Penny Williams PSM (born in Wynyard, Tasmania, 22 January 1964) is an Australian public servant and diplomat.

Penny Williams joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in 1988 as a graduate of the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts in Asian studies and a Masters of applied anthropology and participatory democracy.

[1] Earlier, before becoming a student at ANU, in 1981–82 she had spent time in Indonesia as an exchange student at the Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) 1 PSKD school (Perkumpulan Sekolah Kristen Djakarta Senior High School No 1) near the University of Indonesia in Salemba in Central Jakarta.

[2] After joining DFAT, Williams had postings to Damascus, Syria (1992–1994) and to Santiago, Chile (1997–2000).

[8] She was also often invited to make public appearances, including on the media, to discuss women's issues.