The NSW government has lured Pia Andrews back to Australia as the new executive director of digital government. Andrews is reporting to government chief information and digital officer, Greg Wells.
Andrews, who is a long-standing open and digital government expert, has spent the past year-and-a-half as service integration lead at New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs in Wellington. Andrews has been based in an innovation lab working on future models for government service delivery and social enablement.
Martin Hoffman, secretary of the Department of Finance Services and Innovation, said Andrews brings decades of experience in open data, open government, digital transformation and government as an API.
“She brings a unique and effective blend of systems thinking, technical creativity and vision. Her experience, passion and drive are a perfect fit for the role of executive director for digital government and I look forward to seeing Pia and her team support greater collaboration, innovation and digital transformation across the NSW government for the benefit of our communities and economy,” he said.
In a blog post on Friday, Andrews said a lesson from New Zealand that she will be taking forward is “how public services can and should engage constructively and respectively with indigenous communities.”
“Not just because they are part of society or because it is the right thing to do but to integrate important principles and context into the work of serving society. Our first Australians are the oldest cluster of cultures in the world and we have a lot to learn from them in how we live and work today,” Andrews said.
Andrews said her new role is a unique opportunity to work in a senior executive team that is committed to systemic transformation.
“I learned so much from my short time in New Zealand and found there a way of connecting and being open that will always keep my family anchored there so I’m particularly delighted that we will be forging a partnership between the New Zealand Service Innovation Lab and the NSW Government Digital NSW Acceleration Lab to collaborate on this important work.”
Andrews starts on September 24.
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