Jasmina Joldić PSM

Jasmina Joldić’s career trajectory exemplifies the transformative power of education and how dedication and perseverance can triumph over any barrier.

Today, Jasmina is Acting Director-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General in Queensland, one of the State’s highest-ranking public service positions. But twenty years ago, Jasmina could hardly understand a word of English.

“My family fled the war in Bosnia when I was a teenager and moved to Germany before being resettled in Brisbane, where I finished my final year of High School with little or no command of English.”

Fast forward more than two decades, Jasmina holds five tertiary degrees, scaled the heights of public service, received a Public Service Medal (PSM) for her leadership in delivering critical functions and outcomes for Queenslanders during COVID, and in 2023, has been recognised by Griffith University by being named Outstanding Alumnus for Griffith Business School.

“When I found out about the Alumni award, as I have such a strong connection to education and culturally, Bosnian people place a high value on education, it was very unexpected, but felt a huge sense of pride, honour, and gratitude.”

A Master of Public Administration (Policy) from Griffith’s School of Government and International Relations helped Jasmina climb the career ladder since landing her first role as Policy Advisor for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra. Her passion for public policy was formed by working alongside former Griffith Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis when they were together at the University of Melbourne.

“I worked for Glyn for just over three years, and he sparked the love in me for public service and public policy, so my decision to come back to university and choose Griffith was because it was a university that was recognised nationally as a leader in the field.”

Pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Policy Analysis as well as a Master of Public Administration, the Griffith programs aligned perfectly with her career goals around equity, diversity, and impact.

Mentors also proved invaluable as Jasmina juggled full-time work and postgraduate study.

“Rachel Hunter PSM (the first female Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and former Griffith Deputy Chancellor), Professor Anne Tiernan and Professor Emeritus Pat Weller AO were brilliant people to learn from and look up to. So much so, I still look back on the notes from those lectures and use them to this day.”

“The flexibility too, of being able to study, raise a family, and work at the same time, was very important and being able to have access to lecturers and being able to really debate issues in class was not only enjoyable but an incredible learning experience.”

After numerous high-level roles at Queensland Health leading the strategy, policy and reform division, Jasmina moved across to another senior portfolio and in mid-2023 was appointed Acting Director-General of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. Jasmina is the youngest female and the first woman from a culturally and linguistically diverse background to hold the position.

As a proud Bosnian Australian, Jasmina brings a unique perspective to her work and remains passionate about giving back to the country that has given her family a safe haven and a place to call home. Jasmina wants to create a future where everyone’s voice is heard, regardless of where they came from.