Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was this week appointed chair of the Advanced Materials and Battery Council, marking her first major industry role since leaving politics in 2023.
The appointment sees the former Labor leader, who served as premier for nearly nine years, return to the national stage in a position focused on advancing Australia’s growing critical minerals and battery industries.
Outgoing chair Craig Nicol, founder and chief executive of Graphene Manufacturing Group, said it had been “an honour” to serve during a period of significant growth for Australia’s advanced materials sector.
He welcomed Ms Palaszczuk’s appointment, along with that of interim chief executive Lynnard Cucksey, describing both as critical to supporting members and strengthening the organisation’s national focus.
Ms Palaszczuk said the AMBC’s mission is to unlock Australian capability from minerals to advanced materials to batteries, saying she is excited to work with members, governments and investors to turn opportunity into projects, exports and skilled jobs across the country.
Anthony Albanese’s international adviser and former foreign affairs official Kathy Klugman has been appointed director-general of national intelligence.
She becomes the first woman to lead the Office of National Intelligence or its predecessor, the Office of National Assessments. The role places Ms Klugman at the centre of Australia’s national intelligence community, overseeing coordination between 10 security and intelligence agencies and advising the government on strategic threats.
Ms Klugman has more than three decades of experience in foreign policy and national security, having held senior positions across the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Most recently she served as principal adviser to the Prime Minister on international affairs.
She has previously led DFAT’s Development and Multilateral Group, chaired the Aid Governance Board, and served as high commissioner to Sri Lanka. Earlier in her career she oversaw the establishment of DFAT’s Office of the Pacific and served as Australia’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Her appointment follows the completion of Andrew Shearer’s term as director-general. The prime minister’s office said Ms Klugman’s leadership will strengthen intelligence coordination and deepen Australia’s partnerships across the Indo-Pacific amid a shifting strategic environment.
Dr Emma Cassar has been appointed secretary of the Department of Justice and Community Safety in Victoria. Formerly deputy secretary for social policy at the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Dr Cassar has led Victoria’s prison system as corrections commissioner.
Her appointment makes her one of five women now leading Victorian departments. Premier Jacinta Allan said Dr Cassar’s leadership and policy experience would be key to delivering community safety reforms.
Professor Kathryn North has been appointed chair of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board, which determines the national research strategy and priorities for the $650 million Medical Research Future Fund.
A distinguished paediatric physician, neurologist and clinical geneticist, Professor North succeeds Professor Ian Frazer, who stepped down in February after leading three strategy cycles.
Health minister Mark Butler said Professor North would bring deep experience to further strengthen Australia’s medical research capability.
The government has appointed four new members to the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group: Dr Jessa Rogers, Che Cockatoo-Collins, Naomi Moran and Terry Jamieson. The group advises on policies to improve digital access and capability in First Nations communities, in line with Closing the Gap Target 17.
The appointees bring expertise across education, telecommunications, media and policy, and will work with co-chairs Dot West and Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker.
Quantum physicist Dr Josh Combes has joined Emergence Quantum to lead new initiatives in error correction, architecture design and quantum sensing systems. Dr Combes has held research and academic positions at Griffith University, the University of New Mexico, the Perimeter Institute, the University of Colorado and the University of Melbourne, and previously worked at Bay Area start-up Rigetti Computing.
Andrew Black, managing director of digital trust at Australian Payments Plus, has taken on expanded responsibilities overseeing the company’s fraud and scam prevention programs, its future of payments and digital assets portfolio, and the ConnectID digital identity network. Mr Black said trust had become the key battleground and value differentiator in a rapidly evolving threat environment.
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