Mark Warburton is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. He periodically works as a consultant on tertiary education and social services. He worked in the Australian Public Service for over 30 years and spent nearly a decade in the Senior Executive Service. He obtained extensive practical experience in designing and implementing policy for major government funding programs in higher education, income support and social services. He was an adviser to Australian Government Ministers for nearly six years during the 1990s.