Government Matters: Recent Episodes
PwC Australia
The Government Matters podcast features prominent public sector leaders, offering a window to what inspired and drove their stories of innovation, reform and transformation that have contributed to a better Australia for all citizens. Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information, visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
Our host and PwC Partner, Di Rutter, speaks with Victoria’s Public Sector Commissioner, Adam Fennessy in this episode of the Government Matters podcast.
Adam has over 20 years of public sector experience at state and federal levels, including four years as Secretary of the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning.
Responsible for the performance of 1 in 10 of Victoria's workers, Adam has led a complete reimagination of what working in the public sector looks like. Adam has embraced disruption as an opportunity to not only achieve better outcomes from the Victorian public sector but also improve the wellbeing and happiness of the people working within it.
Di and Adam explore: How investing in people drew Adam into his first public sector role The complex issues he faced and importance of community learnt as the Secretary of DELWP Victoria What the role of Victorian Public Sector Commissioner entails and how it helps support the broader community The importance of inclusive working environments, prioritising flexibility and equal opportunity Adam’s biggest learning in leadership and the benefits of modelling behaviours His one piece of advice that he would give someone finding their way in the public sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In this episode of the Government Matters podcast, our host PwC Partner Di Rutter sits down with CEO of Urban Utilities, Louise Dudley.
With her career spanning across both the private and public sectors, Louise shares her insightful perspectives on the water management industry and how her career led to being recognised as one of the top 20 most powerful women in water globally.
Di and Louise speak about: Louise’s journey to the public sector after 17 years in the private sector and how this ignited her passion and role in water management The process of merging five councils into one water utility, Urban Utilities, and the benefits and challenges this presents Her role as CEO of Urban Utilities over the past decade and beginning as Acting CEO during the 2011 floods The learnings Louise has carried forward with her on leadership The most pressing issues in relation to water sustainability Involving community and individuals in water sustainability and conservation initiatives Gender diversity problems in the water sector Louise’s plan after she steps down as CEO in August 2022 Her advice for those paving their way through a career in the public sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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PwC Partner Di Rutter speaks with Adrian Piccoli in this episode of the Government Matters podcast. Adrian is the Head of Education, Australasia at Korn Ferry and was formerly NSW’s Minister for Education.
With an accomplished career in both the public and private sector, Adrian shares his wealth of knowledge in the education sector. He also speaks about the reform he pioneered "Local Schools, Local Decisions" that placed students at the centre of school decision making.
In this episode, Di and Adrian discuss: Adrian’s early start in politics and how he navigated New South Wales parliament His appointment to NSW Minister for Education and the "Local Schools, Local Decisions" reform he implemented His passion for education and specifically the importance of equity in this area The impact of the pandemic on equity in education How parents can take an active, healthy interest in their children’s education with his book 12 Ways Your Child Can Get the Best Out of School The balance of family life and career, and how this has impacted Adrian’s mental health His advice for someone finding their way in the public sector career
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In this episode, PwC Partner Di Rutter sits down with the Secretary for the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Andrew Metcalfe.
Having studied to be a lawyer at the University of Queensland, Andrew has forged a diverse and varied career working across both the public and private sectors, including as head of the Department of Immigration for seven years.
In this episode, Di and Andrew discuss: Andrew’s early years and his decision to join the public sector as a graduate What the public sector was like back in the 1980s and the drastic change witnessed in the evolving functions of business and government His role as Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet being appointed shortly after the 9/11 tragedy Andrew’s role at DAWE and leading a strong team of 7,000 people The reality of net zero emissions by 2050 in Australia His advice for someone finding their way in the public sector career
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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PwC Partner, Suji Kanagalingam sits down with Lesley Podesta for this episode of the Government Matters podcast. Lesley wears many hats, most notably as Founder at Red Mitten, Head of Government Relations at Phoenix Australia, and Former CEO at Alannah & Madeline Foundation.
Lesley's story is one of courage, resilience, and great perseverance to lead a number of social reforms that have had a hugely positive impact on the lives of Aboriginal communities, improving the protection of children and more broadly made Australia a fairer and more caring place for all.
In this episode, they discuss: Lesley’s early childhood and career journey as a public servant, CEO, founder, and advisor on several boards Her perspective on how health outcomes have progressed in Australia Managing the balance of work and life, and not making gender-based decisions Her proudest moment working with children impacted by violence The future of work and skills in Australia Her advice for those seeking a career in the not-for-profit sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In the final episode of season 1 of the Government Matters podcast, our host and PwC Partner, Di Rutter, speaks with the Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall.
As South Australia’s 46th Premier elected in 2018, he has successfully led the state through the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects on his journey throughout this experience.
In this episode, they discuss: Premier Marshall’s early career in his family’s furniture manufacturing business How he entered a career in politics His reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic and what it meant for South Australians The importance of education to foster understanding The Premier’s leadership style in a crisis and his early learnings that were drawn on to form this The need for greater collaboration between government, business and community His advice to those navigating or starting a career in the public sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In this episode of the Government Matters podcast, our host, Di Rutter, sits down with Jen Rufati, General Manager of the Smart Centres Operations Division at Services Australia.
Servicing around 23 million phone calls per year, and processing over 3 million claims for Centrelink, Australia’s security and welfare systems, Jen leads over 10,000 full-time employees and is responsible for maintaining operational and service effectiveness.
