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Professor Barney Glover AO,
Chief Commissioner
Professor Barney Glover AO began his five-year term as Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia on 15 April 2024. As JSA Commissioner, and given his extensive experience as Vice-Chancellor of two Australian universities, he will provide advice to the ATEC on national skills priorities, the operation of the ATEC, and tertiary harmonisation.
Professor Glover is a distinguished academic leader, an accomplished mathematician and mathematics educator with significant experience in developing strong relationships with the vocational education sector. He is well respected for his engagement with First Nations Australians and disadvantaged communities.
He was Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University for ten years, from 2014-24, and in 2019 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to tertiary education, professional associations and cultural organisations. In 2015, Professor Glover was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor for his outstanding leadership whilst Vice-Chancellor of Charles Darwin University from 2009 to 2013.
Professor Glover previously held the roles of Chair of Universities Australia from 2015 to 2017, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research at the University of Newcastle and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Development at Curtin University.
Professor Glover is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (FRSN), and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
He has served on the boards of a diverse range of corporate organisations and several state and national centres covering areas such as health and medical research, energy, mineral exploration, and telecommunications.
The Hon Fiona Nash,
Commissioner
The Hon Fiona Nash grew up in Sydney and has spent the last three decades living and working in regional Australia. For many years she was involved in a family farming enterprise in the central west of NSW, which her sons Will and Henry are now running.
Ms Nash spent 12 years in the federal parliament as a Senator for NSW and also held ministerial positions including Rural Health, and in Cabinet the positions of Regional Development, Regional Communications and Local Government and Territories. She also held the position of Deputy Leader of the Nationals. From 2018 to 2021 Ms Nash was the Strategic Adviser, Regional Engagement and Government Relations for Charles Sturt University.
Ms Nash was appointed by the Australian Government as the Regional Education Commissioner in December 2021.
In 2022, Ms Nash was appointed to a panel of experts to develop the Australian Universities Accord, chaired by Professor Mary O’Kane. As Regional Education Commissioner, Ms Nash brought to the role her expertise in regional education and commitment to improving education outcomes for people from regional Australia.
Professor Stephen Duckett AM
Commissioner
Professor Stephen Duckett AM is a health economist with a background in health policy and management. He has held top health sector leadership positions in Australia and Canada and wrote the book on the Australian health care system (Oxford University Press, 6e, 2022).
He started his academic career at the University of New South Wales (Lecturer, Senior Lecturer) in the latter part of the last millennium where he also obtained his PhD, and subsequently, his DSc on the basis of his published works, particularly work on hospital pricing. In addition to his academic qualifications in health policy, he holds a Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education from the then Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, and a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath.
Professor Duckett is a former Deputy Chancellor at RMIT University, and a former Pro Vice-Chancellor at LaTrobe University, where he is also an Emeritus Professor. He is an Honorary Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne and an Adjunct Professor at James Cook University and the University of Canberra.
Professor Duckett is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
David Coltman,
Commissioner
David Coltman has extensive experience in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector across policy, service delivery, and system oversight. As the Chief Executive of TAFE SA, he led organisational transformation focused on educational quality to rebuild confidence and trust with regulators, government, industry, and students. He has a demonstrated commitment to students and to supporting diverse and representative student and staff cohorts.
Before joining TAFE SA, David served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Pathways and Vocational Education at Swinburne University of Technology. In this role, he worked across vocational and higher education settings and developed expertise in student and provider issues, as well as funding and regulatory frameworks. He has worked closely with government agencies on governance, assurance and market reform initiatives, including in complex policy environments.
David supports better harmonisation of education pathways and ensuring that they meet the evolving skills needs of the workforce. He has a strong interest in the role of tertiary education providers in supporting future economic and social outcomes. Through his work, he is committed to ensuring that educational opportunities lead to tangible economic benefits for individuals and the nation alike. His experience and practical insights will support a tertiary education system that is equitable and delivers lasting public value.
Professor Mark Rose,
First Nations Commissioner
Professor Mark Rose is a Gunditjmara man from western Victoria and one of Australia's most respected leaders in First Nations education, leadership and policy. With a career spanning more than three decades across higher education, government advisory roles and community engagement, he has championed the role of education in expanding opportunities for First Nations peoples and strengthening Australia's understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and knowledge systems.
Professor Rose was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous and a Deakin Distinguished Professor at Deakin University. He has held senior leadership and academic positions at Deakin University, La Trobe University, RMIT University and the University of Melbourne. At Deakin, he led the development of the University's Indigenous Strategy 2023-2028 and has driven initiatives to embed Indigenous Knowledge across teaching and learning. He has also established national advisory and engagement forums that strengthen First Nations participation in university decision-making and foster informed discussion on contemporary First Nations issues.
Alongside his university leadership, Professor Rose has contributed extensively to public policy and national education reform through a range of ministerial, advisory and governance appointments. He is a life member of the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI). Professor Rose has served on state and national committees, including the Victorian Implementation Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and has held leadership roles with institutions including the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and the Australian Film Television and Radio School.
His expertise in First Nations education, leadership, Indigenous knowledge systems and tertiary pathways brings critical insight to the Australian Tertiary Education Commission's work to embed First Nations self-determination as a core reform principle across the tertiary education system, strengthen First Nations leadership at institutional and national levels, and uphold First Nations custodianship over the policies, programs and funding that affect First Nations peoples.
David Turvey PSM,
Chief Executive Officer
With a public service career spanning more than 30 years, David brings deep expertise in policy and leadership. His contributions have been instrumental in the establishment of the National Skills Commission, and later the formation of Jobs and Skills Australia.
Over his career, David has held senior executive roles at several Australian Government agencies, including the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and the Treasury. He has also worked internationally as an economist with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Much of his work has focused on labour market policy, vocational education and training policy, fiscal policy, and public debt management.
David holds a Master of Economics from the Australian National University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has served on audit committees across several Australian Government entities and as Treasurer of several not-for-profit community organisations in the ACT.