Mr. Grant Tidswell
General Manager Families Cluster in Centrelink

Since 2002 Grant has been the General Manager Families Cluster in Centrelink, a service delivery agency that delivers payments and services to 6.4 million individuals across Australia. The role has the responsibility for coordinating and overseeing a team of Executives responsible for the delivery of payments and services to families, older Australians, rural customers, carers, debt management, compliance activities and a range of support payments across Centrelink. The families cluster accounts for over 4 million customers who receive approximately $40 billion in benefits and entitlements delivered by 10,000 staff.

Grant is also responsible for coordinating Centrelink's input into the Australian Government's yearly budget process, overseeing the processes and mechanisms to approve new business, developing Centrelink's revenue strategy (Centrelink's current revenue is $2billion pa) and in overseeing the development of internet portals for government and businesses.

Previously as a National Manager in Centrelink since 1999 Grant was responsible for services delivered to Australian families including family assistance payments, childcare and a variety of support payments and services. During this period Grant was responsible for overseeing major changes to the family payments system that directly affected 2 million customers, 5,000 staff and major changes to Centrelink's mainframe system.

Immediately prior to joining Centrelink Grant worked for the Australian Government's Health Department as a consultant establishing the purchasing framework for the provision of Australia wide rehabilitation services and setting up a major review of disability employment providers. Prior to this Grant had a long career in the South Australian State Government from 1982 to 1998. Grant ran service delivery units in the education sector, managed the state government's community residential care sector for young people, ran the State's largest juvenile justice centres, established an innovative alternative to detention program, managed a process to begin work on a major capital works program, ran the State's juvenile justice program and developed purchasing frameworks and undertook service and funding reviews of the State's major disability service providers.

Grant's educational qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in Asian Studies and Indonesian Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Social Administration from the Flinders University of South Australia. Grant is married with two teenage daughters and is passionate about sailing and all water sports, fine food and good company.