Defence Leaders: Senior Leaders
Ms Carmel McGregor, PSM
Deputy Secretary Defence People
Carmel McGregor is the Deputy Secretary Defence People in the Department of Defence. She joined the Department of Defence in March 2012.
Carmel’s previous position was that of Deputy Australian Public Service Commissioner where she was a member of the Advisory Group on Reform of Australian Government Administration (Blueprint).
During 2011 Carmel led a review of Pathways for APS Women in Defence.
Prior to joining the Australian Public Service Commission in 2008, Carmel was Deputy Secretary Client and Corporate Services in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) from 2005. Whilst in DIAC she led global client service reform and a major organisational and cultural change program. In this role, she was responsible for client services, including policy review and service delivery operations for DIAC on and off shore.
Carmel also held senior positions in Centrelink managing employment and education as well as People and Corporate Performance where she re-engineered the human resource, leadership development and organisational design functions.
From 1999-2001 Carmel lived in Paris where she worked as a consultant for the Public Management Service of the OECD with key involvement in international fora on modernising government.
Carmel was Australia’s representative on the OECD’s Public Governance Committee from 2008-2012. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute, Fellow of the National Institute of Public Administration Australia and Vice President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia in the ACT, a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
In October 2012 Carmel was selected as inaugural Woman of Influence Public Policy in the Financial Review/Westpac 100 Women of Influence. Also in October 2012, Carmel was awarded an ANZSIG Public Service Excellence Award Honorary Adjunct Professorship. Carmel is the recipient of a Public Service Medal in the Australia Day 2013 Honours List.
Carmel is originally from Queensland and holds an Arts degree with majors in psychology and sociology from the University of Queensland. She is an Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra.