Meghan Quinn has been appointed by the Governor-General as the new Secretary of the Department of Defence.
This is a historic appointment with Quinn becoming the first woman to substantively hold the position of Secretary of the Department of Defence.
Quinn has a distinguished career as a senior leader in the Australian Public Service and is currently the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
Quinn has advised Government on a wide range of Australian and international policy matters. She previously held several Deputy Secretary roles at the Department of the Treasury and was head of the Secretariat for the ‘Australia in the Asian Century White Paper’ at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Prior to this, Quinn worked for BHP and the Bank of England. In 2009, Ms Quinn was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service in the development of climate change policy. Quinn’s term will commence on 18 May 2026 for a five-year period.
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese thanked Greg Moriarty for his service as Secretary of the Department of Defence, and he looks forward to working with him in his new role as Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. The Prime Minister also thanked Cath Patterson for acting as Secretary.