Dr Steven Kennedy PSM, FASSA
Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Dr Steven Kennedy PSM commenced as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in June 2025.
Steven was previously Secretary to the Treasury between September 2019 and June 2025. Prior to this, Steven was Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development between September 2017 and August 2019.
In a public service career spanning more than 30 years, Steven has held a series of other senior positions. These include Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Deputy Secretary at the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science; Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Environment; Deputy Secretary at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, and the Head of Secretariat of the Garnaut Climate Change Review – Update 2011.
Steven’s first role in the Australian Public Service came in 1992 as a cadet at the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Before this, he trained and worked as a nurse.
Steven was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2016 for outstanding public service in the area of climate change policy and was appointed as a Fellow to the Academy of Social Science in Australia in October 2025 in recognition of his contributions to Australian economy society and policy knowledge.
Steven holds a PhD and a Master of Economics from the Australian National University, and a Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney.
Kerren Crosthwaite
Acting Deputy Secretary, Governance and Corporate
Kerren Crosthwaite commenced as Acting Deputy Secretary Governance and Corporate Group in February 2026.
Kerren has been a senior Australian Public Service leader for more than 20 years, with broad and diverse experience. Before PM&C, she worked in various portfolios including Finance, Treasury, Agriculture, and Employment and Workplace Relations.
Kerren has designed, delivered and led policy and programs in housing, drought and farm resilience, regional development, public service and parliamentary service employment and integrity, and workplace relations.
Kerren holds a Master of Public Policy and Management from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Economics from Murdoch University. She is also the current Margot McCarthy Scholar.
Blair Exell
Deputy Secretary, Social Policy
Blair Exell commenced as Deputy Secretary, Social Policy Group, in February 2025.
Prior to this, Blair was Deputy Secretary, Health Strategy, First Nations and Sport Group at the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing between October 2022 and February 2025.
Blair began his career in non-government organisations in Cambodia and Vietnam before moving to the APS in 1998 where he has held senior roles for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (with deployments and postings to PNG, Cambodia, Solomon Islands and Indonesia), Department of the Prime Minister And Cabinet (PM&C), National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA).
Blair has led and delivered policy and program reforms at the federal and international level particularly focussed on social policy. Blair has also led emergency responses domestically and internationally including natural disasters and pandemic responses, including serving on the UN WHO and GAVI Executive Boards.
Blair has a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.
Narelle Luchetti
Acting Deputy Secretary, Economy, Industry and Resilience
Narelle Luchetti commenced as Acting Deputy Secretary Economy, Industry and Resilience Group in December 2025.
Narelle was previously First Assistant Secretary of the Industry, Infrastructure and Environment Division in PM&C. Narelle has been a senior leader in the Australian Public Service, ACT Government and as a management consultant in the private sector for over 25 years.
Narelle also served as First Assistant Secretary at the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in the areas of industry, manufacturing and digital policy, including program design and delivery.
Narelle holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma in Accounting.
Kendra Morony
Deputy Secretary, AUKUS Group
Kendra Morony commenced as Acting Deputy Secretary AUKUS in November 2025.
Kendra been a senior leader in the Australian Public Service working across Defence, intelligence and domestic national security for over 20 years.
Kendra has led and delivered strategy and policy in relation to cyber security, intelligence, national resilience, and Defence operations and activities, as well as delivering civil maritime capability. She has also been an adviser to the Minister for Defence and represented the Government on postings in Washington DC and the Middle East.
Kendra holds a Masters in Strategic Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Intelligence from the University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons Geography) from the University of Adelaide.
Justin Hayhurst
Deputy Secretary, International and Security
Justin Hayhurst started as Deputy Secretary of the International and Security Group in February 2026.
Prior to this, Justin was Australia’s Ambassador to Japan. He has served in range of positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, mainly focused on Asian security issues, including on posting to Australia’s missions in China and the Philippines.
This is his second stint in Prime Minister & Cabinet. He headed the department’s international division between 2018-2020. He has also worked at the Office of National Assessments and as an adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Justin has a First Class Honours Degree in History from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Tokyo City University in 2025.
Padma Raman PSM
Executive Director of the Office for Women
Padma Raman PSM commenced as the Executive Director of the Office for Women (OFW) in September 2023.
Prior to joining PM&C, she was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety Limited (ANROWS) from 2021. In her time as CEO, Padma established ANROWS as the widely recognised leading authoritative voice on evidence to end violence against women and children.
Before ANROWS, Padma was the Chief Executive of the Australian Human Rights Commission for 11 years. Prior to that she established and was Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Law Reform Commission for 9 years and served as a part-time commissioner of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission for 5 years.
Padma has a wealth of experience as a senior executive at both the state and federal level, and in 2018 was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding service leading significant cultural, technological and governance change. She has a Master of Laws by research focusing on the experiences of immigrant and Indigenous women under the Australian legal system.
Padma is also appointed by the Commonwealth Government as an independent member of the ANU Council and further serves on the Students Safety and Wellbeing Committee of Council.
