Paul Griffiths is senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the First Assistant Secretary (FAS) of the Middle East and Africa Division. Paul was previously FAS of Executive Division and DFAT’s Chief Risk Officer.
Paul was Australia’s Ambassador to Israel from 2020-2022. He has led the political teams of Australia’s two largest embassies (Jakarta; and Washington following President Trump’s 2016 election) and served in Manila and South Korea in trade/economic roles.
Prior to his ambassadorial appointment, he has championed strategic policy resets (Washington; aid allocations), organisational reform (DFAT’s Functional and Efficiency Review) and cultural change (DFAT’s Values Statement) through a range of roles including SES lead of the Functional and Efficiency Review, Budget Branch (delivering DFAT’s first integrated budget and savings of $12.6 billion), and Multilateral Programmes and Development Banks, AusAID.
A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Paul holds a Masters of International Trade and Finance from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tasmania.
