Rosemary has a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Political Science from the University of Tasmania.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 411 496 586
Michael Manthorpe PSM FIPAA
Michael Manthorpe is a consultant in public administration, having recently retired from a public service career which spanned 37 years. His current areas of activity include executive coaching; independent review of complex or sensitive problems; and strategic advice particularly on implementation and change.
Michael was the Commonwealth Ombudsman from 2017-2021, in which role he oversaw the administration of, and managed complaints about, almost all Australian Public Service, law enforcement, Defence, immigration and various other entities, including fulfilling the role of Private Health Insurance Ombudsman. He was also the Ombudsman for the ACT. He was the CEO of an Office of 300 people which plays an important independent role in upholding concepts of integrity and fairness.
Michael joined the public service in 1984 and in the subsequent decades worked on reforms spanning workplace relations, the labour market, early childhood education, immigration and border protection. He has extensive program delivery, strategy, leadership and policy experience. Among other things he led the delivery of Australia’s refugee, citizenship and visa programs at what is now the Home Affairs Department from 2014-17. Through his career, he was frequently called upon to “stand up” new functions or respond to problems. Michael served in the SES for 20 years, 8 of which were at Deputy Secretary level.
Michael was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2010 for leading the Australian Government’s response to the insolvency of ABC Learning, which was then Australia’s largest childcare provider. He is Deputy President and Councillor at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA ACT) and was awarded a Fellowship of IPAA for his outstanding contribution to public service shortly after his retirement from full-time work.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 423 245 301
Ken Matthews AO
Ken Matthews retired in 2010 as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian National Water Commission, a position he had held since March 2005. In this role, he was responsible for working with the State and Territory governments of Australia to implement the National Water Initiative Inter-Governmental Agreement and encourage national water reform.
Mr Matthews was previously the Secretary (CEO) of the Federal Department of Transport and Regional Services from November, 1999 to October, 2004, and from February, 1998 to October 1999, was the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. During 1997, Mr Matthews headed the Australian Government's high level Wik Task Force in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, providing advice to the Prime Minister on Native Title.
Mr Matthews' academic background is in economics, majoring in government (B.Ec. University of Sydney, 1974). Mr Matthews is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration - Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mr Matthews was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001 for services to public administration. In 2005 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to regional communities, the national transport system and for his contribution to public administration in Australia. In 2014 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Flinders University.
He currently serves on a number of boards (public sector and private sector) and is a consultant in the areas of public administration, water management, agriculture, transport, natural resource management and government policy. He has a background in science policy and inter-governmental relations. He has experience in governance, organisational leadership and board processes.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 419 238 562
Professor John McMillan AO
John has held the statutory positions of Commonwealth Ombudsman (2003-10), Integrity Commissioner (Acting) for the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (2007), Australian Information Commissioner (2010-15), NSW Ombudsman (Acting) (2015-17), member of the Australian Copyright Tribunal (2015-18), and member of the Administrative Review Council (2003-14).
John is an Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, where he taught administrative and constitutional law from 1983-2003. He is a co-author of Control of Government Action: Text, Cases and Commentary (2019, 5th ed).
John is a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, an honorary life member of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law, and a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day Honours List 2010 for his work as Ombudsman, academic and in professional societies.
John has extensive experience in establishing offices and systems, publishing legal guidelines, conducting major investigations, and providing legal and policy advice. He established two offices (ACLEI and OAIC), and conducted independent reviews of other offices and government programs. As Ombudsman and Information Commissioner John published over 70 investigation reports, including the six volume NSW ‘Operation Prospect’ report on police corruption investigations to culminate the largest single Ombudsman investigation in Australia. In recent years he has conducted independent reviews of the medicinal cannabis scheme, the My Health Records Act, a Federal Court data breach, ABC complaint handling, and the Modern Slavery Act.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 459 094 732
Ian McPhee AO PSM
Ian has had a close involvement with the accounting profession having been Deputy Chair of the Australian Accounting Standards Board (2009-2014), Chair of the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (1992-1995), member of the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (1999-2008), a member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (2002-2008) and a member of the International Ethical Standards Board for Accountants (2016-2021). He has also been President of the ACT Division of CPA Australia (1997-98) and the Institute of Public Administration Australia (2008-10). Ian is a Fellow of CPAA (Life Member), and IPAA, and a graduate of the AICD.
Ian McPhee was Auditor-General for Australia between 2005 and 2015. Prior to that appointment, Ian was Deputy Secretary, Financial Management Group, Department of Finance. Ian held a range of other positions in his career in the Australian National Audit Office, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Department of Finance, and as a Director of the Australian Technology Group.
