Penny McKay, who previously served as Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman, has commenced her role as Deputy CEO of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
Ms. McKay brings a wealth of experience from senior positions within the Commonwealth public service. Her previous roles include acting First Assistant Secretary Integrity, Security and Assurance at the Department of Home Affairs (2020) and General Counsel at the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (2014-2018). She also served as Chief of Staff (2020) and Assistant Secretary, Audit & Assurance (2018-2020) at the Department of Home Affairs.
Her extensive background also includes work as a Commonwealth, State, and Territory prosecutor in the ACT, NT, and Queensland. She held the position of Principal Legal Officer / Senior Assistant Director at the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2014. Furthermore, she has served as an independent member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Audit and Risk Committee.
With 27 years of experience across State and Commonwealth agencies, Ms. McKay is described as a "considered, resilient and experienced leader with a legal background and a demonstrated track record of leaning into challenges, improving outcomes and successfully leading through uncertainty". She is "motivated by improving accountability and integrity in public services" and "leads with confidence and inclusion to deliver outcomes with integrity". Her appointment is expected to bolster ASQA's commitment to ensuring quality and integrity within Australia's vocational education and training sector.
