Dr Mary Russell has been appointed as the CEO of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) by the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP. Dr Russell has been acting in the role since June 2023, and prior to this she was TEQSA’s Executive Director of Regulatory Operations.
TEQSA’s Chief Commissioner, Professor Peter Coaldrake, has advised the Minister that he will be stepping down from the TESQA Commission on 10 May, saying “I feel it is an opportune time for the Government to appoint a new Chief Commissioner to guide the next stage of Australia’s approach to higher education regulation as part of the Australian Universities Accord implementation agenda”.
Commissioner Joan Cooper has agreed to extend her term on the Commission for up to a year to ensure the continuity of the Commission while recruitment for a new Chief Commissioner takes place. Commissioners Adrienne Nieuwenhuis and Steve Somogyi continue in their roles.












