Commissioner Nick Kaldas APM

Chair, Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
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Nick Kaldas served as Chair and Commissioner on the Royal Commission for Defence and Veteran Suicide. 2021-2024.

Previously he held two of the most senior roles in the New South Wales Police Force executive (Sydney, NSW), serving as Deputy Commissioner for almost a decade and, prior to that, Assistant Commissioner (Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics). He relieved as Commissioner of Police extensively. His career as an NSW Police Officer spanned almost 35 years, primarily in major and organised crime investigations, and counter-terrorism, with over a decade in homicide investigations. He also served in a number of senior roles within the United Nations system and led the UN investigation into the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri, and the investigation into the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict. He was a member of numerous Government committees, at State and national levels. From 2016 to 2018 he served as Director of Internal Oversight of the UN Relief and Works Agency, the agency tasked with dealing with all issues of Palestine refugees. He is Egyptian-born, and fluent in Arabic and partially in French.

He is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Multicultural NSW; a member of the Advisory Board of Holdmark Construction; a member of the Board of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability; and a member of the Independent Steering Committee, Operation Kenova (Scotland Yard re-investigation of a number of murders committed during the troubles in Northern Ireland).

Commissioner Kaldas holds a Masters’ Degree in Public Policy and Administration and is a graduate of the FBI’s Hostage Negotiation Program, their Leadership in Counter Terrorism Program, and the FBI National Executive Institute, the peak program for law enforcement executives. He has received numerous awards, including the Australian Police Medal, the National Medal, the Overseas Humanitarian Service Medal, and numerous commendations for outstanding performance of duty in Australia and overseas.

He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Western Sydney University. He is an Industry Professor with University of Technology Sydney. He was a member of the Australian National Counter Terrorism Committee for eight years, the peak policy body dealing with Counter Terrorism in Australia. His consulting company, Kaldas and Associates, primarily advises on security, governance and related issues.

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