Michelle Andrews is an executive leader and environmental scientist with 30 years’ experience in the public sector. In May 2021, she started in the role of Director General for the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
Throughout her career, Michelle has demonstrated her understanding of how important policy reform can be in supporting better public outcomes. One of Michelle’s many strengths is her cross-government perspective gained from her leadership roles in the Public Service.
Michelle has previously led in the role of Director General for the Department of Communities and reformed the organisation’s governance and integrity systems following a major fraud and corruption incident.
She is a strong advocate for good governance and integrity to ensure government departments are accountable and worthy of the trust of the people of Western Australia. As a senior executive in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Michelle supported the State Government’s independent Service Priority Review, which delivered a wide-ranging blueprint for public sector reform.
Michelle has held executive roles within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, State Development and the former Department of Mines and Petroleum, where she focused on major projects, resource development policy and strengthening relationships across government, industry and the community.
Michelle has also been a policy advisor to several State Government environment Ministers. She served as Deputy Chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia, and sat on the Boards of the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute and the Institute of Public Administration Australia.
Michelle is also focused on inspiring and mentoring future women leaders. She champions mentoring as an effective process for transferring professional skills and providing an additional layer of career development.
She strongly supports taking action on Aboriginal outcomes and formed the Cultural Council at Communities to ensure appropriate guidance on these actions. At the Department of Water and Environmental Protection, Michelle is driving better engagement outcomes for Aboriginal and Indigenous people with her support for the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan and the Aboriginal Engagement Strategy.
As a senior executive, Michelle believes in the power of collective leadership and the development of individual leaders to create shared leadership capabilities within organisations.
When she has personal time out, Michelle is a keen walker and likes nothing better than pulling on a backpack and hiking trails in our great state.