Professor Peter Shergold AC

Posted: Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 15:11

Professor Peter Shergold AC, The Macquarie Group Foundation Professor,
Centre for Social Impact

Professor Shergold returned to the University of New South Wales to head CSI after 20 years during which he scaled the heights of Australian government administration, most recently as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the nation's most senior public servant (2003-2008). With a PhD from the London School of Economics, he moved to Australia from the US, joining the University of NSW in 1972 as a lecturer in economics.

He became head of the school of economic history in 1985. He began working for the Federal government in 1987, first as head of the newly established Office of Multicultural Affairs, and went on to hold senior posts including CEO, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission (1992-95), Public Service Commissioner (1995-98), Secretary of the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (1998-2002) and Secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training (2002-03).

He was previously chair of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. He is on the Board of the publicly listed company, AMP Ltd, and is chair of the not-for-profit organisation, the Australia Rural Leadership Foundation. He is a Member of the Order of Australia and was made a Companion of the Order in 2007.

How did you end up here?

As a senior public servant I came to recognise more and more strongly the importance of the third sector in building a civil society and creating network governance.

Favourite saying

“It’s dogged that does it. It ain’t thinking about it.” (Anthony Trollope)

In life it’s important to…..

Keep busy – there will long enough to rest at the end!

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