Defence Leaders: Senior Leaders
Mr Simon Lewis, PSM
Chief Operating Officer
Mr Simon Lewis, PSM transferred to Defence from the Department of Finance and Deregulation on 6 April 2010, to fill the role of Deputy Secretary Defence Support.
Simon has held the position of General Manager of Asset Management Group in the Department of Finance and Deregulation since October 2003, having been promoted from the position he then held as Group Manager in the Budget Group of the Finance Department. During this period, Simon was seconded to head the T3 Sale Taskforce, which successfully delivered the Telstra 3 public offer in November 2006.
As General Manager, Simon has had responsibility for the Commonwealth’s non-Defence property portfolio and a range of major construction projects, shareholder oversight of Government businesses, for the Government’s insurance fund (Comcover) and for Commonwealth special claims, land and procurement policy as well as Government advertising and various coordinated procurement projects.
Simon’s public service experience spans a range of policy, service delivery and project management roles since joining the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1976, transferring to the Department of Defence’s Logistics Organisation in 1985 and then to the Department of Finance’s asset sales program in 1990.
As Executive Director and then Deputy Chief Executive Officer in the Office of Asset Sales, Simon managed a range of key privatisation processes, including the Telstra 2 public offer program and a wide range of trade sale processes. In 2003 Simon headed the secretariat for the Kinnaird review, which delivered a report to Government with findings and recommendations relating to improving Defence procurement processes and outcomes.
Simon has tertiary qualifications in economics, public administration and computing studies. He attended the Joint Services Staff College’s strategic studies program in 1988. Having previously studied at the Wharton business school, in 2007 Simon completed the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.
In 2001 Simon was awarded the Centenary medal for public service in support of the Government’s privatisation program and in 2007 he was awarded the Public Service Medal for leading the T3 public offer and his role with the Kinnaird Defence Procurement Review.