Public Service Leaders
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Departmental Secretaries
Ms Carolyn Tremain
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Hīkina Whakatutuki
Secretary for Business, Innovation, and Employment
Hīkina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
Appointed July 2017
Mr Lou Sanson
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Papa Atawhai
Director-General of Conservation
Te Papa Atawhai | Department of Conservation
Appointed September 2013
Mr Jeremy Lightfoot
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Ara Poutama Aotearoa
Secretary for Corrections
Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections
Appointed February 2020
Ms Una Jagose QC
Te Rōiā Matāmua o te Karauna
Solicitor-General
Te Tari Ture o te Karauna | Crown Law Office
Appointed February 2016
Ms Bernadette Cavanagh
Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Taonga
Secretary for Culture and Heritage
Te Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Appointed February 2019
Ms Christine Stevenson
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Mana Ārai
Comptroller of Customs
Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa | New Zealand Customs Service
Appointed January 2019
Mr Andrew Bridgman
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Waonga
Secretary of Defence
Manatū Kaupapa Waonga | Ministry of Defence
Appointed July 2019
Ms Iona Holsted
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Mātauranga
Secretary for Education
Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education
Appointed December 2016
Mr Nicholas Pole
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Arotake Mātauranga
Chief Review Officer
Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga | Education Review Office
Appointed June 2017
Ms Vicky Robertson
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Taiao
Secretary for the Environment
Manatū Mō Te Taiao | Ministry for the Environment
Appointed June 2015
Mr Chris Seed
Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Take Aorere
Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Appointed February 2019
Mr Andrew Hampton
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tira Tiaki
Director-General of the Communications Security Bureau
Te Tira Tiaki | Government Communications Security Bureau
Appointed April 2016
Dr Ashley Bloomfield
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Hauora
Director-General of Health
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
Appointed February 2018
Mr Andrew Crisp
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga
Secretary for Housing and Urban Development
Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga | Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Appointed August 2018
Ms Naomi Ferguson
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Tāke
Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Te Tari Taake | Inland Revenue
Appointed July 2012
Mr Paul James
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Taiwhenua
Secretary for Internal Affairs
Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs
Appointed October 2018
Mr Andrew Kibblewhite
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Ture
Secretary for Justice
Tāhū o te Ture | Ministry of Justice
Appointed February 2019
Mr David Gawn MBE
Te Tumu Whakahaere
Chief Executive
Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa | Pike River Recovery Agency
Appointed January 2018
Ms Gaye Searancke
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Toitū Te Whenua
Secretary for Land Information
Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand
Appointed August 2019
Mr Dave Samuels
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Puni Kōkiri
Secretary for Māori Development
Te Puni Kōkiri - Ministry of Māori Development
Appointed September 2019
Sir Wira Gardiner
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Tamariki
Secretary for Children
Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children
Appointed March 2021
Laulu Mac Leauanae
Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Iwi o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa
Secretary for Pacific Peoples
Te Manatū mō Ngā Iwi o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa | Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Appointed July 2017
Mr Ray Smith
Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Ahumahi Matua
Director-General of Primary Industries
Manatū Ahu Matua | Ministry for Primary Industries
Appointed November 2018
Mr Brook Barrington
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tari o te Pirīmia me te Komiti Matua
Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Te Tari o te Pirīmia me te Komiti Matua | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Appointed February 2019
Ms Rebecca Kitteridge CVO
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Pā Whakamarumaru
Director-General of Security
Te Pā Whakamarumaru | New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
Appointed May 2014
Ms Julie Read
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tari Hara Tāware
Director of the Serious Fraud Office
Te Tari Hara Tāware | Serious Fraud Office
Appointed October 2013
Ms Debbie Power
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Whakahiato Ora
Secretary for Social Development
Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora | Ministry of Social Development
Appointed February 2019
Mr Peter Hughes CNZM
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Kawa Mataaho
Public Service Commissioner, Head of Service
Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
Appointed July 2016
Mr Mark Sowden
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Tatauranga Aotearoa
Government Statistician
Tatauranga Aotearoa | Statistics New Zealand
Appointed January 2020
Mr Peter Mersi
Te Tumu Whakarae mō ngā Waka
Secretary for Transport
Te Manatū Waka | Ministry of Transport
Appointed July 2016
Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM
Te Tumu Whakarae mō Te Tai Ōhanga
Secretary to the Treasury
Appointed September 2019
Ms Renee Graham
Te Tumu Whakarae mō te Wahine
Secretary for Women
Manatū Wāhine | Ministry for Women
Appointed June 2017
Departmental Agency Chief Executives
Professor Diana Sarfati
Te Tumu Whakahaere
Chief Executive
Te Aho o te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency
Appointed June 2020
Ms Carolyn Schwalger
Te Tumu Whakahaere
Chief Executive
Te Rākau Whakamarumaru | National Emergency Management Agency
Appointed December 2019
Ms Dorothy Adams
Te Tumu Whakahaere
Chief Executive
Toi Hau Tāngata | Social Wellbeing Agency
Appointed May 2017
Mrs Lil Anderson
Te Tumu Whakarae
Chief Executive
Te Arawhiti - Office for Māori Crown Relations
Appointed January 2019
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