Senior Department of Justice executive wins Harvard scholarship

Ms Maj is one of six winners of the Sir James Wolfensohn Public Service Scholarship for 2023 and the only one from Western Australia.

She will participate in the Leadership Decision-Making program at the school’s Boston campus in 2024.

The late Sir James Wolfensohn, who was President of the World Bank and a Harvard alumnus, supported the Harvard Club of Australia in establishing the scholarship in 2012 to promote the development and delivery of good public policy.

Ms Maj leads the Department’s Strategic Reform division, which drives justice reforms from concept to delivery.

This has included oversight of setting up the WA Office of Crime Statistics and Research, establishing a Legislative Services directorate, convening the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee and developing the Department’s Family and Domestic Violence Strategic Framework.

Ms Maj began her public service career through the Department’s graduate program, before holding senior positions with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Ombudsman Western Australia and Office of the Auditor General. She returned to the Department of Justice in 2019.

Attorney General John Quigley said Ms Maj had been playing a key role in delivering a suite of reforms on justice and social issues.

“This scholarship is a deserved recognition of those achievements and an opportunity to further develop her leadership credentials,” Mr Quigley said.

Department of Justice Director General Dr Adam Tomison, who nominated Ms Maj for the scholarship, said she was committed to finding innovative solutions to complex social issues.

“Kylie leads with integrity, courage and compassion in a challenging area of public policy making,” Dr Tomison said.

Ms Maj said: “I feel humbled, excited and privileged to be given this opportunity.

“Sir James Wolfensohn fought tirelessly to address global poverty and improving outcomes for society’s most vulnerable remains a critical public policy challenge,” she said. “I’m confident I will emerge a more capable public servant in working towards this cause.”