The Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) has announced the appointment of Adam Fennessy PSM as its new Chief Executive Officer and Dean, commencing 3 October.
Mr Fennessy (pictured) joins ANZSOG from the Victorian Government where he is currently the Public Sector Commissioner, and brings more than 20 years of public sector experience at state and federal levels including four years as Secretary of the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and prior to that the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.
Mr Fennessy has also worked in the private sector as a Partner with global advisory firm Ernst & Young and has served on several boards including the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria), Infrastructure Victoria, the Monash University Sustainable Development Institute, the University of Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute and Women & Leadership Australia.
Chair of ANZSOG, Peter Woolcott AO welcomed Mr Fennessy’s appointment on behalf of the ANZSOG Board and said the appointment signals an exciting new phase for the organisation.
“Ken Smith has a long history of public sector leadership and has played a key role in the recognition of ANZSOG as a global leader in public sector education and research,” Mr Woolcott said.
“Ken has led the organisation and enhanced its reputation locally and internationally through growth and expansion, as well as carefully navigating our path through a global pandemic. He leaves a strong legacy and a solid platform from which ANZSOG can continue to develop,” Mr Woolcott said.
“Our course for the future will include expanding our impact across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, along with further defining and cementing the ANZSOG brand as a global leader in public sector education and research.
“ANZSOG will continue to be a leading and significant contributor to public administration capability across the Indo-Pacific, cementing its position as the premier School of Government and public sector leadership in the region. We have an increasingly important role to play both across the sector and with partners outside government, and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for ANZSOG to contribute further to the development of leadership and capability across all of the jurisdictions we serve.
“I welcome Mr Fennessy to ANZSOG. His extensive senior experience in the public sector, his networks and record of engagement experience, and his vision and commitment to the future of ANZSOG make him an outstanding and exciting appointment,” Mr Woolcott said.
Mr Fennessy said he is excited about the opportunity to lead the organisation.
“I am delighted to be joining ANZSOG at such an exciting and pivotal time. ANZSOG has played a key role in the development of leaders across our sector, and I look forward to building upon its success as a key partner in the growth and development of public sector education and research,” he said.
“It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to contribute to the future prosperity of both ANZSOG and public sector leadership in such a meaningful role,” said Mr Fennessy.