Ian was awarded an honorary First Class Medal of Honour by the Government of Indonesia in 2009 and honorary degree of Doctor of the University of Central Queensland in 2012. Ian is currently a Distinguished Honorary Professor at the Australian National University.
Ian has an enduring interest in sound organisational governance, policy development and performance. He has been a non-executive director of Beston Global Food Company, and undertaken governance reviews for the banking industry and CPA Australia. He is currently the ACT Public Sector Standards Commissioner (part time), a member of a number of audit committees, a member of the Council of Central Queensland University, and chair of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Audit Quality Advisory Board.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 409 742 983
Russell Miller AM
Russell Miller advises government agencies and corporations on strategy and governance, competition policy and issue resolution.
He is a former Chair of major Australian law firm Minter Ellison and Chair of the Royal Australian Mint Advisory Board a director of the Australian Academy of Law. His not-for-profit work has included as a director of the Diamond Jubilee Trust Australia Ltd.
He has advised Boards of a range of agencies and companies, including governance adviser to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and legal adviser to the International Air Transport Association, the Civil Aviation Authority, National Rail Corporation Ltd, Medibank Private Ltd and Dulux Group Ltd.
Russell was an adviser on the Access Card Project, the establishment of Centrelink and the Commonwealth-State National Rail Freight Corporation initiative. He has conducted reviews for a number of Ministers and government agencies, including a review of consultative arrangements for the Australian Taxation Office.
His other government appointments have included the International Air Services Commission, the Australian Aviation Advisory Committee, the International Legal Services Advisory Council, the Minister for Trade's WTO Advisory Group, the boards of the Bureau of Meteorology, the NSW Independent Planning Commission and the National Electricity Code Administrator.
His published works include Miller's Australian Competition Law & Policy (Thomson Reuters 3rd ed 2018) and Miller’s Australian Competition and Consumer Law Annotated (Thomson Reuters ed 202); subjects on which he has lectured in Australia and internationally.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 411 109 727
Mike Mrdak AO
Mr Mike Mrdak AO
Mike Mrdak holds a number of non-executive and advisory roles.
He is Executive Chair of NEC Australia, the long-standing global Japanese technology company that is a leading edge provider of IT services, digital communications, and digital smart technology in transport and safety.
He is the Chair of the Airports Development Group companies in the NT which owns and operates Darwin, Alice Springs, and Tennant Creek airports and a number of hospitality and utilities businesses in the NT.
He also Chairs the NSW Regional Growth Corporation and NSW EnergyCo Advisory Boards.
Mike had a 32-year career with the Australian Public Service between 1988 and 2020.
Mike held the position of Secretary, Commonwealth Department of Communications and the Arts, between September 2017 and February 2020. The portfolio has responsibility for broadband and the National Broadband Network (NBN); communications infrastructure; spectrum; communication, broadcasting, and media regulation and fostering Australian arts and culture.
Between June 2009 and September 2017, Mike was Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. His work with the infrastructure and regional development portfolio included management of infrastructure planning and investment; policy initiatives to increase productivity; security, safety, and regulation in road, rail, aviation, and maritime transport; regional development; local government; and services to Australia’s territories.
Between March 2008 and June 2009 he was Deputy Secretary (Governance), Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. During this time he was appointed Commonwealth Coordinator-General with responsibility for ensuring the effective implementation of key Commonwealth economic stimulus infrastructure investments.
In November 2013, Mike received the Federal Government Leader of the Year Award recognizing his outstanding leadership and work on major infrastructure projects including the duplication of the Pacific and Hume Highways.
Mike was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday 2016 honors list for his distinguished service to public administration through executive roles in the infrastructure, transport, and logistics sector, and through the development of policy reform initiatives.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 417 021029
Lisa Paul AO PSM
Lisa Paul was a Chief Executive in the Australian federal government from 2004 to 2016, most recently as the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training. She currently serves on the Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Board as well as the Boards of Navitas, Advanced Personnel Management (APM), Social Ventures Australia, Australian Schools Plus, High Resolves, the Australia American Educational Leadership Foundation Ltd and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth.
Lisa is an Australian National University Policy Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a member of Chief Executive Women and a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government. She is also a delegate to the Australian Davos Connection. She is also an independent non-executive director of Bond University Limited.
Lisa is a former director of the Programmed Group as well as a former member of the Advisory Board to the Melbourne Accelerator Program and Enterprise Professor-Public Policy at the University of Melbourne.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 481 125 140
John Simpson AM
John Simpson is a senior corporate executive and company director with more than 30 years in the private and public sectors. John currently serves as Chair of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal which operates under the auspices of ASIC.
