Australia’s peak media regulator has appointed Google’s former top policy executive Samantha Yorke as its inaugural Chief AI Officer.
Ms Yorke joined the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) as one of its four authority members in 2023, off the back of an extensive career in the digital sector.
The Harvard Law School graduate has worked at Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and the advertising and social media peak sector bodies ADMA, IAB Australia and the Digital Industry Group.
Announcing the appointment, ACMA said Ms Yorke would be charged with “building [AI] capability across the agency and ensuring we make the most of the opportunities ahead while adopting the technology safely and responsibly”.
In a LinkedIn post Ms Yorke said she was looking forward to sharing ideas and best practices with AI execs from other government agencies.
Two of Victoria’s top ICT executive roles are about to be vacant, following the departure of the state government’s chief information security officer and the announcement this week that Victoria Police’s (VicPol) chief digital officer will step down in March.
Victoria’s inaugural whole-of-government CISO Dovid Clarke departed the role in January after two and half years, joining New Zealand-based cybersecurity business RedShield as chief executive.
The state’s Department of Government Services director of cyber Rohan Davies is acting as CISO and executive director of data and digital resilience while recruitment efforts are underway.
According to recruitment documents, Mr Clarke’s replacement will be charged with directing the state’s cyber policy, its Cyber Defence Centre and incident responses, while overseeing improvements to ICT systems and resilience.
Steve Hodgkinson announced his departure as VicPol chief digital office on Tuesday last week, and follows a technology division restructure announced January, and major tech outsourcing initiatives announced mid-last year, handing almost $185 million to DXC Technology and Kinetic IT.
VicPol’s executive director operational infrastructure David Suder will lead a new digital infrastructure and service portfolio, which will operate under the auspices of his current office.
The federal government has poached New South Wales crime commissioner Michael Barnes to serve a five-year term as inspector-general of intelligence and security (IGIS).
Mr Barnes will commence his new role as overseer of Australia’s national intelligence agencies in April, replacing Dr Christopher Jessup.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland thanked Mr Jessup for his “distinguished service” as IGIS, while touting the “extensive experience” his successor would bring to the role.
Mr Barnes has previously served as a member of NSWs’ Joint Counter Terrorism Taskforce and State Security Group, as NSW ombudsman, and as state coroner for both NSW and QLD respectively.
Josie Angus, Lisa France and Jeff Pfaff have been appointed to the Trade and Investment Queensland Board, the Crisafulli government announced Friday.
Ms Angus has more than 20 years’ experience as an executive at livestock and pastoralist companies. Ms France is a veteran executive of the energy and technology sectors. Mr Pfaff is a former ATO public servant and PwC partner, who also currently sits on the board of Cricket Australia.
Queensland Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the new appointees brought a vast array of experiences to help the state win global investment and support local export.
The federal government’s internal consultancy agency has posted multiple job openings just days after telling a Senate Estimates hearing it would grow to 150 staff as the federal government pursues cuts to spending on outside contractors.
Australian Government Consulting chief consulting officer Andrew Nipe told Estimates the agency would engage in “rolling recruitment” over the next four years as it builds from its current pool of 37 staff in order to take on more work.
Mr Nipe said AGC had so far completed 35 projects, offsetting $7 million in external consulting spend, but remained a small market player and unable to keep up with demand for its services.
Greens-commissioned Parliamentary Library research found the government’s consulting spend reached $968.6 million in 2024-25, up more than $300 million on the previous year.
Ascendant aerospace firm Hypersonix Launch Systems has announced that former UK Ministry of Defence executive and retired British Army major general James Chiswell will join its board of directors.
Mr Chiswell is a co-founder and CEO of High Tor Capital, one of Hypersonnix’s major investors. The aerospace firm said he would spearhead its expansion into the UK and European markets.
Hypersonnix is expected to announce the launch date and time of the first trial flight of its hypersonic aircraft design by the end of next week.
The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) has appointed Kate Cornick its new CEO, alongside two new board appointments.
Dr Cornick led Victoria’s startup incubator LaunchVic for ten years, stepping away now after the Allen government late last year announced it would be disbanded and its functions merged into other NGOs.
The founder of green lender Brighte Katherine McConnell will join TCA’s board, while outgoing CEO Damian Kassabgi will transition to a special board advisory role.
Asia Pacific artificial intelligence and data consultancy V2 AI has welcomed Hannah Williams as its new managing director.
The University of Sydney business school graduate most recently served for seven years as head of APJ at satellite communications giant Amazon Leo.
Veteran public servant and former interim national data commissioner Deborah Anton has begun her tenure as CEO of the National Measurement Institute.
Ms Anton replaces Dr Bruce Warrington, who announced his departure earlier this month, and commences alongside the NMI’s new chief meteorology officer Dr Victoria Coleman.
Kate Vidgen will join the board of Macquarie Technology Group as a non-executive director, the company announced Wednesday.
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