[citation needed] In 1987 he began working for the Australian federal government, firstly as head of the newly established Office of Multicultural Affairs.

[5] Having become deputy secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1990, he was appointed the CEO of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1991–1994) and Comcare, a federal government workers' compensation authority (1994–1995).

[6] In that capacity he was a frequent media commentator on the relationship between governments and not-for-profit organisations, new forms of social business and entrepreneurship and corporate responsibility and accountability.

He is currently a non-executive director of financial services company AMP Limited and Australian law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

He is chairman of Opal Aged Care, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and serves on the boards of the General Sir John Monash Foundation[7] and the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence.

In 2011 Shergold became the Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney;[1] and was appointed as chairman of the New South Wales Public Service Commission.