Kate Driver will join IPAA ACT as its new CEO. Photo: IPAA.
The Institute of Public Administration Australia ACT has a new chief executive officer, and one who is well known in public sector circles.
Kate Driver, a former assistant secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet charged with driving the APS reform agenda, was also the deputy director and general manager of Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre.
She starts in the role next week (5 February) following the resignation last year of Caroline Walsh who left IPAA to join the OzHelp Foundation.
The institute announced the appointment on Monday (29 January). It said Ms Driver would bring a wealth of leadership experience in public policy, programs and regulation, corporate services, museums and educational institutions, as well as volunteer leadership and board work in the philanthropic sector.
She will be focused on collective leadership and embedding diverse and respectful voices in everyday public sector practice.
Speaking on behalf of the board, IPAA ACT president and Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, Katherine Jones, said she was pleased to announce Ms Driver as the next CEO.
“As an experienced leader in the Australian Public Service and philanthropic sector, Ms Driver brings a wealth of practical experience in public service, as IPAA ACT focuses on new challenges for its membership and the public sector in Australia more broadly,” Ms Jones said.
“Working at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet throughout 2023 to help establish the foundational year of the APS Reform Agenda, Ms Driver brings deep experience in public sector culture and reform.
“On top of her extensive leadership experience and expertise in the private, public and philanthropic sectors, Ms Driver’s deep and practical understanding of the concept and practice of public service will support IPAA ACT’s goal of supporting the broader public sector.
“We welcome Ms Driver’s innovative and creative leadership to IPAA ACT.”
Ms Driver describes herself as the quintessential ‘accidental public servant’.
Taking a six-month contract in the APS after leaving legal practice, she found herself in a career that now spans almost two decades in the public sector.
She said the values of the public sector and its connection to the every day of Australia’s communities spoke to her values and desire to make a positive impact in the world.
“I look forward to bringing my practical experience and passion to this role as IPAA ACT continues to be a key institutional partner to public sector staff and their leadership, academic partners, and the Australian businesses and communities they serve,” Ms Driver said.
In 2017, Ms Driver was a state finalist in the Australian Leadership Excellence Awards for Outstanding Leadership and Management in the ACT.
She has also been awarded an Australia Day Medal for her work in the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
IPAA is the professional body focused on promoting excellence and professionalism in public administration.
It describes itself as a non-profit and non-partisan organisation that works in partnership with the public sector, the private sector, academia and other institutions to provide a platform for debate and discussion about improving and striving for excellence in public administration in Australia.
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