GILL CALLISTER

Gill Callister has dedicated her career to improving public policy and service delivery.

Gill Callister is the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Education and Training (2015-present). As Secretary, Gill manages a $12 billion budget and leads 2,300 corporate staff to deliver and improve early childhood, school education, and vocational and higher education services across Victoria. She employs a further 55,000 staff in government schools.

Prior to joining the Department, Gill was the Secretary of the Victorian Department of Human Services (2009 -2014), where she led policy, legislative and service delivery reform. In this role, Gill led an organisation of more than 11,000 staff with an annual budget of approximately $4 billion. She was responsible for the delivery of child protection, disability, youth, housing and family violence services. 

This followed a range of senior roles in the Victorian Public Service and a ten-year stint in the community sector working with children, young people and families.

Gill is the President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) (Victoria). Her leadership in public policy was recognised in 2013 when she was named in the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence, and received a Sir James Wolfensohn Public Service Scholarship to attend Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In October 2014, Gill was awarded the IPAA National Fellowship award and a Monash University Fellowship and in 2017 was named as one of the top 50 women in the Victorian public service.

Gill holds Bachelor degrees in Social Work (with Honours) and Arts.