The OAIC is headed by the Australian Information Commissioner, a statutory officer appointed by the Governor-General. The Commissioner has a range of powers and responsibilities outlined in the AIC Act, and also exercises powers under the FOI Act, the Privacy Act and other privacy-related legislation.

The Australian Information Commissioner is the agency head accountable for strategic oversight and the OAIC’s regulatory, strategic, advisory and dispute resolution functions, as well as financial and governance reporting.

Angelene Falk was appointed by the Governor-General to the roles of Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner on 16 August 2018. She was acting Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner from 24 March 2018 to 15 August 2018.

Angelene Falk

Angelene Falk has held senior positions in the OAIC since 2012, including serving as Deputy Commissioner from 2016 to March 2018.

Over the past decade, she has worked extensively with Australian Government agencies, across the private sector and internationally, at the forefront of addressing regulatory challenges and opportunities presented by rapidly evolving technology and potential uses of data. Her experience extends across industries and subject matter, including data breach prevention and management, data sharing, credit reporting, digital health and access to information.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Diploma in Intellectual Property Law from Melbourne University.

Support to the Commissioner

The Commissioner is supported by an Executive team of three substantive Senior Executive Services (SES) positions, and expert staff, working within the Dispute Resolution, Regulation and Strategy, and Legal and Governance branches.

Generally, the Dispute Resolution branch is responsible for resolving privacy complaints, FOI Information Commissioner reviews, Commissioner initiated privacy and FOI investigations and the OAIC’s public information service. The Regulation and Strategy branch provides guidance, examines and drafts submissions on proposed legislation, conducts assessments, and provides advice on inquiries and proposals that may have an impact on privacy. The Legal and Governance branch provides legal and corporate services and strategic communications functions.