Our leaders
Dave Stewart
Director-General
Dave was appointed Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) in February 2015. Prior to this role, he was the Secretary for Transport for New South Wales (NSW), shaping planning, policy and delivery of public transport, roads and freight across NSW.
After a long career in local government and engineering construction in Australia and the United Kingdom, Dave joined the Queensland Government in 2006 as Deputy Coordinator-General within the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, delivering major water and road projects. From June 2008, he was the Director-General of Queensland Transport and then the Department of Transport and Main Roads, overseeing the integration of organisations to a new customer-focused model. His primary responsibility was transport leadership including strategic policy and planning, system stewardship, infrastructure delivery and service delivery.
One of his highlights as the Director-General of DPC has been participating in the community champions program for Aboriginal communities and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through this program, Dave regularly visits gulf communities and assists them to access much needed government services. He is passionate about regional Queensland and engaging directly with residents, business, government and community leaders.
Dave is a civil engineer and holds a Masters degree in Business and a Masters degree in Engineering Science. He completed an executive program at Harvard University looking at private sector involvement in infrastructure delivery. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, an Honorary Fellow, Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
He is a member of the Trade and Investment Queensland Board, Building Queensland Board, Cross River Rail Development Authority Board, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Council of Australian Governments Senior Officials.
Rachel Hunter
Acting Director-General (February to August 2019)
Ms Rachel Hunter is a highly regarded and accomplished Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, having worked across various portfolios.
Her distinguished career includes Director-General roles in a number of Queensland Government departments including Justice and Attorney-General, Education, Training and the Arts and most recently, the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning. She also served as Queensland's Public Service Commissioner from 2000 to 2003.
Rachel is currently a Deputy Chancellor with Griffith University and serves on the Trade and Investment Queensland Board, the Building Queensland Board and the Cross River Rail Development Authority Board. She has formerly chaired the board of Jobs Queensland, providing industry and evidence-based advice on skills needs and workforce planning, and was also the Chair of Children's Health Queensland.
Much of her career in government has been spent in portfolios with a focus on employment, skills, training, economic growth and resilience. She brings to the role an outcome-focused and values-led leadership style.Mark Cridland
Deputy Director-General, Policy
As Deputy Director-General, Policy, Mark is responsible for leading the Economic, Social, Environment and Policy Futures teams in providing high-level strategic policy advice for the Premier and Cabinet and for the implementation of key government decisions.
Mark is Chair of the Advancing Queensland Industry Attraction Fund Panel and Chair of the Investment Panel that considers Exclusive Transactions. He is co-Chair of The Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee and on the Board for Economic Development Queensland.
Mark is a highly experienced senior executive with more than 28 years of proven leadership and delivery in large and complex government and private sector organisations.
Between 2013 and May 2018, Mark was a senior director and account leader with KPMG Australia where he led significant engagements across Australia covering infrastructure, economic evaluation, governance, performance frameworks and national reforms.
For the decade prior to 2013 Mark held numerous senior executive roles in Queensland and New South Wales governments. This included Deputy Director-General (Policy, Planning and Investment) in the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads between 2009 and 2013.
Mark has a passion and commitment to public service. He believes in the role it can play in positively influencing outcomes for all Queenslanders.Filly Morgan
Deputy Director‑General, Corporate and Government Services, PSM
Filly has more than 25 years' experience in the Queensland public sector. In her current role as Deputy Director-General she leads the delivery of Corporate and Government Services. This includes supporting business before Executive Council, advice on machinery-of-government and constitutional matters, the Anzac Centenary commemoration program, the corporate functions for the department as well as corporate support for Ministerial Offices and the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
Filly has a broad range of experience in central and line agencies. She has previously worked in senior roles in DPC and the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games. Filly is a Clerk of the Executive Council, the Queensland representative on the Council for the Order of Australia, and a member of the Audit Committee for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Filly is also an ex-officio member of the Queensland Veterans' Advisory Council.
Filly is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was awarded a Public Service Medal on Australia Day 2018 for outstanding public service through a range of coordination and governance roles in Queensland.Tess Bishop
Deputy Director-General, Strategy and Engagement
As Deputy Director-General, Tess leads the Strategy and Engagement Division and is responsible for intergovernmental relations, strategic policy, integrated communications, protocol, and community and regional engagement functions within DPC.
Prior to this role, Tess was a Senior Executive in Queensland Health managing the Office of the Director-General. She has previously held senior positions in the Queensland and Victorian public sector and has experience working in both central and line agencies. Tess's career in government is complemented by her extensive experience in the private sector, including her work with KPMG Europe, where she forged strategic relationships with business and industry stakeholders.
Tess is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the ANZSOG Executive Fellows Program. She also holds a Master of International Relations, a Graduate Diploma in Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in political science and public policy.
Christine Castley
Acting Deputy Director-General, Criminal Justice System Reform Framework Program Management Office
Christine has served in multiple senior leadership roles across the Queensland Government, with significant experience in strategic policy, governance, and service delivery. Christine is currently Acting Deputy Director- General in DPC. Prior to this, Christine was Deputy Director-General, Housing, Homelessness and Sport in the Department of Housing and Public Works. In this role, Christine led major reform (including development of the Queensland Housing Strategy 2017–2027) and transformation of housing and homelessness services delivered by 1500 staff, managing a $1.4 billion business and a $15 billion asset portfolio.
During 2014–2015, Christine led the Secretariat to the Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence, working closely with the Chair of the Taskforce, the Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, government, opposition and independent Members of Parliament, as well as community sector representatives. Christine has previously worked in a variety of agencies including Natural Resources and Mines, State Development and the Queensland Performing Arts Trust, and has had primary responsibility for developing significant public sector reform, right to information and privacy legislation.
Christine holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, Postgraduate Diploma of Arts and Master of Public Administration from the University of Queensland.Leighton Craig
Cabinet Secretary
Leighton has more than 22 years' experience in the public sector. In his role as Cabinet Secretary, he heads the team responsible for managing services across the Queensland Government that support the operation of the Cabinet and Cabinet Committees. His team also monitors delivery of government commitments and decisions and supports agencies to implement the Queensland Government Performance Management Framework.
Leighton has worked in a diverse range of policy and project areas within government, including law and justice policy, disaster relief, community engagement on significant infrastructure and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage. He has previously headed the legal and constitutional area of DPC and has been a Clerk of the Executive Council since 2010.
Leighton holds a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1996.Tony Keyes
Queensland Parliamentary Counsel
Tony Keyes was appointed as Parliamentary Counsel on 15 October 2018. Tony studied law and arts at the University of Queensland and was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1990. Tony has had a long and varied legal career, including private and community-sector practice, policy and investigative work at the Criminal Justice Commission, the Ombudsman's Office and the Law Reform Commission, working in law and justice policy for DPC, and serving for almost 10 years as Senior Deputy Crown Solicitor at Crown Law.
Sandra Lawson
Acting Parliamentary Counsel
Sandra was appointed Deputy Parliamentary Counsel in August 2018 and has more than 19 years' experience in legislative drafting. She began her drafting career in 1998 at the Parliamentary Counsel Office in New Zealand. Since November 2001, Sandra has worked at OQPC in numerous legislative drafting and management roles. Sandra acted as Queensland Parliamentary Counsel, pending the arrival of the newly appointed Queensland Parliamentary Counsel in October 2018.
Paul McFadyen
Deputy Parliamentary Counsel
Paul was appointed Deputy Parliamentary Counsel in 2014 and has more than 15 years' experience in legislative drafting. Paul acted as Queensland Parliamentary Counsel for several months prior to his retirement in 2018.