Rebecca Lucy Kitteridge (born ) is a New Zealand public servant currently serving as Deputy Public Service Commissioner. She was Secretary of the Cabinet from 2008 to November 2013, Director-General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service from 2014 to 2023, and acting chief executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2023 to 2024.

Career

Kitteridge attended Upper Hutt College, and is a graduate of

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

. Her early career was in private legal practice before holding positions at the Crown Law Office, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She was Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet from 2003 to 2008 and Secretary of the Cabinet from March 2008 to November 2013. During the last six months of this time she was seconded to the GCSB as acting associate director-general to carry out a review of compliance systems and processes there, in response to concerns of illegal spying on

Kim Dotcom Kim Dotcom (né Schmitz; born 21 January 1974), also known as Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor, is a Finnish-German Internet entrepreneur and political activist who lives in Glenorchy, New Zealand. He rose to fame in Germany in the 1990s as a ha ...

. She was appointed Director-General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service in 2014. She was the first woman to head the organisation. In late 2022, it was announced she would join the Public Service Commission as Deputy Public Service Commissioner from March 2023. Instead, however, she was seconded to act as chief executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) in March 2023. That appointment was extended in January 2024. Kitteridge finally joined the Public Service Commission in April 2024 when a permanent secretary for DPMC was appointed.

Family

Kitteridge has a husband and a daughter.

Honours

On 25 March 2014, Kitteridge was appointed a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...

upon relinquishing her roles as Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council, and was invested by the

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

in a private ceremony at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

. In 2017, Kitteridge won the Public Policy Award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards.

References

1960s births Living people New Zealand public servants New Zealand women public servants People educated at Upper Hutt College Victoria University of Wellington alumni New Zealand Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order New Zealand Women of Influence Award recipients Year of birth missing (living people) {{NewZealand-gov-bio-stub