Ms Helen Silver

Helen Silver (BEc(Hons) 1980, MEc 1988) was appointed secretary of the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet in 2008.

She leads the Department, and the Victorian Public Service more generally, in advising and serving the Premier and Government of Victoria.

She also chairs the State Co-ordination and Management Council, the co-ordinating body of the Victorian Public Service, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Affairs and Administration Australia.

She has previously held a range of senior positions in the Victorian and Commonwealth public service.

Ms Silver began her career with the Commonwealth Department of Housing and Construction after completing an undergraduate degree at Monash.

From 1993 to 1999 Ms Silver was first assistant commissioner of the Commonwealth Government’s Productivity Commission. She was subsequently executive director of rehabilitation and compensation at the Victorian WorkCover Authority.

From 2002 to 2004 she was deputy secretary, economic and financial policy in the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance, and then deputy secretary, policy and cabinet in the Department of Premier and Cabinet from 2004 and 2006.

Ms Silver was central to the development of the National Reform Agenda and oversaw major policy challenges during in areas such as early childhood development, preventative health, and competition and regulation reform.

Prior to rejoining the Department of Premier and Cabinet in 2008, Ms Silver worked in private sector as general manager of government business at the National Australia Bank. She was also a member of the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) Reform Council.