US Elections

Dennis Richardson, AO

Board of Directors

Dennis Richardson is a member of the US Studies Centre Board of Directors. He was a speaker at the Centre's National Summit in June 2011.

Richardson was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in January 2010. He was appointed to the US Studies Centre Board of Directors in January 2011.

Richardson was Ambassador of Australia to the United States from June 2005 to December 2009.

Richardson has been a career public servant since 1969 when he joined Australia's foreign service. He has served in Nairobi, Port Moresby and Jakarta.

From October 1996 until his appointment to Washington he served as Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Prior to that he was Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1993-1996).

Richardson has served in various senior public service roles in the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Foreign Affairs and Trade and Immigration. He was Head of the Review of the Intelligence Community post Cold War in 1992 and Principal Adviser to the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1991.

Richardson holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of Sydney. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2003.