MasterCraft Series - Stronger together: 15 years of APS & Jawun advancing change

Dr Subho Banerjee, APSC 

Dr Subho Banerjee is the a/g Commissioner of the Australian Public Service Commission.  Subho is an experienced SES Band 3 officer, with previous Deputy Secretary roles in the Education and Training, Industry and Climate Change portfolios.

Subho was previously the Deputy CEO, Research and Advisory, at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, where he worked on public sector reform issues at the interface of academia and practice.  He has previously held visiting and adjunct academic appointments at the ANU and at Griffith University, and has also worked for a private sector management consultancy, and an Indigenous policy think-tank.

Subho holds a BSc and PhD in Physics from ANU.  He also holds Masters qualifications in economic and social history, and environmental change and management, from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes scholar. ​​

Antonio Di Dio 

Associate Professor Antonio Di Dio grew up in rural Italy and Australia and has been a GP for over 30 years. He still practices part time in Canberra, as well as being the full time director of the Professional Services Review. He has been passionately interested in practitioner well being for over 30 years, and still takes calls for a state Drs4Drs service. Antonio sits on the Board of both the Medical Benevolent Association and Drs Health Services, as well as being the Executive Chair of the National Leadership Alliance on practitioner wellbeing. He was awarded the AMA Presidential Medal in 2020 for services to doctors health and to refugees.  Associate Professor Di Dio chairs the Australian Health Regulators Network, and works to improve the safety of patients and the experience of those undergoing review. He is the SES Champion of the Public Sector Neurodiversity Community of Practice. Antonio was the AMA ACT Pres-Elect/President for 5 years, and served on Federal Council, the Board, and numerous committees over years. He sponsors literary and arts ventures, teaches medicine at ANU and travels the Australian Public Service giving presentations on workplace culture, psychosocial safety and burnout prevention. He also writes a regular Canberra paper column on kindness, collects many nerdy things, and shares a house with a wonderful family and too many books.​​

Fiona White, Department of Defence

Fiona White is a Contract Manager with the Department of Defence, where she works across complex capability programs to deliver structured, compliant, and operationally effective procurement and contract outcomes. Her career spans Defence, government, and consulting, drawing on a foundation of service as a Maritime Logistics Supply Chain Sailor in the Royal Australian Navy. Fiona’s hands-on experience in operational environments has shaped her understanding of resilience, teamwork, and the pivotal role that procurement and logistics play in enabling capability and delivering tangible results.

She brings a grounded, real-world perspective to procurement, governance, and contract management, informed by both her professional expertise and lived experience. In 2025, she was selected for a Jawun secondment with the Ngarrindjeri community in South Australia, supporting local procurement, contract management, and governance process building. She describes her time on secondment as life changing, igniting a lasting commitment to respectful partnership and meaningful impact. Fiona remains closely connected to the Ngarrindjeri community, continuing to support their work and learning from their leadership and resilience.

Throughout her career, Fiona has demonstrated a practical commitment to enabling capability, partnership, and sustainable outcomes, both within Defence and beyond. Her ongoing collaborations reflect her belief in the importance of integrity, mutual respect, and creating pathways for positive change—values she champions in both her professional and community roles.

Janine Culnane, DEWR

Janine Culnane is a Senior Program Officer with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, contributing to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. Through her work, she supports a program that connects Australian employers with workers from Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste, helping to meet critical workforce needs while creating meaningful opportunities for individuals to gain income, skills and international experience. The scheme reflects a strong and respectful partnership with Pacific nations, ensuring that workers are supported with fair pay, safe conditions and access to welfare and accommodation. Janine brings more than four years of experience across a range of PALM roles, underpinned by a genuine commitment to people, capability building and positive outcomes for communities.

Before joining the PALM program, she worked in the not for profit sector as a Regional Area Manager in Employment Services across the Mid North Coast managing multiple sites and programs including Disability Support Services, New Enterprise Incentive Scheme and Skills for Education and Employment at her sites. She has a passion for supporting vulnerable jobseekers, including people with significant complex needs. She has worked extensively with First Nations communities to create local employment pathways and has built lasting relationships grounded in trust and respect. Alongside her public service career, Janine has spent nearly a decade as an Associate Lecturer, reflecting her passion for learning, sustainability and strengthening communities. Her commitment to reconciliation and opportunity is demonstrated through her involvement as a working group member in DEWR’s Reconciliation Action Plan and her support for the Murra Journey Program linking University of Canberra First Nations students to employment opportunities and placements within the department.

She was honoured to undertake a JAWAN secondment in North East Arnhem Land with Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation. There, she contributed to an employment project focused on building skills and creating opportunities for Yolngu people in the construction sector, particularly in maintaining and repairing community housing. She describes this experience as deeply rewarding and life changing, reinforcing her belief in the strength, resilience and potential of communities when supported through respectful partnership and practical opportunity.