Mike Norris is the Director of the ASPI Professional Development Centre. He leads a team of permanent and part time staff and ASPI fellows who design, develop and deliver Professional Development Programs for Defence and other departments and agencies at the Commonwealth and State and Territory level. Mike and the ASPI-PD team, work with client agencies to develop new policy, conduct strategic planning and test those plans and policies through exercises and red teaming.

Mike joined ASPI in March 2017 after ten years in the Attorney-General’s Department as an Assistant Secretary covering various roles in National Security, Counter Terrorism and Protective Security. Over this period Mike had extensive experience in national crisis management arrangements, protective security risk analysis at national and international level, developing processes to support government decision making, business continuity at departmental level and developing practical arrangements for the continuity of executive government. Mike was also responsible for the development and coordination of the national exercise program, and the development of the National Counter Terrorism Handbook and Plan under the (then) National Counter Terrorism Committee (NCTC). In recent years, Mike has developed and delivered numerous desk top exercises at Departmental and whole of government level.

In 2011, Mike was also seconded to the National Security College as Director of Executive and Professional Development. At the College, Mike designed and delivered a range of intense professional development programs covering national security issues.

Prior to joining AGD, Mike was the Director of Counter Terrorism and Domestic Security in Strategic Policy Division in Defence.

Mike also had an extensive military career as an army officer with comprehensive experience in intelligence, security, operations, strategic policy, and training. Key roles included:

• Director of Intelligence (J2) at Australian Theatre Headquarters
• Head of the Army Intelligence Corps
• Directing Staff at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies (then the Australian Defence College)
• Defence Consul in Honolulu (accredited to US Pacific Command)
• Army Director of Security
• Intelligence & Security Instructor in the United Kingdom

Mike is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Command & Staff College and Joint Services Staff College. He has a BA (Mil Studies), MA (Defence Studies), and a Grad Dip (Strategic Studies).