Duncan Lewis

{{Short description|Australian military officer, diplomat and intelligence chief}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Major General

| name = Duncan Lewis

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|DSC|CSC}}

| image = Duncan Lewis (2).jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| caption =

| order = 13th

| office = Director-General of Security

| primeminister = Tony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
Scott Morrison

| term_start = 15 September 2014

| term_end = 15 September 2019

| predecessor = David Irvine

| successor = Mike Burgess

| order2 = Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, European Union and NATO

| term_start2 = 18 October 2012

| term_end2 = 2014

| monarch2 = Elizabeth II

| predecessor2 = Dr Brendan Nelson

| successor2 = Mark Higgie

| order3 = 18th Secretary of the Department of Defence

| term_start3 = 5 September 2011

| term_end3 = 18 October 2012

| monarch3 = Elizabeth II

| predecessor3 = Dr Ian Watt

| successor3 = Dennis Richardson

| order4 = 1st National Security Adviser

| term_start4 = 2008

| term_end4 = 2011

| monarch4 = Elizabeth II

| predecessor4 = New Creation

| successor4 = Dr Margot McCarthy

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1953|08|03}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| spouse =

| profession = Military

| religion =

| signature = Duncan Lewis signature 2019.svg

| allegiance = Australia

| branch = Australian Army

| serviceyears = 1975–2005

| rank = Major General

| commands = Special Operations Command (2002–04)
Sector West UNTAET (2000)
Special Air Service Regiment (1990–91)

| battles = 1982 Lebanon War
International Force for East Timor
East Timor (UNTAET)

| mawards = Officer of the Order of Australia
Distinguished Service Cross
Conspicuous Service Cross

}}

Major General Duncan Edward Lewis {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|DSC|CSC}} (born 3 August 1953) is an Australian military officer, diplomat and intelligence chief. From 2014 to 2019, he was the Director-General of Security of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). Prior to that appointment, he held the post of Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. He is a retired Australian Army officer, and formerly Special Operations Commander Australia (2002–2004), National Security Adviser, and Secretary of the Department of Defence.

Military career

Duncan Lewis graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1975. Following graduation, he was assigned to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Defence Studies and Management from Deakin University. He attended the British Army Staff College, Camberley and the US Army War College.Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (2008) [http://www.dpmc.gov.au/media/communication_2008-12-04.cfm Appointment of National Security Adviser] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514103627/http://www.dpmc.gov.au/media/communication_2008-12-04.cfm |date=14 May 2009 }}. Retrieved 7 January 2009.

File:Duncan Edward Lewis.jpeg

During his military career, Lewis served three postings with the Special Air Service Regiment, later commanding the Regiment from 1990 to 1991. For this service, Lewis was decorated with the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC).[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/913889 It's an Honour] – Conspicuous Service Cross, 14 June 1993

From 1994 to 1996, Lewis was Australian Army Attache in Jakarta, and during the INTERFET period he was appointed the Australian Defence Force (ADF) spokesman on East Timor.{{Citation needed|date=March 2012}}

Lewis was promoted to brigadier in January 2000 and appointed Commander Sector West UNTAET in East Timor, where he commanded Australian and New Zealand forces. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for his accomplishments with the unit.[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/917119 It's an Honour] – Distinguished Service Cross, 11 June 2001

Lewis assumed his appointment as Commander Special Forces in January 2001, and was promoted to the rank of major general on 19 December 2002. In the Australia Day Honours of 2005, Lewis was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1057586 It's an Honour] – Officer of the Order of Australia, 26 January 2005. Citation: For distinguished service and performance of duty as Commander Special Forces and subsequently as the inaugural Special Operations Commander Australia.

Post-military career

Subsequent to his retirement from the army in 2005, Lewis joined the Australian Public Service and was appointed to the position of First Assistant Secretary of the National Security Division in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. In December 2008 he began serving as National Security Adviser to the Rudd Labor Government. On 5 August 2011 it was announced that he would be appointed the Secretary of the Australian Department of Defence, (SECDEF), effective early September.{{cite news |last=Clarissa Thorpe and Penny McLintock |title=PS shake-up as Moran retires |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-05/ps-shake-up-as-moran-retires/2825660 |accessdate=7 August 2011 |newspaper=ABC News |date=5 August 2011}} Lewis was the first former military officer to be appointed to this position.{{cite news |last=Ellery |first=David |title=Watt takes Defence's secrets into the top job |url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/watt-takes-defences-secrets-into-the-top-job/2250220.aspx?storypage=0 |accessdate=7 August 2011 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=6 August 2011}}

Diplomatic career

On 17 September 2012, it was announced that Lewis had been appointed Australia's ambassador to Belgium, the European Union, Luxembourg and NATO, and would leave the Department of Defence on 10 October.{{cite web|title=Diplomatic Appointment and Appointment of Secretaries of the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|url=http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/diplomatic-appointment-and-appointment-secretaries-department-defence-and-department-fo|work=Media release|publisher=Prime Minister Julia Gillard|accessdate=17 September 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920183125/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/diplomatic-appointment-and-appointment-secretaries-department-defence-and-department-fo|archivedate=20 September 2012|df=dmy-all}} While newspaper reports suggested that Lewis was unhappy with the government's cuts to defence spending,{{cite news|last=Cullen|first=Simon|title=Defence head given ambassador role|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-17/defence-head-given-ambassador-role/4265808|accessdate=17 September 2012|newspaper=ABC News|date=17 September 2012}} he stated that "notwithstanding media reporting, I have not been forced out of my current position and I am not departing defence for any reason other than to take up this ambassadorial posting at the request of the prime minister".{{cite news|last=Gartrell|first=Adam|title=Defence boss denies cuts led him to quit|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/defence-boss-denies-cuts-led-him-to-quit-20120917-260xv.html|accessdate=17 September 2012|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=17 September 2012}}

Director-General of Security

On 15 May 2014, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Attorney-General George Brandis issued a joint media release announcing that Lewis was to stand down as Ambassador to Belgium, the EU, Luxembourg and NATO, and would be appointed as Director-General of Security (the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australia's domestic intelligence agency) following the retirement of David Irvine in September 2014.{{cite web|last1=Bishop |first1=Julie |title=Appointment of new Director-General of Security and nomination of new Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO |url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2014/jb_mr_140515a.aspx |website=foreignminister.gov.au |publisher=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade |accessdate=22 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317092902/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2014/jb_mr_140515a.aspx |archivedate=17 March 2015 |df=dmy }} In this role he was one of the architects of a new [https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/how-australia-got-badly-out-in-front-on-china-20210428-p57n8x "Push Back" policy] to counter Chinese influence in Australia. Lewis retired on 15 September 2019, and was replaced by Mike Burgess, the former director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate.

Honours and awards

100px

class="wikitable"
50px	Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)	26 January 2005
50px	Distinguished Service Cross (DSC)	11 June 2001
50px	Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC)	14 June 1993
50px	Australian Active Service Medal
50px	Australian Service Medal
50px	Defence Force Service Medal with four rosettes	for 35–39 years of service
50px	Australian Defence Medal
50px	United Nations Medal with UNTSO ribbon	For United Nations Truce Supervision Organization
50px	United Nations Medal with UNTAET ribbon	For United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor

References

External links

[http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=2184 ADF Biography]
[http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1098/images/17lewisJUN3.jpg ADF Photograph]