The executive for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
Secretary
Simon Duggan
Simon Duggan is the Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations – starting his role on 16 February 2026.
Before starting with the department, Simon Duggan was the Deputy Secretary with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) from September 2022. He led the Energy Group that advises the Government on transitioning to a lower emissions energy system, while retaining energy affordability, reliability and security. Prior to DCCEEW, Simon was Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) from December 2018. He led the Economy and Industry Group and served as Australia’s G20 and G7 plus Sherpa.
Simon has championed inclusion and diversity throughout his career, being DCCEEW’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Champion and PM&C's Inclusion and Diversity Champion and Executive Privacy Champion. He was also the APS Academy ‘Strategy, Policy and Evaluation’ Faculty Lead.
Simon joined PM&C in 2016 as the Head of Economic Division, advising the Prime Minister on the full breadth of economic policy. Prior to that, Simon spent 18 years in the Australian Treasury, where he led divisions that advised the Government on corporate and international taxation, the outlook for the Australian economy, macroeconomic policy and productivity-enhancing reforms.
Simon spent three years as a member of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund during the Global Financial Crisis, representing Australia, Korea and 13 other countries. He has also represented Australia at the OECD's Economic Development Review Committee.
Earlier in his career, Simon worked in a range of management and analyst positions in the Australian Treasury's budget, international development and debt management areas. Simon holds qualifications in economics from the Australian National University.
Deputy Secretaries
Tania Rishniw, Deputy Secretary, Employment and Workforce
Tania is the Deputy Secretary of Employment and Workforce, in the Department Employment and Workplace Relations in the Australian federal government. She leads a range of programs that enable services to support and help people overcome barriers and develop skills to gain employment.
She has worked for over 20 years in public administration, across areas of social, environmental, and economic policy.
Prior to commencing with DEWR, Tania worked in the Department of Health from 2015 to 2023 delivering primary and community care policy and programs. She has also held senior positions in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Finance, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and Department of Environment.
Tania has delivered policy reform at the federal level in environmental and financial regulation, First Nations' employment and education, primary care and mental health, and service delivery. She led the response to the Montara oil spill, has represented the Australian Government at the United Nations, and successfully negotiated with states and territories in areas of hospital funding, mental health and suicide prevention, primary care COVID arrangements and wider health reform.
Tania has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, as well as holding an Executive Master's Degree in Public Administration.
Greg Manning, Deputy Secretary, Workplace Relations
Greg is Deputy Secretary of the Workplace Relations Group, leading a range of workplace relations and work health and safety policy and program work.
Greg has worked in Commonwealth and state government, in policy, program and legal roles. Greg’s senior executive roles in workplace relations have included responsibility for the National Employment Standards, the awards framework, the employee protections framework, economic advice and analysis, the Fair Work Act compliance and enforcement frameworks, Australia’s international engagement on workplace relations issues, and the Fair Entitlement Guarantee and FEG Recovery programs.
Greg has also worked in senior executive roles in a diverse range of other areas including employment programs, international human rights and humanitarian law, law of the sea, general international law, family law, family safety, Commonwealth courts and tribunals, legal assistance, Commonwealth legal services, native title, bankruptcy, and Royal Commissions.
Greg has a Masters in Law, a Graduate Diploma in Criminological Studies and a Bachelor of Laws.
Anna Faithfull, Deputy Secretary, Skills and Training Group
Anna Faithfull is the Deputy Secretary for the Skills and Training Group.
Anna has extensive experience in both the public, private and community sectors leading policy, digital and commercial projects. Prior to joining the Department of Employment and Workforce Relations, Anna was a Senior Client Partner in the private sector, supporting public sector clients on range of digital transformation, data and technology projects.
Anna has held senior leadership positions including as Deputy Secretary at the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety and Executive Director at the Department of Premier and Cabinet, where she was responsible for Victoria's response to the Royal Commission work on Family Violence reform, NDIS implementation, post-disaster recovery and industry and jobs policy. Anna has also designed and delivered innovative jobs and employment ventures at Social Ventures Australia.
Anna holds a Bachelor Degree in Arts and Law from the University of Melbourne and is a licensed Solicitor and Barrister of the Victorian Supreme Court.
Catherine Rule, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary, Corporate and Enabling Services Group
Catherine Rule is the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary, Corporate and Enabling Services Group.
Catherine has extensive experience in senior roles across the Commonwealth and ACT Government. Prior to joining the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Catherine was the Director-General of the Health and Community Services Directorate in the ACT with responsibility for child protection, housing, youth justice and a range of community-based programs and services.
In the Commonwealth, Catherine has been a Deputy Secretary in Services Australia and the Department of Social Services, traversing policy, program and service delivery areas in disability, social security, redress, families, child support and reforms to service delivery.
Catherine has also worked in senior executive roles responsible for health and aged care including Medicare, private health insurance and aged care reform.
Catherine has also worked extensively in the sports industry, including almost 10 years in anti-doping in sport and teaching undergraduate students in sports administration.
Catherine has a Master’s degree from the University of Windsor in Canada, a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Canberra, and a Graduate Diploma in Management Psychology from Charles Sturt University.