Secretary and Deputy Secretaries
Secretary and Deputy Secretaries
Secretary, Frances Adamson
Frances Adamson has led the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Secretary since 2016.
Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Ms Adamson was International Adviser to the Prime Minister the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP.
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Deputy Secretary, Christopher Langman
Mr Langman is responsible for the Trade, Investment and Business Engagement Group, which includes:
- Regional Trade Agreements Division
- Investment and Economic Division
- Office of Trade Negotiations
- Europe and Latin America Division
- State and Territory Offices
Mr Langman will also act as an alternate ex-officio government member on the EFIC Board and represent the department on the International Economic Policy Group and the Council on Australia-Latin America Relations.
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Deputy Secretary, Tony Sheehan
Mr Sheehan is responsible for the International Security, Humanitarian and Consular Group, which includes:
- Consular & Crisis Management Division
- Humanitarian, NGOs and Partnerships Division
- International Security Division
- Legal Division
- Middle East and Africa Division
- Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office
- Audit Branch
Mr Sheehan represents the department on the Council for Australian-Arab Relations. He also attends, as required, the Australian Government Crisis Committee (AGCC) and the National Crisis Committee (NCC).
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Head of the Office of the Pacific, Ewen McDonald
Mr McDonald is responsible for the Office of the Pacific.
The Office of the Pacific coordinates the Australian Government effort to build stronger relationships with Pacific leaders, governments and people, as well as with regional organisations and institutions.
Mr McDonald chairs the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility (AIFFP) Board and the whole-of-government Pacific Coordination Committee.
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Deputy Secretary, Justin Hayhurst
Justin Hayhurst is responsible for the Indo-Pacific Group, which includes:
- Southeast Asia Division
- North Asia Division
- US and Indo-Pacific Strategy Division
- South-West Asia Division
- Strategic Policy Contestability and Futures Branch
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Deputy Secretary, Ms Harinder Sidhu
Harinder Sidhu is Chief Operating Officer (COO) and responsible for the Service Delivery Group, which includes:
- Australian Passport Office
- Diplomatic Academy
- Diplomatic Security Division
- Executive Division
- Finance Division
- Information Management and Technology Division
- Overseas Property Office and Services
- People Division
- Protocol Branch
Ms Sidhu is the Senior Champion for the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) staff in DFAT. She also chairs to the Departmental Operations Committee, Workplace Relations Committee, Business Continuity Taskforce, Indigenous Taskforce and represents DFAT on the APS Chief Operating Officers (COO) Committee.
Deputy Secretary, Kathy Klugman
Ms Klugman is the Deputy Secretary of the Department’s Global Cooperation, Development and Partnerships Group which includes:
- the Human Governance and Development Division,
- the Economic Growth and Sustainability Division,
- the Multilateral Policy Division,
- the Contract and Aid Management Division and
- the Office of the Chief Economist.
Ms Klugman oversees the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security and chairs the Aid Governance Board.