In this episode, they discuss: How Jen’s role in the private sector prepared her for the public sector The government support and trust increase as a result of the pandemic Improving the processes of Centrelink during a time when queues were unprecedented Rallying her team to serve the citizens of Australia Why the move to more digital is not slowing down and providing better outcomes Her advice for those finding their way in a public sector career The balancing act of personal and professional life
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In episode six of the Government Matters podcast, our host, Di Rutter, speaks with Christine Castley who leads Multicultural Australia as their Chief Executive. Across her 25-year career in government, Christine has delivered significant reform and innovation projects, including for adult and youth justice, disaster management response and recovery and public sector ethics and integrity reform. Christine is a passionate advocate for equal access to justice and services for everyone.
Tune into this episode to hear: Christine’s first impressions and lessons learnt from immigrating to Australia at the age of 15 from Malaysia Where Christine’s 25-year career in government led her from reviewing legislation on water resources to working with the Hon. Quentin Bryce on domestic and family violence review The importance of community and cross-department collaboration to solve complex social policy problems What drives her personal passion and commitment as a leader Christine’s transition from policy setting to working with the people that are impacted by the policy The challenges faced when building inclusive and diverse communities Her advice to embrace diversity and inclusion
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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Join PwC Partner, Di Rutter, as she sits down with Emma Hogan, Secretary of NSW’s Department of Customer Service.
Following a 20-year career in the private sector working with iconic Australian brands, Emma made the jump to the public sector in 2018 as NSW’s Public Service Commissioner. In this episode, Di and Emma delve into what it’s like to lead teams of 10,000 and her experience as a transformation leader across customer, digital, people, culture and communications. This episode explores: Emma’s hesitancy in joining the public service and how it ended up being her best career move Why she made the switch from NSW Public Service Commissioner to Secretary after 18 months Innovative changes her team stood up in the tumultuous times of the NSW bushfires and COVID-19 pandemic including a digital payment process for volunteer firefighters and the Dine & Discover program What changes Emma will carry through from her learnings over the past 12 months How she builds a high-performing culture The importance of mentally healthy workplaces The book she authored on ordinary Australians doing something extraordinary Her advice to those looking to start a career in the public sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In this episode of the Government Matters podcast, PwC Partner Suji Kanagalingam speaks with Lee Miezis, CEO of Victoria's Environment Protection Authority.
Following the devastating bushfires in 2019/2020, Lee was appointed the first CEO of Victoria's Bushfire Recovery agency following an extensive career and record of achievement across service delivery, policy, operations, and regulation in the context of all things relating to the environment. This episode explores: Lee’s start in forestry and journey through the public service The importance of community and understanding that community and place His appointment as the inaugural CEO of Bushfire Recovery Victoria and setting up that agency from scratch Community stories from those impacted by bushfires and their recovery process What he hopes to achieve at EPA Backing yourself and Lee’s advice for those getting into a public service career
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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Episode three of the Government Matters podcast sees PwC partner Suji Kanagalingam speak with our first international guest, Tammy Labelle.
Until January 2021, Tammy was the Chief Information Officer of Public Services and Procurement Canada and continues to work tirelessly, to raise the voices of fellow public servants, driving change today for our collective digital future. In this episode they discuss: Tammy’s upbringing in Canada and her early career in the public sector Women working in IT in the mid ‘80s and how times have transformed The importance of diversity and bringing femininity to the table Her career highlights including the redesign of Canada’s taxation system How her Executive Master of Business Administration opened even more doors The evolution of leaders’ characteristics and qualities in the digital age Tammy’s advice on making the most of opportunities presented to you and for single parents in the workforce
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In this episode of Government Matters, Di speaks with Chris Bennetts, Head of Technology and Innovation at Transport for NSW. A recipient of the Public Service Medal, Chris has had a distinguished career working across both the private and public sectors, driving innovations that have positively impacted large parts of Australian society. This episode explores: Chris’ early career in technology product development and the skills he took with him His time in Asia and Finland and what this taught him about his leadership style The importance of creating psychological safety and building trust to harness the strength of teams How he balances innovation and creativity with delivery The projects he’s most proud of including the Opal card and contactless payments The future of transport Chris’ advice for anyone forging a career in the public sector
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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In the first episode of Government Matters, our host, Di Rutter, speaks to Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor and President of Deakin University Australia. Iain trained as a surgeon before forging a career in the tertiary education sector, working in leadership roles in the UK, New Zealand and now Australia. This episode explores: Why he chose to pursue a career in universities leaving behind his 20-year career as a surgeon The skills from his surgical career that he transferred to his leadership roles in tertiary education The qualities a successful leader needs in the digital era Whether leadership can be learnt or is innate The importance of mentorship Where education needs to focus on to create a better Australia The makings of a job-ready graduate How the education sector has had to shift in the last 12 months The impact of AI on society Iain’s advice for those finding a career in the public sector Which rugby team Iain supports after living in over 4 countries
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode. For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
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PwC Australia is pleased to be launching a new series, Government Matters, featuring some of our most respected and accomplished public sector leaders who offer a window to their career journeys and their perspectives around leadership and the innovations, reforms and transformations that have helped make a better Australia.
Subscribe now to make sure you don’t miss a single episode.
For more information visit pwc.com.au/government-matters-podcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.