The ability to nail a point, understand the politics and keep your staff onside - these are some of the qualities that set Canberra's most influential public servants apart.
The Canberra Times asked five experts in public administration to recommend the people who were steering the ship within the federal public service, before independently consolidating this list based on that feedback and our own observations.
We received recommendations from former senior public servants Peter Woolcott, Natalie James, Rachel Noble and Lisa Paul, as well as former Labor leader Bill Shorten.
This list shows why some of the most senior public servants are where they are, as well as a peek at what they bring to the roles behind closed doors.
You can't leave Australia's most senior federal public servant off this influence list, but Steven Kennedy may well have made it without his job title.
His time at the top doesn't just include a six-year stint as Treasury secretary, but a period spent at the helm of Infrastructure, as a deputy secretary in the Climate Change Department and as an adviser to Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.
The announcement that he would take over from Professor Glyn Davis as the Prime Minister's most trusted advisor in the public service surprised few in Canberra.
Those in the know say his credibility doesn't just come from being well-connected with senior ministers, but by being seen as an honest and supportive leader of other senior public servants.
He was highly rated as Treasury secretary by Jim Chalmers, who publicly remarked on their "very close and effective partnership" and long-term friendship.
Alongside his predecessor, Professor Davis, Dr Kennedy is seen as someone who has fostered more collegiate relationships between departmental secretaries, who meet monthly to collaborate on the direction of the service.
Jenny Wilkinson brings some serious credentials to the role of Treasury secretary, but it's her blend of technical expertise with high emotional intelligence and an ability to be succinct that sets her apart.
She's a highly regarded economist who built good contacts on both sides of politics during her time as Parliamentary Budget Officer, before going on to oversee government resourcing as Finance secretary.
Like Dr Kennedy, she was considered a natural pick to head Treasury and she is the first ever woman to serve in the role.
In her first budget in the role, she's weathered backlash and heightened scrutiny over the introduction of changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax.
But she's said to be highly trusted by ministers and secretaries alike, who listen when she speaks up because of her ability to blend policy nous with an understanding of political priorities, and to explain herself clearly.
One of the new secretaries featured on this list, Matt Yannopoulos had been waiting in the wings for one of the top jobs.
A former associate secretary at Defence, he's worked in a wide range of public service roles, including for the Tax Office, Immigration, Health, Education and Finance.
Mr Yannopoulos now heads the department charged with managing federal government resourcing at a crucial point for Labor, as it raids the bureaucracy to find billions in savings.
The newly-minted Finance secretary has also inherited a new consulting scandal, with Finance's handling of alleged unethical conduct by former KPMG partners shaping up as a significant test.
Described as a public service heavyweight who is well respected for his intellect, Blair Comley has seen the highs and lows of life at the top.
He served a stint as secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2011 to 2013, when the Abbott government sacked him in a move thought to be motivated by his work on the carbon price.
It didn't take long for then NSW Premier Mike Baird to scoop him up to lead the state's Department of Premier and Cabinet.
The Albanese government brought him back in 2023 to lead the Health Department, with the Prime Minister citing his "strong economic qualifications and proven leadership navigating complex issues".
A Machinery of Government change after the 2025 election to bring the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) back under the Health portfolio signals that the government has significant trust in him to help steer the scheme through a massive overhaul.
Meghan Quinn emerged out of left field to become the first female secretary of Defence this year.
Her climb to the top surprised industry and department insiders, who had speculated the role would go to Australian Ambassador to China Scott Dewar or associate secretary Cath Patterson.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted her "outstanding" work as Industry secretary, the department that oversaw the rollout of the Future Made in Australia agenda and the implementation of a national artificial intelligence plan.
She is thought to be strong on stakeholder engagement, supportive yet matter of fact and unafraid to express her views - all skills that will be essential in taking Defence forward.
Ms Quinn will be charged with steering Defence through a massive overhaul, with about 9000 civilian and military staff breaking away from the department to build a new agency focused on military acquisition.
Internal documents show the panel of public servants who recommended Ms Quinn were looking for a leader with courage, open-mindedness, credibility, sound policy judgement and the ability to "operate in a fiscally restrained environment".
Appointed by Josh Frydenberg in 2021, Ms Cass-Gottlieb came to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with more than 25 years as a partner in competition and regulation at Gilbert + Tobin.
A May 2026 Federal Court finding that Coles made misleading representations about "down down" discounts, after proceedings brought by the ACCC, will no doubt add a nice line to Ms Cass-Gottlieb's resume.
Her five-year term is due to expire in March 2027, and though an announcement on next steps had not been made at the time of writing, she has a fan in the Competition Minister, Andrew Leigh.
Dr Leigh said her strength lies in a "fierce intellect and a generous spirit".
"She takes great care of her staff, and works assiduously to boost competition and protect consumers.
"Like her predecessors, Ms Cass-Gottlieb also advocates strongly for better laws.
"Working with her and the Treasurer to overhaul Australia's merger laws was a professional highlight for me."
Brought in to lead Services Australia by Bill Shorten in 2024, David Hazlehurst is seen as someone who can get things done.
Central agency bias is real, and the heads of service delivery agencies are not traditionally thought of as influential, but alongside Veterans' Affairs, Services Australia is crucial to Labor's public service agenda.
Key performance measures have improved under Mr Hazlehurst's leadership, including the number of minutes that people are waiting on the phone and the proportion of payments being processed faster.
Mr Hazlehurst's public service CV includes a stint as chief adviser to the Henry tax review and he's seen as someone who is always trying to improve his leadership.
Embracing AI as a leader who errs on the side of caution will be his next big challenge, with Labor eager to break a cycle of topping up staffing at the mega agency with multibillion-dollar boosts.
As the Albanese government's third Public Service Commissioner, Jacqui Curtis will shepherd in a new era for the bureaucracy.
Labor's first term was marked by a focus on integrity in the wake of the unlawful robodebt scheme but the next challenge will be building capability and integrating AI.
Ms Curtis has worked in senior roles in the service-delivery engines of the APS - the Tax Office and former Department of Human Services.
She's also an APS-wide leader on human resources, having driven greater flexibility in hiring practices in order to promote diversity.
The new commissioner also has a Public Service Medal for driving change and building capability in the APS - qualities that Labor is likely keen to tap into as it looks for ways to save money and drive efficiency.
Unlike her predecessor, Gordon de Brouwer, Ms Curtis hasn't served as a secretary before.
It will mean she is stepping up to a role where she needs to command the respect of people who were previously her superiors.
TOMORROW: The public service up-and-comers.
