Tony Sheehan

Distinguished Advisor, ANU National Security College


Mr Tony Sheehan currently works as an independent national security consultant. He is a Distinguished Advisor to the ANU National Security College. He is also a non-executive board member of Australian Volunteers International and has previous ASX board experience. 

Tony has worked in government for 32 years, most recently as the Deputy Secretary at DFAT - responsible for International Security, Humanitarian, Consular, Middle East and Africa, and Legal areas. 

Before that he was the Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator responsible for coordinating Australia’s Counter-Terrorism arrangements for the Prime Minister and working in close partnership with Commonwealth and State and Territory agencies. He was also Chair of the Australia-New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee. 

Tony has also served as the Deputy Director-General of ASIO, Deputy Secretary in the Attorney-General’s Department and First Assistant Secretary Homeland and Border Security in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 

He has spent 19 years at DFAT with overseas postings to Taipei, Beijing and Jakarta. 

Tony is a graduate of Monash University. He majored in Mandarin and English Literature. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course.