Previously, John was Strategic Adviser in the Office of CEO at National Australia Bank having also held the position as Group General Manager - Corporate Affairs. John spent the majority of his career with Shell Australia and Shell International - working in Australia, Asia and the United Kingdom. He was Director - External Affairs at Shell, and was appointed a Director of Shell Australia Limited in 2002 and Shell Energy Holdings (Australia) Limited the following year. For three years, John held the position as President of ESSSuper (one of Australia’s top ten Superannuation Funds) and was a Director for four years!
John has a particular interest in education and has been a Member of Council of Monash University for the past five years. He has served on the Boards of the National Science & Technology Centre (Questacon) where he was Deputy Chairman, and of Scotch College where he had been a Director for 15 years.
Throughout his career, John has had an interest in seeing the private and public sectors work more cooperatively and has worked to develop greater understanding in both sectors. He created a series of Shell seminars in Canberra specifically designed to improve knowledge within Government of the Upstream & Downstream energy sectors and within the Company of the challenges faced by legislators and regulators. These events were highly valued by government and by the many hundreds who participated.
John was a Director (for eleven years) of the Food Rescue organisation - SecondBite and remains a Trustee of the H V McKay Charitable Trust. He is Managing Director of consulting firm - Simpson Paterson. He is a trained journalist & editor and writes occasional columns for The Australian / The Age / The Sydney Morning Herald.
John operates a pro bono mentoring practice for numerous young people seeking support and navigational advice as they commence their careers.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 487 000 304
Meryl Stanton PSM
Meryl Stanton is a retired organisational psychologist. She was for seven years a non-executive Director of the not-for-profit company Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) Ltd) and Chair of its Audit Committee. Meryl has served as an independent member on a number of governance and organisational change committees, and has undertaken organisational development reviews. She is a qualified Executive Coach, specialising in coaching and mentoring senior women.
Meryl is a former senior public servant. She was Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Executive Director of the then Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. She had previously held a number of senior policy and service delivery positions in the APS in the workplace relations and occupational health and safety areas, including as CEO, Comcare.
Meryl is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Public Administration Australia and the Australian Human Resources Institute. She was awarded the AHRI Medal in 2013. She is a founding member of the Centre for Strategy & Governance.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 418 481 504
Dr Vivienne Thom AM
Vivienne is an independent consultant in the field of public administration with a focus on integrity and governance. In June 2016 Vivienne was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to public administration through a range of senior roles, and as a mentor to women in executive positions.
Vivienne has conducted a number of highly sensitive and complex inquiries and reviews. In February 2023 she was appointed as Independent Expert Chair of the Parliamentary Leadership Taskforce overseeing the implementation of the recommendations in the Set the Standard report.
In July 2015 Vivienne completed a five-year term as the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security — an independent statutory officer agency head position in the Prime Minister’s portfolio responsible for the oversight of Australia’s intelligence agencies. Vivienne previously held the positions of Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman (2006 to 2010), Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint (2002 to 2006), and Commissioner of Patents (1999 to 2002).
As a former agency head Vivienne has first-hand experience of a wide range of public sector governance issues. She has chaired audit committees and has been an independent member on a range of other governance boards and committees. In late 2020 Vivienne was appointed by the Minister for Defence to lead the independent IGADF Afghanistan Inquiry Implementation Oversight Panel. Vivienne is also currently a member of the ACT Selection Committee for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. She has previously been a member of the IPAA ACT Council (2017 to 2021), an ACT Division Councillor for the AICD (2009 to 2018), and a member of the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board (2016 to 2019).
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 418 571 224
Alan Thompson Hon FIE Aust
Alan Thompson is a former Chief Executive of public departments and agencies. Over a period of 22 years, Alan was variously CEO of three Victorian Departments (Housing and Construction; Conservation and Natural Resources; and Justice), the ACT Department of Urban Services, the Auckland Regional Transport Authority, New Zealand Ministry of Transport, and finally the Department of Parliamentary Services for the Australian Parliament.
Largely driven by external economic circumstances, a major priority of Alan’s CEO roles in Victoria, ACT and New Zealand was “institutional reform”, coupled with client focus, and budget savings.
Alan led the ACT Government’s Bushfire Recovery Taskforce in the aftermath of the disastrous 2003 Canberra bushfires.
After retiring from full-time public sector roles, from 2013 to 2020 Alan provided strategic advice to an international engineering design firm, focussing on Australian and international government clients.
