I am pleased to announce the Governor-General has agreed to my recommendations about several changes to Departmental Secretaries.
Following the departures of Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM as the Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Energy and Mr Martin Bowles PSM as the Secretary of the Department of Health, I will move two highly experienced Secretaries into these positions.
Mr Finn Pratt AO PSM will be the Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Energy and Ms Glenys Beauchamp PSM will become the Secretary of the Department of Health.
These appointments lead to other movements.
Dr Heather Smith PSM will move from the Department of Communications and the Arts to be the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Ms Kathryn Campbell CSC will move from the Secretary of the Department of Human Services to the Secretary of the Department of Social Services.
Mr Mike Mrdak AO will move from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development to become the Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts.
Ms Renée Leon PSM, will also move from the Department of Employment to become the Secretary of the Department of Human Services.
These Secretaries have extensive careers in the Australian Public Service at senior levels, with responsibility for a number of significant government reforms and programs. I thank these Secretaries for their continued leadership in the APS.
The movements mean there are two vacancies. I am pleased to announce two promotions to Secretary positions. Ms Kerri Hartland will be the Secretary of the Department of Employment and Dr Steven Kennedy PSM will be the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Ms Hartland has extensive experience and expertise across the Commonwealth Government. She spent five years in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and has been a Deputy Secretary in two Departments (Human Services and Finance). Notably, Ms Hartland became the first woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of ASIO and is the only ASIO officer to be publicly declared other than the Director-General.
Dr Kennedy is currently a Deputy Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet responsible for Innovation and Transformation. He has led work on the cities agenda, regulatory reform, public data and digital innovation. Dr Kennedy was previously a Deputy Secretary in several Departments (Industry, Innovation and Science; Environment; Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education; and Climate Change and Energy Efficiency).
These new Secretary appointments will be for five years, commencing on 18 September 2017.
Finally, Mr Michael Pezzullo, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, is the Secretary-designate for the Department of Home Affairs. This appointment will be finalised when the Department of Home Affairs is established. I will provide further details on this in due course.
I thank the Secretaries for their public service and look forward to working with them in their new roles.