Cenitex: The secrets of an award-winning public sector workplace

Frances has a wealth of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. She draws on extensive experience in information technology, large transaction processing centres, customer contact centres and client relationship management.

Frances has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of Cenitex since July 2019. Cenitex provides shared information and Communications Technology (ICT) services to the Victorian public sector. It enables departments, agencies and more than 55,000+ users to deliver services for the Victorian community.

Prior to joining Cenitex, Frances was with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for 14 years and for the last 7 years held the role of Chief Financial Officer. As Chief Financial Officer she managed a $3.6 billion operating budget and a capital budget in excess of $180 million including a property portfolio of approximately $300 million. Frances led several business divisions within the ATO, comprising very large workforces of up to 7500 employees across 36 national sites.

Frances’s roles in the ATO provided her with a strong understanding and appreciation of public service ethics, delivery to government and the community.

Each of her roles has included regular appearances at Senate Estimates, frequent appearances at other committees of enquiry such as the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) and regularly briefing Minister’s and their advisors.

Frances has held various committee positions over her career including the Australian Bureau of Statistic 2021 Census Board, the Victorian State Revenue Committee and the Federal Circuit Court Audit and Risk Committee.

Brigid Monagle is the Commissioner of the Victorian Public Sector Commission. She was appointed as Victorian Public Sector Commissioner in February 2023.

Before being appointed Commissioner, Brigid acted as Secretary for the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) and before that was the department’s Associate Secretary. Before these roles, Brigid held various Deputy Secretary roles in DFFH from its formation in February 2021. These roles including leading the Readiness, Response and Emergency Management Division, which was responsible for working to minimise the impact of emergencies on Victorians, including the COVID-19 health emergency. In the second half of 2020, she was seconded to serve as Deputy Secretary, Public Health Policy and Strategy, within the former Department of Health and Human Services, supporting the emergency response of
COVID-19.

In 2018, Brigid stood up and led the Fairer Victoria Division as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC). Fairer Victoria supported the Multicultural Affairs, Equality, Youth, Veterans, Senior Victorians, Women and Prevention of Family Violence portfolios.

Prior to this, Brigid was an Executive Director at DPC, leading advice in the areas of Aboriginal Affairs Policy, including the formation of Treaty Authority legislation and self-determination, health policy and reform, and inter-governmental strategy.

Brigid previous held various roles at DPC and spent some years working at The Treasury in New Zealand.

She holds a Masters of Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne.