Introducing the new Auditor-General for Australia – Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM 

Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM was appointed as the 16th Auditor-General for Australia with effect from 4 November 2024.

Prior to her appointment, Caralee served as the Secretary and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Treasury for five years, where she led the Treasury and its advice through the COVID-19 pandemic and worked with the New Zealand Government to deliver budgets and a range of legislative and policy reforms.

Between 2008 and 2019, Caralee served in the New South Wales public service. As Managing Director of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) New South Wales in 2018–2019, she led organisational reforms to improve TAFE’s competitiveness and sustainability. Before that, Caralee held several deputy secretary roles at the New South Wales Treasury. She was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2017 for outstanding service to social impact investment policy and reform in New South Wales.

Caralee began her career at the Boston Consulting Group, before working with the International Red Cross in Botswana and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then the World Bank in Washington DC from 2000 to 2007.

Caralee has a PhD in Finance from the University of Melbourne and Bachelor of Economics (Hons 1) from the Australian National University. She is a fellow of Certified Practising Accountants (FCPA).