SYDNEY |  JUNE 12, 2025

Join a network of leaders for presentations and panels to discuss all aspects of public sector capability.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: MALCOLM TURNBULL

29th Prime Minister of Australia

ATTENDEES

SPEAKERS

SESSIONS

FEDERAL AND STATE PUBLIC SERVANTS

The Mandarin's Frank and Fearless public sector survey 2024

Prior to entering politics, Malcolm Turnbull enjoyed successful careers as a lawyer, investment banker and journalist. During his time as prime minister, he delivered an economic growth agenda that led to record job creation on the back of cutting personal and company taxes. His government legalised same-sex marriage, reformed the school funding model and embarked on the largest peace-time expansion and modernisation of Australian defence forces and defence industry, including commissioning 54 naval vessels.

Courtney Houssos, who was elected to the NSW Legislative Council in 2015, is the state's first female finance minister. Prior to entering Parliament, Courtney was the first woman to be country organiser for NSW Labor, serving in the role for nine years. During her time in Parliament, she has been a strong advocate on behalf of families, improving education outcomes and universal and accessible healthcare.

The Cabinet Office was reinstated in 2023 to provide government with strategic advice on the most complex policy challenges affecting the people of NSW. Kate Boyd is a standing adviser to the NSW cabinet, helping to uphold cabinet conventions across government and providing stewardship of the cabinet system. She is also a board member of Infrastructure NSW. Kate previously served as deputy secretary, general counsel in the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Susan Pearce is responsible for the management of the NSW health system, which has 142,000 full-time equivalent employees and a budget of $30 billion. Prior to her appointment in March 2022, she was deputy secretary, patient experience and system performance, with oversight of front-end service delivery and improving patient experience. Susan began her career as a registered nurse in Broken Hill. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023.

Dr Ian Oppermann helps governments accelerate digital service delivery. From 2015 to 2023, Ian was the NSW government’s inaugural chief data scientist and the founding CEO of the NSW Data Analytics Centre. He is an industry professor at the University of Technology Sydney and a member of the board for multiple deep technology start-ups. Ian is also chair of the Commonwealth’s Data Standards Committee and an advisor to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

The Australian Public Policy Institute (formerly the James Martin Institute for Public Policy) is a government-university partnership transforming how policymakers and research experts work together. An adjunct professor of economics at the University of Sydney, Libby is a public policy expert with more than 20 years’ experience bringing government and universities together to solve complex problems. She has held senior leadership and advisory roles in government, parliament, university peak bodies, think tanks and private sector consultancy in Australia and the UK.

Pia Andrews specialises in adaptive policy management, policy infrastructure, participatory governance, high trust and legitimate systems and operating models (including AI), citizen-centric design, service agility and pragmatic continuous innovation in the public sector and beyond. She is on a mission to transform public sectors to be more humane, responsive and effective at the speed of continuous change, public trust and perpetual urgency.

Dr Marcus Wigan is a genuinely multispecialty professional, having administered policy for the UK government, worked for US and European national academies and advised joint standing committees of federal Parliament. His expert knowledge covers physics and mathematics, Asian studies and development, business administration, international relations, ethics, organisational psychology, civil engineering and more. 

Stephen Bartos was NSW parliamentary budget officer following 25 years in the APS, which included five years as deputy secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Finance. He has been executive director of a leading consulting firm, and professor of governance and director of the National Institute of Governance at the University of Canberra. He is a regular columnist in The Mandarin.

Katie McDermott was chief digital officer for Service NSW, where she led the delivery of globally recognised digital services, including the NSW digital driver’s licence, the Service NSW app and Covid CheckIn. Last year, see founded See Me Please, a user-testing platform that provides organisations with access to diverse and disabled citizens for feedback. In 2024, it was accepted into the federal government’s Industry Growth Program. She serves on the University of Sydney's School of Computer Science Industry advisory board and the ACT government Procurement Board.

PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS

SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS

THOSE WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT

Government decision-makers - secretaries, CEOs, commissioners, CIOs etc - from federal, state and local jurisdictions

Public service managers and practitioners across various disciplines: technology, recruitment, training and more

Consultants and contractors who need to understand issues facing the public service

Hear leaders in the field discuss the big issues in building public sector capability

Participate in interactive sessions and frank and fearless Q&As with public sector leaders 

Discuss with peers and other public sector leaders what should be done to build a better public service

At its core, capability covers everything from recruitment to employee retention, and skills training to continuous professional development, and using data for better decision-making. It also includes elements of ethics, craft, stewardship, values and leadership across many government disciplines, including technology, finance, national security and social services.

THE SKILLS PUBLIC SERVICE AGENCIES NEED NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN GOVERNMENT: THE FUTURE IN YOUR HANDS

An examination of the risks and challenges facing all governments and what citizens will require of public sector employees and their leaders. 

When it comes to modernising government processes and customer service, AI offers countless exciting opportunities. How can public servants take advantage of these?

DEBUNKING THE GREAT MYTH OF GENERALISM

HOW THE PUBLIC SECTOR CAN ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST TALENT

How the public service can give itself the best chance to find and hold staff - especially future leaders - while lifting overall workforce capability.

How expertise in every form must be elevated within the public sector, and why leadership must be considered the most prized form of expertise.

"[The Mandarin’s conferences are] a timely intervention into the conversation about the future of the Australian public service”

– BARNEY GLOVER

JOBS AND SKILLS AUSTRALIA COMMISSIONER

1. EVENT DETAILS

Thursday, June 12 - Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

Conference 8.30am - 5.20pm

Networking drinks 5.20pm - 6.20pm

2. HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS?

Ticket price is dependent on release and if you are working in the public sector. Please visit the checkout page for full pricing information. For group ticket purchases, please contact our team directly at events@themandarin.com.au.

3. CAN THIS CONFERENCE BE USED AS PART OF MY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT?

Yes. If you need further information to provide for internal sign-off, please contact our team by emailing events@themandarin.com.au.

4. ARE THERE OTHER PERKS OF ATTENDING?

Yes. You will receive a 50% discount on an annual subscription to The Mandarin and exclusive access to Pia Andrews and Marcus Wigan's new book, The Expertise Deficit.

5. HOW CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPONSORING?

For our media kit and more information, please contact raustin@themandarin.com.au.

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