Dr Don Russell

Dr Don Russell has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, and a unique perspective on policy formulation and the political process. Don served as Australia’s ambassador to the United States in Washington during the Clinton years and was principal adviser to the Hon. Paul Keating during his time as treasurer and prime minister. Until 2018, Dr Russell was the chief executive of the South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Previous roles include secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, and senior roles at global firm BNY Mellon Asset Management Australia and Sanford C. Bernstein in New York. Dr Russell is currently the Independent Chair of AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest superannuation fund with $180 billion in assets and 2.3 million members. He has a PhD from the London School of Economics, a MEc from ANU and a BEc (Hons) (First) from Flinders University as well as the Charted Financial Analyst designation. Don lives in Sydney with his wife Lisa Barker and their dog Sunny.