Mark Sullivan (public servant)

Mark Anthony Sullivan AO is a former senior Australian public servant and policymaker.

Mark Sullivan AO
Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office 26 October 2004 – 2008
Secretary of the Department of Family and Community Services
In office 2002–2004
Personal details
Born	Mark Anthony Sullivan
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Bronwyn[1]
Children	Fiona and Ryan[2]
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	Public servant

Background and early life

Sullivan studied economics and accounting at University of Sydney.[3] Before graduating in 1973 the Australian Taxation Office offered him a cadetship, allowing him to finish his studies on pay.[3]

Career

After graduating, Sullivan joined the Tax Office, working in offices in Sydney, Parramatta and Canberra.[3] He went on to work in the Department of Social Security, SBS and the Department of Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs (later Immigration and Ethnic Affairs and then Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. In the immigration department, he was engaged in managing boat people arrivals in 1989 and 1990.[3]

Between 1999 and 2002 Sullivan was the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.[4][5] Then, in 2002, Sullivan was appointed Secretary of the Department of Family and Community Services.[6][7]

In 2004, the Howard Government rotated Sullivan from FaCS to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.[8] In 2008 Sullivan left his role at Veterans' Affairs to join the ACTEW Corporation as managing director.[9][10]

During his time at ACTEW, Sullivan led major water projects, including the Cotter Dam expansion project, with the aim to "drought-proof" Canberra.[11] Sullivan announced his retirement from the ACTEW Corporation in February 2014,[11][12] collecting a $690,000 termination payment on his departure.[13]

Awards

In 2008 Sullivan was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service as Secretary of FaCS.[14]

References

1. Sullivan 2012, p. 94.
2. The Secretary: Mr Mark Sullivan, Department of Veterans' Affairs, archived from the original on 24 August 2006
3. Malone 2006, p. 73.
4. Burgess, Verona (5 March 2002). "Mark Sullivan - facing FACS". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. p. 4.
5. Board of Directors, ACTEW, archived from the original on 29 September 2013
6. CA 8615: Department of Family and Community Services, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 20 January 2014
7. Howard, John (18 January 2002). "SENIOR APPOINTMENTS - DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARIES" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
8. Howard, John (22 October 2004). "Appointments of Secretaries" (Press release). Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
9. CA 2107: Department of Veterans' Affairs, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 20 January 2014
10. Cox, Lisa (3 June 2013). "Sullivan pockets $1m in bonuses". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 January 2014.
11. Jean, Peter; Cox, Lisa (11 February 2014). "Mark Sullivan to leave Actew". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 10 February 2014.
12. "Managing director Mark Sullivan to leave ACTEW". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 May 2015.
13. Lawson, Kirsten (6 October 2014). "Former ACTEW head Mark Sullivan gets $690,000 pay-out". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014.
14. SAS Insight Series: Australia's Largest Inland City—What does water security mean, Trans Tasman Business Circle, archived from the original on 20 January 2014

References and further reading

• Malone, Paul (2006), "Chapter 11: Making the Best of It – Mark Sullivan, Department of Veterans' Affairs", Australian department heads under Howard : career paths and practice (PDF), Canberra, Australia: Australian National University, pp. 69–75, ISBN 1-920942-83-1, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2013
• Sullivan, Mark (2012), "Chapter 9: An unlikely secretary—a boy from the outer agencies", With the benefit of hindsight: Valedictory reflections from departmental secretaries, 2004–11 (PDF), Canberra, Australia: Australian National University, pp. 87–94, ISBN 9781921862731, archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2014

Government offices
Preceded by Neil Johnston	Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs 2004 – 2008	Succeeded by Ian Campbell
Preceded by David Rosalky	Secretary of the Department of Family and Community Services 2002 - 2004	Succeeded by Jeff Harmer