Mr Skelly is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Director, Eastern Europe and Western Balkans Section. He has previously served as Deputy Head of Mission in Madrid and First Secretary in Baghdad, and Pretoria. He has also worked as Assistant Director in the Crisis Management Section, Iraq Section and International Economic Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Director of Industry Engagement in the National Careers Institute of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.  

Mr Skelly holds a Bachelor of Communications and Marketing from the University of Canberra.