Alan was also inaugural chair of the Board of Melbourne Parks and Waterways, and chaired the Parliament House Security Management Board. Alan has also served on numerous government boards and inter-jurisdictional committees, and was a member of Expert Reviewer Panel for Infrastructure NSW.
Alan continues to contribute to national debates and policy development for infrastructure priorities and project delivery, as well as emerging technologies.
Alan initially trained as a professional engineer, and mentors young engineers, and executive engineers. Alan is also an active contributor to Engineers Australia (EA), which is the learned society for Australian engineers. Alan’s work with EA largely focusses on leadership and management issues, and the transport sector. In 2018 EA accorded Alan “Honorary Fellow” status in recognition of his contribution to Australian infrastructure development, and the engineering profession.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 416 970 729
Malcolm Thompson
Malcolm’s career in the Australian Government stretched over three decades, the majority of which was in senior roles in water, environment and agriculture portfolios.
After stints in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Treasury and Infrastructure Department, Malcolm had the privilege of leading a team which drafted the Australian Intergovernmental Agreement on a National Water Initiative (NWI) – Australia’s world-leading blueprint for water reform. He helped establish the National Water Commission to oversee NWI reforms, and as General Manager and then Deputy CEO, led the first national assessment of governments’ progress against the NWI – work which helped lift water management across Australia (including water governance, water pricing and water planning).
He has held Deputy Secretary roles in the environment, climate change and agriculture departments working in strategic policy (including Australia’s first Sustainable Australia report, and Threatened Species Strategy), regulatory practice, program delivery, intergovernmental relations, public administration and governance, and operational challenges.
He completed his career in the Australian Public Service as Head of Taskforce to the National COVID-19 Commission which was established by the Prime Minister to provide a business perspective on management of the pandemic’s impacts on the Australian economy and society.
Malcolm is currently engaged in consulting roles covering good governance and water/natural resource policy and management.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone: +61 409 047 494
Anthea Tinney PSM
Anthea Tinney is a non-executive director and independent consultant with wide experience in public policy advising and government administration. She was a deputy secretary in the federal environment portfolio and, prior to leaving the Australian Public Service, was appointed as the Interim CEO of the National Film and Sound Archive.
Anthea has served on many boards and advisory committees and is currently Chair of the NSW government Marine Estate Expert Knowledge Panel, a member of the Marine Estate Management Authority and a member of the Advisory Board of the National Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority. She was formerly a director of the CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) and Chair or independent member of a number of public sector audit committees. She was also Chair of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Chair of the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Chair of Land and Water Australia, the inaugural independent Chair of the Steel Stewardship Forum and a member of the Australian Government’s Independent Communications Committee.
Anthea has conducted several independent reviews for the Australian government, mostly related to her previous experience in the Environment portfolio.
During her earlier public service career, Anthea spent over two decades in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, including five years as the head of the Cabinet Office and some years in the Treasury. She has a Bachelor of Economics degree and was awarded a Public Service Medal in 1995 for services to the Australian Cabinet system.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone +61 419 302 580
David Tune AO PSM
David Tune was Secretary of the Department of Finance from August 2009 to June 2014. In this role, he provided advice to the government on all Budget issues, as well as whole-of-government ICT policy, government property management and financial management.
David has held many senior positions in the Australian Public Service, including Associate Secretary, Domestic Policy Group in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where he was responsible for providing advice on a diverse range of domestic policy issues, including industry policy, infrastructure policy, social policy, health policy, environment policy, economic policy and fiscal policy. He was also the Australian Sherpa for the first two G20 meetings in 2008 and 2009.
He began his career in the Australian Public Service in 1976 and has worked in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Social Security/Family and Community Services and the Treasury at Senior Executive Service levels on a range of policy matters and program management. From 1986 to 1988 he was seconded to the British Cabinet Office working in the UK Efficiency Unit.
Other senior positions have included Deputy Secretary of Treasury’s Fiscal Policy Group with responsibility for providing policy advice to the Government on all issues involving expenditure. In this role, as well as in Finance and PM&C, David provided direct advice to government and the Expenditure Review Committee of Cabinet over a long period and had a leading role in the preparation of countless Budgets and other Economic Statement.
David’s more recent roles include Chair of the Government’s Aged Care Sector Committee (since early 2015) and Co-Chair of the Independent Review of Parliamentary Entitlements for the Commonwealth Government that reported in early 2016.
He David was awarded the Public Service Medal in the 2009 Australia Day Honours List and in January 2015 became an officer in the general division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to public administration through leadership of finance, budget and social policy initiatives, as an adviser to government, and through disaster recovery co-ordination and liaison.
Contact: [email protected]
Phone +61 411 720 446