Penny Shakespeare

Deputy Secretary for Health Resourcing, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Penny Shakespeare brings a wealth of expertise and experience to a wide range of policy making across Australia’s health and aged care system.

As Deputy Secretary of the department’s Health Resourcing Group, she oversees a broad spectrum of health policy. This includes Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme policies and integrity, ensuring Australia has a planned, highly trained and well distributed health workforce advancing digital health solutions and harnessing the potential of genomics.

Penny joined the department in 2006. Since then, Penny has held a number of senior leadership positions, including First Assistant Secretary of the Technology Assessment and Access Division and Health Workforce Division. Penny has been a member of the Workplace Relations Ministers Advisory Council and the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and represents the Commonwealth on the board of the National Blood Authority.

Before joining Health, Penny was an industrial relations lawyer in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and worked in regulatory policy roles, including as head of the Australian Capital Territory’s Office of Industrial Relations.

Penny has a Bachelor of Laws, a Master’s degree in International Law and is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor.