Dr Michele Bruniges AM

Dr Michele Bruniges AM
DipTeach MEd PhD
Chair, Non-Executive Director

Dr Bruniges AM was appointed Chair of the AITSL Board on 1 July 2023.
 
In her earlier executive career, Dr Bruniges was Chief Executive of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Department of Education (2004–2008), held senior roles in the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workforce Relations (2008–2011), and was Director-General of the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Communities (2011–2016). Dr Bruniges recently held the position of Secretary of Education in the Australian Government (2016–2023).
 
Dr Bruniges’ qualifications include a PhD in Educational Measurement, a Master’s in Education, and a Diploma in Teaching.  She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Churchill Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, and a Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. In 2012, Dr Bruniges became a member of the Order of Australia for service to public administration and was a joint recipient of the Inaugural 100 Women of Influence Award for her work in public policy.
 
Dr Bruniges received national recognition in 2015 for her significant contribution to education as the recipient of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Gold Medal Award. In that year, she was also awarded the Australian College of Educators’ Sir Harold Wyndham Medal for her contribution to the education of young people in NSW.
 
In 2019, the Australian College of Educators awarded Dr Bruniges its highest award, the College Medal, for her outstanding and sustained contributions to the fields of education across a range of sectors.
 
In April 2017, Dr Bruniges became the first Australian appointed as Chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Governing Board and was reappointed for a third term in 2023.