Lisa Paul AO PSM had a distinguished career in the public service sector. She was secretary of various federal government departments between 2004 and 2016. Ms Paul was first appointed secretary of the Department of Education, Science and Training by Prime Minister Howard; reappointed Secretary of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations by Prime Minister Rudd; with further reappointments by Prime Ministers Gillard, Abbott and Turnbull.
Ms Paul is also a company director of listed and private companies, an Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne, a councillor of Bond University, a director of several non-profit companies, a member of the government’s Naval Shipbuilding Advisory Committee, former non-executive director and later re-appointed as an advisory board member of Advanced Personnel Management (APM) Group, chair of headspace, and consults as a co-founder of Paul and Webb.
Ms Paul was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2003 and made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2011 following her handling of the domestic response to the 2002 Bali Bombings.