Commissioners
ASQA is an independent statutory agency, comprising a Chief Commissioner and two other Commissioners, who are appointed by the Governor-General for up to five years. ASQA staff support the Commissioners in their regulatory function, and together the Commissioners and staff form the Authority.
For the purposes of the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, the Chief Commissioner is also ASQA's CEO and is responsible for ASQA's management and administration. In addition, ASQA has a Commissioner (Compliance and Regional Operations), and a Commissioner (Risk Analysis and Investigation).
Commissioners
Chief Commissioner—Mr Chris Robinson
Mr Chris Robinson has held a number of senior government positions in education and related fields, including Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Education and Children's Services, South Australia, and Deputy Director-General of the Department of Employment and Training, Queensland.
Mr Robinson held the role of Acting Chief Commissioner of ASQA from 1 July 2011, and was appointed as Chief Commissioner from 1 October 2011 for a period of five years.
Commissioner, Compliance and Regional Operations—Dr Dianne Orr
Dr Dianne Orr has ten years experience in VET regulation. Dr Orr previously held the position of Executive Director of Training and International Quality in the Queensland Department of Education and Training. Prior to that, Dr Orr developed regulatory policy with the Australian National Training Authority. She was formerly a member of the National Quality Council and has worked on a number of the Council's national action groups.
Dr Orr was also the Project Manager for Regulatory Strategy in the National VET Regulator Taskforce (formed to set up the Australian Skills Quality Authority). Dr Orr held the role of Acting Commissioner of ASQA from 1 July 2011, and was appointed to the role of Commissioner from 1 October 2011 for a period of five years.
Commissioner, Risk and Investigation—Professor Michael Lavarch
The Hon Michael Lavarch AO is perhaps best known for his time as Australia's Attorney General and as a federal member of parliament between 1993 and 1996. However, he has had a long and distinguished career in the legal profession outside of parliament—as an academic, in private practice and as the CEO of the Law Council of Australia. For the past eight years, Professor Lavarch has been the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law and a Professor of Law at the Queensland University of Technology.
Professor Lavarch commenced as a Commissioner of ASQA on 16 April 2012.