Elizabeth Mildwater has been appointed secretary of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade (DEIT), Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter announced on Wednesday.
The former secretary, Amy Brown, was sacked in September.
"It's a privilege to hold a role as a senior leader in the NSW public service. With this, rightly, comes a high degree of accountability," Mr Coutts-Trotter said at the time.
The various examinations of former deputy premier John Barilaro's controversial appointment to a lucrative US trade role brought Ms Brown into the headlines in the lead-up to her departure.
A review found Ms Brown was indirectly influenced by former trade minister Stuart Ayres' preferences over who should get the New York-based role, which Mr Barilaro did not take up in the end.
Mr Ayres resigned from his cabinet roles in August, but another review found he had not breached the ministerial code of conduct.
He has not been reinstated to cabinet.
Ms Mildwater will take over as secretary officially on Monday but has been acting in the role since September.
She was formerly chief executive of the Greater Cities Commission and a deputy secretary at Transport for NSW.
"Elizabeth brings proven leadership and management capability to the department and is well versed in much of its work from her previous roles in government," Mr Coutts-Trotter said.
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