Queensland State Manager
Federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Strong leadership skills and a passion for service delivery has helped propel Catherine O’Sullivan from school principal to state manager of a federal department in a few short years.

As Queensland State Manager of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Catherine has injected a fresh approach into the Department, with her focus on relationships, place-based strategies and strategic approaches to addressing Queensland’s many education and employment challenges.

Her commitment to delivering education in partnership with local industry and her employment and training initiatives were recognised when she won the 2002 Queensland Telstra Business Woman of the Year; the first educator to be recognised by this award. Her work in the Goondiwindi community was also endorsed as 2002 Citizen of the Year.

Catherine’s career has seen her work in the private and government sectors, winning a Churchill Fellowship and an Australian Rural Leadership Scholarship, and representing government at international events.

Before joining DEEWR, she worked as Assistant Director-General (Regional Delivery) for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, where her focus was on the delivery of profitable primary industries.

She has completed a Masters in Public Policy as part of the Queensland Premier’s Scholarship Program, through the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).

Catherine sits on the judging panel of a number of state and national awards, including Queensland Telstra Business Awards, Queensland Telstra Business Woman, Australian of the Year, AIM Manager of the Year, Public Sector Excellence Awards, and the Rural and Remote Manager of the Year.