Digital reformer Pia Andrews has made a surprising return to the Australian Public Service (APS) by taking on the role of chief data officer at the Department of Home Affairs’ Data and Economic Analysis Centre (DEAC). Andrews, who previously worked as an adviser to Amazon Web Services, brings more than 20 years of experience to her new position. Her appointment is seen as a boost for the agency, which recently saw a change in leadership after the previous secretary, Mike Pezzullo, was replaced.
Andrews has an extensive background in driving digital transformation in the public sector and has been involved in various open-data, open-source, and customer-centricity initiatives. She has also worked with the Canadian and New Zealand governments to help develop digital and service design capabilities in their delivery agencies.
During her time outside the APS, Andrews focused on exploring the challenges and opportunities of AI in government, bridging the gap between policy design and delivery, and developing adaptive policy management. She also collaborated with Professor Anna Zhu from RMIT on a funded research project aimed at establishing a more adaptive and humane approach to policy design and decision-making.
Andrews will be speaking about Creating trustworthy public institutions at The Mandarin Live event in Canberra on February 22. Her return to the APS is seen as a significant move and highlights the agency’s commitment to digital reform.
Overall, Andrews’ appointment as chief data officer at DEAC reflects the APS’s efforts to attract top talent and leverage valuable expertise gained from the private sector. With her extensive background and experience, Andrews is well-positioned to contribute to the advancement of data and economic analysis within the Department of Home Affairs.
