Join four secretaries as they reflect on the last year

Is this event for you?

Since the election in March 2023, there have been numerous changes in the way the sector works as the government implements its priorities.

At this special event, Secretaries Simon Draper, Michael Coutts-Trotter, Susan Pearce and Kate Boyd, will discuss what they have learned.

This unique opportunity, usually reserved for behind closed doors, gives you the chance to hear the individual observations of our panel.

You’ll understand more about the complexities faced by the sector as the Secretaries unpack the challenges and lessons from 2023. 

You’ll leave with more clarity on what the changes mean for you and how you can better serve the government and people of NSW. 

What will you gain?

Thought-provoking and insightful, don’t miss this incredible opportunity to get inside the heads of four Secretaries and learn from the centre of the public service. 

Hear about the last year from the leaders of Premiers, The Cabinet Office, Treasury, and Health as they reflect on what their portfolios and the broader sector have learned.

At least 25% of this event will be allocated to questions from the floor, meaning that you will have the opportunity to play an active part in this discussion by putting your own questions centre stage during the live Q&A.

This event is free to everyone who works in the NSW public sector. 

Facilitator:
Mark Webb
President
IPAA NSW

Speakers:

 
Michael Coutts-Trotter FIPAA
Secretary
Treasury NSW

Michael Coutts-Trotter was first appointed to head a NSW Government department in 2004 and has since led seven agencies.

He is now the Secretary of the NSW Treasury.

Before joining the public service, Michael was chief of staff to a NSW Treasurer for seven years.

Michael is a fellow of the Institute of Public Administration of Australia.

Simon Draper PSM
Secretary
Premier's Department

Simon was appointed Secretary of the Premier’s Department on 1 September 2023 as part of the Government’s changes to create strong central agencies. He retained the position as CEO of the NSW Reconstruction Authority which he commenced in February 2023 as part of Government’s initiative to boost prevention, preparedness and recovery in the face of large-scale disasters, appointing a deputy to support him in that role. 

Immediately prior, Simon was CEO of Infrastructure NSW where he led the development of the 2022 State Infrastructure Strategy, reported monthly to Cabinet on the performance of infrastructure projects across Government and led the delivery of major projects for which Infrastructure NSW had taken direct responsibility.

Simon previously served as Secretary of the NSW Department of Industry, Deputy Secretary, Economic Policy Group at the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and as a Tribunal Member at the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal. Prior to joining Government, Simon has extensive senior executive management experience in infrastructure and utility companies.

He is a former CEO of Lumo Energy, Chief Executive Officer of Wellington Airport in New Zealand, General Manager Commercial at Integral Energy and Chief Executive Officer of Northern Territory Airports. Simon has a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from Sydney University and a Master of Business (Finance) from UTS. In 2022 Simon was awarded the Public Service Medal for outstanding public service for his role leading the NSW Government construction sector response to the COVID19 pandemic.

Susan Pearce AM
Secretary
Ministry of Health

Susan Pearce is Secretary, NSW Health, appointed in March 2022. In this role, Susan is responsible for the management of the NSW health system - with over 120,000 FTE and a budget of over $30billion - to ensure the provision of world-class, patient-centred care to the people of NSW.

Prior to her recent appointment, Susan was Deputy Secretary, Patient Experience and System Performance Division, a position she has held from November 2015. In that role, Susan had responsibility for the oversight of front-end service delivery and system performance and management across NSW Health, and improving patient experience.

Susan was also the Controller of the State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC), responsible for directing and overseeing NSW Health’s operational response to the pandemic. From February 2021, Susan led the NSW Health vaccine rollout program, establishing over 40 NSW Health vaccination clinics and more than 100 mobile, outreach and pop-up locations across the state to contribute to the high vaccination rate that have been achieved amongst the people of NSW.

Susan began her career as a registered nurse more than 30 years ago in Broken Hill and has continually worked to serve the communities of NSW, including working in number of Local Health Districts and subsequently as the NSW Chief Nurse. Susan has qualifications in Law and was admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW as a solicitor in September 2019.

Kate Boyd PSM
Secretary
The Cabinet Office

Kate Boyd is the Secretary of The Cabinet Office NSW (TCO). Kate previously served in the role of Deputy Secretary, General Counsel, advising across a range of areas relevant to the Premier’s portfolio including constitutional and electoral law, parliamentary matters, integrity and accountability, privacy and access to government information. 

Kate led the legal, Cabinet, and governance functions within TCO and was the Department’s Chief Risk Officer. She is a member of the Law Society of NSW’s Government Solicitor’s Committee. Kate was named as a finalist in the category of Public Servant of the Year in the 2020 NSW Premier’s Awards, and received the Public Service Medal in the 2022 Australia Day Honours in recognition of her work on the legal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining the NSW Government, Kate specialised in competition and consumer law at Allens.

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