“Professor Mary O’Kane provided us with a blueprint for how we can reform higher education – it makes sense that she helps bring it to life,” Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy said.

“I want to congratulate Mary on her appointment to this important position, along with Professor Barney Glover AO and Professor Larissa Behrendt AO in their supporting roles.

“The ATEC has a critical role to play in providing independent advice to government and driving sector reform to ensure our universities have the settings and support they need to thrive.

“The Government has made good progress in implementing some of the recommendations of the Universities Accord, but there is a lot of heavy lifting still to do.

“We look forward to working with Mary, Barney and Larissa to design reforms that deliver real outcomes for universities and drive our nation’s economic growth and prosperity.”