Mark Paterson (public servant)

Mark Paterson AO
Secretary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
In office 18 January 2002 – 3 December 2007
Secretary of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
In office 3 December 2007 – 2011
Personal details
Born	Mark Ian Paterson
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	South Australian Institute of Technology
Occupation	Public servant

Mark Ian Paterson AO is a senior Australian public servant. He is currently the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services and serves on the board of Infrastructure NSW.

Background and early life

Mark Paterson gained a Bachelor of Business from the South Australian Institute of Technology, having studied at four different universities around Australia but found trouble when seeking recognition for prior learning, which he saw as a failure of Australia's higher education system.^[1]

Career

Between 1996 and 2002 Paterson was head of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.^[1] His next role was as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources (later Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research),^[2] to which he was appointed by Prime Minister John Howard, who praised his knowledge and experience.^[3]

Paterson was the Director General of the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services.^[4] His dismissal from the role, and abolition of the Department was reported on Tuesday 7 April 2015^[5][6]

Awards

Paterson was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2007 for service to business and industry through policy development and economic research.^[7][8][9]

References

1. Malone 2006, p. 60.
2. CA 8871: Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 18 January 2014
3. Howard, John (18 January 2002). "SENIOR APPOINTMENTS - DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARIES" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
4. Mark Paterson AO, Infrastructure NSW, retrieved 12 February 2014
5. "Mark Paterson on the way out in Mike Baird's department restructure". Sydney Morning Herald. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
6. "Premier Mike Baird sacks top public servant Mark Paterson, head of the Department of Trade and Investment". The Daily Telegraph. 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
7. Mark Paterson AO, Infrastructure NSW, archived from the original on 9 November 2013
8. Biographies – Review of ANSTO Health (PDF), 2011, archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2012
9. Gillard, Julia (1 June 2011). "Departmental Secretaries" (Press release). Archived from the original on 18 January 2014.

References and further reading

• Malone, Paul (2006). "Chapter 10: The Company Man – Mark Paterson, Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources". Australian department heads under Howard : career paths and practice (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Australian National University. pp. 59–67. ISBN 1-920942-83-1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2013.
• Nicholls, Sean (12 May 2011). "New man to 'sell NSW to the world'". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). Archived from the original on 31 August 2011.