Speaker Profile

Ms Rebecca Brown commenced as Director General of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI) in September 2018.
In this role, she is also Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Western Australia.
Ms Brown led significant change across JTSI to modernise the agency to become critical in advancing State Government’s key policy agendas.
Through her leadership, JTSI has played an increasingly key role in growing local jobs and diversifying the State’s industry base and export potential.
The department plays an important role in supporting government strategy in leveraging the broader research, science and innovation community to advance outcomes for Western Australia.
Ms Brown was appointed Acting Director General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet from March 2020 to May 2021 to support the State Government’s early response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ms Brown was awarded a Public Sector Medal for her outstanding leadership in relation to Western Australia’s management and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She returned to her role as Director General of JTSI in June 2021.
Ms Brown has worked for both Federal and State government agencies in a range of senior roles across revenue and economic policy, social policy, resourcing and performance.
She has an Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.