Neville Stevens

Neville Robert Stevens AO is a former senior Australian public servant and policymaker. He is a consultant and serves on a number of boards.

Neville Stevens AO
Secretary of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce
In office 22 December 1990 – 24 March 1993
Secretary of the Department of Communications
In office 24 March 1993 – 19 December 1993
Secretary of the Department of Communications
In office 23 December 1993 – 30 January 1994
Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts
In office 30 January 1994 – 21 October 1998
Secretary of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
In office 21 October 1998 – 26 April 2001
Personal details
Born	Neville Robert Stevens
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Adelaide[1]
Occupation	Public servant

Life and career

Stevens was appointed to his first Secretary role in December 1990, as head of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce, having been a Deputy Secretary in the department for over five years.[2] He continued in the top job when the department was abolished and replaced with the Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development in March 1993.[3]

He was moved to the Department of Communications when it was established in December 1993.[4] He stayed at the Communications Department in the Secretary role as its functions expanded, first becoming the Department of Communications and the Arts in 1994,[5] and later the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in 1998.[6]

During his time as departmental Secretary of the Communication Department, Stevens was closely involved in telecommunications reform, broadcasting policy and IT industry development.[7] He oversaw government IT policy during a period of tremendous change.[8] He also served on the Council of the National Library of Australia.[9]

Neville Stevens retired from the Australian Public Service in 2001.[10] In 2003, he was appointed Chair of the Australian Centre for Advanced Computing and Communications Board.[11]

Stevens was appointed Chair of the Cooperative Research Centres Committee in July 2010.[12][13]

Awards

Stevens was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for service to the Centenary of Federation celebrations.[14] He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in January 2003 for service in the field of public sector administration, particularly oversighting the implementation of reforms in the information technology and telecommunications industries, and to the community through executive membership of a range of cultural and artistic organisations.[15]

References

1. Burgess, Verona (22 December 1990). "Federal dept to lose second head this year". The Canberra Times. p. 2.
2. Hawke, Robert (20 December 1990). "Unknown" (Press release). Archived from the original on 4 April 2014.
3. CA 7659: Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 4 April 2014
4. CA 7852: Department of Communications [II], Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 4 April 2014
5. CA 7872: Department of Communications and the Arts, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 4 April 2014
6. CA 8611: Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 4 April 2014
7. Executive profile: Neville Stevens AO, archived from the original on 3 April 2014
8. Cant, Sue (16 December 2003). "Decision Maker: Neville Stevens". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007.
9. National Library of Australia (2000). "Appendix 1. The Council of the National Library of Australia". Annual Report, 1999-2000. Archived from the original on 8 May 2001.
10. ASSOCIATES: Neville Stevens, Information Integrity Solutions, archived from the original on 21 March 2012
11. "Neville Stevens AO Appointed as Chair of ac3 Board" (Press release). 4 November 2003. Archived from the original on 3 April 2014.
12. Carr, Kim (19 July 2010). "Neville Stevens to Chair CRC Committee" (Press release). Archived from the original on 3 April 2014.
13. "Neville Stevens to chair CRC Committee". 20 July 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012.
14. Search Australian Honours: STEVENS, Neville Robert, Australian Government, archived from the original on 4 April 2014
15. Search Australian Honours: STEVENS, Neville Robert, Australian Government, archived from the original on 4 April 2014

Government offices
Preceded by Malcolm McIntosh	Secretary of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce 1991 – 1993	Succeeded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development
Preceded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce	Secretary of the Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development 1993	Succeeded by Sandy Hollway
Preceded by Graham Evans as Secretary of the Department of Transport and Communications	Secretary of the Department of Communications 1993 – 1994	Succeeded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts
Preceded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Communications	Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts 1994 – 1998	Succeeded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
Preceded by Himself as Secretary of the Department of Communications and the Arts	Secretary of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 1998 – 2001	Succeeded by Ian Watt