Poulet was the inaugural State Architect of Tasmania, serving from 2009 to 2012, after an early career in government and private practice in Australia and Japan. Born in Sydney in 1960, he completed his education at the University of Sydney before his appointment as Assistant Government Architect for NSW, then heading to Hobart in 2009 where he also lectured at the University of Tasmania. Appointed as NSW Government Architect & General Manager in January 2012, Poulet is a visual artist and he regularly exhibits modernist abstract paintings with strong references to the environment and nature. In early 2016, the Government Architect's role was relocated from the Department of Finance, Services & Innovation to the Department of Planning & Environment. As the 23rd Government Architect, Poulet provided leadership to NSW Government in architecture, urban design, landscape architecture and design thinking. GANSW became known as "support NSW Government in delivering quality, managing risk and fostering innovation to maximise public value of investment in the built environment."