Appendix 4 ꟷ Secretaries Board
Section 64 of the Public Service Act 1999 establishes the Secretaries Board.
Its functions are to:
- take responsibility for the stewardship of the APS and for developing and implementing strategies to improve the APS;
- identify strategic priorities for the APS and consider issues that affect the APS;
- set an annual work program;
- direct subcommittees to develop strategies to address APS-wide issues and make recommendations to the Secretaries Board;
- draw together advice from senior leaders in government, business and the community;
- work collaboratively and model leadership behaviours.
Members of the Secretaries Board keep their autonomy and statutory responsibilities as the heads of their respective departments or agencies.
The Secretaries Board Terms of Reference were updated and officially endorsed at the 14 August 2024 meeting.
To be transparent in its priorities and decisions, the Secretaries Board publishes communiques following meetings. These communiques are available on the PM&C website.
At 30 June 2025, the Secretaries Board has the following subcommittees:
- Capability and Workforce Committee
- Partnership Priorities Committee
- Secretaries Digital and Data Committee
- Secretaries Talent Council.
The Chief Operating Officers Committee plays an advisory role to the Secretaries Board.
Table A 34 lists the members of Secretaries Board for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
Table A 34: Members of Secretaries Board 2024ꟷ25
| Board Position | APS Title | Member |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | Professor Glyn Davis AC (to 15 June 2025) Dr Steven Kennedy PSM (from 16 June 2025) |
| Deputy Chair | Australian Public Service Commissioner | Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | Mr Adam Fennessy PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department | Ms Katherine Jones PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Mr David Fredericks PSM (to 20 June 2025) Mr Simon Duggan – Acting Secretary (from 21 June 2025) |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Defence | Mr Greg Moriarty AO |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Education | Mr Tony Cook PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations | Ms Natalie James |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Finance | Ms Jenny Wilkinson PSM (to 15 June 2025) Mr Richard Windeyer – Acting Secretary (from 16 June 2025) |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Ms Jan Adams AO PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing | Mr Blair Comley PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs | Ms Stephanie Foster PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources | Ms Meghan Quinn PSM |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts | Mr Jim Betts |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Social Services | Mr Ray Griggs AO CSC (to 10 December 2024) Mr Michael Lye (from 11 December 2024) |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of the Treasury | Dr Steven Kennedy PSM (to 15 June 2025) Ms Jenny Wilkinson PSM (from 16 June 2025) |
| Member | Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs | Ms Alison Frame |
| Other | Chief Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Australians Agency | Ms Jody Broun |
Find out more
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (n.d.) Secretaries Board, PM&C website, accessed 1 July 2025.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (n.d.) Secretary appointments to departments of state, PM&C website, accessed 1 July 2025.