Appointed as CEO Sustainability Victoria in November 2019, she has held executive roles in Transport for London, Victorian Government, Local Government, and in the private sector, and is highly regarded for her collaborative leadership, authentic community engagement and innovative partnerships. Claire has been recognised as an IPAA Victorian Fellow (2019) and a ‘Top 50 Woman in the Victorian Public Sector’ (2017).

 

Claire is passionate about leading teams to achieve public value, positive impact and deliver tangible outcomes for our community, with significant achievements in affordable housing, sustainability, transport and planning – to ensure our future is one of social, economic and environmental prosperity.

 

She has a Master of Transport, a Master of Traffic, a Bachelor of Planning & Design with majors in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and IPAA Integrity and Ethical Leadership Program.

Alex O'Mara is the Group Deputy Secretary of Place, Design and Public Spaces Group within the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. Alex is tasked with leading two NSW Premier’s Priorities: Greening Our City and Greener Public Spaces. She also leads work to re-orient the planning system around people, places and communities, with a continued focus on greater upfront strategic planning, excellence in design, local neighbourhood character, and public spaces.

 

Prior to that, Alex was the Deputy Secretary for Create NSW, leading the delivery of the largest investment in cultural infrastructure in NSW since the Opera House was built and the development of the NSW Cultural Infrastructure Plan.

Alex is an experienced senior executive who has worked across a range of sectors, including the planning, industry, infrastructure, water, environmental, building, creative, and cultural sectors. Alex has led the delivery of multi-dimensional projects and programs, driving significant policy, reform, and infrastructure projects and leading complex stakeholder engagement. Examples include overseeing the Accelerated Infrastructure Fund, which cut red tape and fast-tracked planning processes to keep people in jobs and the construction industry moving through the COVID-19 crisis, the delivery of coastal management reforms including the Coastal Management Act, the Local Land Services Act, and the Marine Estate Management Act, a new framework for wind energy development, the first social impact assessment guidelines for resources projects, and a new design-led framework for delivery of schools.

Alex began her career as a private sector lawyer after graduating second in order of merit from the University of Sydney with first class honours. Alex has a degree in Arts, majoring in English and Australian literature, and a Master of Administrative Law and Policy. Alex has been a member of multiple boards, including the Australian Building Codes Board, and is a member of the Placemaking NSW Advisory Committee. Alex is also completing the AICD Company Directors course, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion and values-led leadership.

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