ANDREW SHEARER

The Director-General of National Intelligence is the head of the Office of National Intelligence and the principal adviser to the Prime Minister on intelligence matters, including on intelligence collection and assessment priorities, intelligence capabilities and the broader activities of the National Intelligence Community.

Mr Andrew Shearer has been Director-General of the Office of National Intelligence since December 2020. His numerous roles in government include Office of National Intelligence Deputy Director-General (2018-19),  Cabinet Secretary (2019-20) and National Security Adviser to two Australian prime ministers.

Over the course of his thirty-year career, he has also held senior diplomatic positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and senior roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the office of the Minister for Defence, and the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. 

As Senior Adviser on Asia-Pacific Security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, and formerly Director of Studies at Sydney’s Lowy Institute, Mr Shearer’s analysis has been published widely in leading international press, journals and books.

He was awarded a UK Foreign Office Chevening Scholarship and holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge and honours degrees in law and arts from the University of Melbourne. He received the US Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service for his contribution to the Australia-US alliance.