Australia’s new Information Commissioner will be Elizabeth Tydd when incumbent Angelene Falk departs in mid-August.
Ms Tydd is currently serving as the Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner, having only begun a five year term in February.
The FOI Commissioner has been notoriously under resourced, with former commissioner Leo Hardiman serving just one frustrating year of his five year term when he departed in March 2023.
Mr Hardiman had been the first FOI Commissioner in seven years and Ms Tydd’s immediate predecessor.
Before joining as a federal regulator, Ms Tydd had been the NSW Information and Privacy Commission’s chief executive and information commissioner since 2013.
It was announced that Ms Falk would not seek a third term as Information Commissioner in November 2023.
Two new appointments have been made to the board of CSIRO. Former Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Terry Moran has been appointed as deputy chair while Diversity Council Australia chair Ming Long joins as a director.
eHealth NSW chief executive and chief information officer Dr Zoran Bolevich has moved to the federal public service to lead the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) – an independent statutory authority tasked with providing health and welfare data and insights. Dr Bolevich has been in his eHealth NSW role since 2015 and on the AIHW board since 2016.
Investment NSW’s new director for Innovation Programs, Partnerships and Precincts is Will Schmitt. He moves from the consultancy he co-founded, Innovation Mission. Mr Schmitt will remain on the board of Innovation Mission as well as an Agrifood Innovation Fellow at the Australian National University’s Agrifood Innovation Institute. He is also a member of AgriFutures Australia’s emerging industries consultative committee.
At the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Andrew Carriline has been appointed deputy chair. Mr Carriline is currently on several other boards, including Rich Data Co and Kina Securities.
The Office of National Intelligence (ONI) has recruited its new deputy director-general for digital and technology from the Australian Signals Directorate, although their name has been withheld. ONI issued a job listing for several tech leadership positions at the start of the year and is yet to announce the appointment of a leader for its new digital and data division.
The Business Council of Australia’s has established a new Digital and Artificial Intelligence Committee. It will be chaired by Google Australia and New Zealand managing director Mel Silva, who is already on the board of the business group.
Policy experts recently questioned the outsized role big tech firms like Google have in Australia’s AI debate, recommending an independent body ensure they contribute fairly with tax contributions or levies.
Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw has been reappointed in the role, which is now due to expire in October 2026. Mr Kershaw was first appointed in October 2019.
Multinational consultancy EY’s new chief technology and innovation officer for Oceania is Katherine Boiciuc. She starts at the end of April, moving from her role as digital transformation lead at Viva Energy which she held for a year.
Northrop Grumman Australia’s chief executive and general manager Christine Zeitz will step down from the role in September after more than four years in the job. Ms Zeitz is also chair of the Education department funded Defence Trailblazer led by the University of Adelaide and the University of New South Wales in collaboration with more than 50 industry partners.
Western Sydney University’s next vice chancellor will be Professor George Williams from mid-July. Professor Williams is an Australian constitutional law expert and will move from his role as the University of New South Wales’ deputy vice-chancellor for transformation, planning, and assurance.
The Australian Academy of Science has established an advisory board to lead development of an independent 10-year plan to ensure the nation’s science system is globally competitive. The 12-membered advisory panel is being chaired by former chief scientist of Australia Professor Ian Chubb, with former Tech Council of Australia chief Kate Pounder and former Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson also on the board.
