EMPOWERING FUTURE 
POLICY LEADERS TO 
REDEFINE SECURITY

Tom Smethurst

(Co-Founder & Executive Director)

Tom is completing his Master of National Security Policy at the ANU’s National Security College. His study focuses on the Indo-Pacific and the relationship between government, industry and academia in policy development. Throughout his studies, Tom has had experience in not-for-profits in the international affairs space, and currently works in government consultancy. 

Dom Dwyer

(Co-Founder & Executive Director)

Dom is completing a PhB on scholarship at the ANU, where his research has focused on the intersection of economic, political, and strategic dynamics in Asia. Alongside his studies, Dom has worked in parliament, in government, and at a think tank active in aid and development. He has also written widely on international affairs, with articles published in The Strategist, Australian Foreign Affairs, and Insights.

Rebecca Crisp

(Director, Operations)

Rebecca is interested in global governance and development, particularly in the Asia Pacific. She has pursued this interest through work at several domestic and international NGOs and think-tanks. She has experience in research and policy, and currently works for a federal government department. 

Marina Mito

(Director, Communications)

Marina is a penultimate student undertaking a Bachelor of International Relations and Bachelor of Environments and Sustainability at the ANU. She has experience in a myriad of communications roles, from general photography and social media to assisting in organising an ANU conference. She has a keen interest in sustainable development and policy. 

Ben Jefferson

(Director, Finance)

Ben is a final year student with leadership experience including President and Treasurer of a residents’ association and executive director on the board of a university college, as well as a stint as Treasurer for a campus charity. He has previous experience in financial services strategy and economic consulting, and currently works as an economist in government.  

Rebecca Banagala

(Director, Outreach & Education)

Rebecca describes herself as an ‘atypical national security nerd’. She is currently pursuing strategic studies at the ANU, and has interests that span the entire national security spectrum. Rebecca says that she is “most interested in crisis and emergency management responses to black swan events, piquing at low-likelihood high-consequence occurrences such as severe space weather, solar flares, Strait of Malacca blockages, and antimicrobial resistance”.

Rebecca boasts over a decade of experience working in both the private and public sectors, including in academia, national security, compliance, and finance. She is currently working in policy and strategy for a federal government department.

Jade Lin

(Director, Events & Experience)

Jade is a final year economics and anthropology student. She was the inaugural President of a residential committee, overseeing hundreds of events over a year, and she has attended various youth conferences. She currently works as a policy officer in government and as an editor for an Asia-focused publication. 

Saskia Heath

(Deputy Director, Experience)

Saskia is a final year security and political science student, pursuing a passion for policy research and global development. She has experience in leadership and communication roles, including as President of a residents’ association, Social Media and Marketing Director for a youth mental health campus charity and as a junior law clerk. 

Lucy Xu

(Deputy Director, Events)

Lucy is a final year law and international security studies student, with a particular interest in climate-induced security challenges in the Asia Pacific region. She has a range of event management and delivery experience, including directing an international conference and coordinating the university O-Week. She is currently a law clerk in a commercial firm.

Gai Brodtmann

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Council, National Security College Futures Council and Sapien Cyber advisory board, a non-executive director on the Defence Housing Australia, Old Parliament House and Endometriosis Australia boards and a presenter and panellist for national security think tanks and academic institutions. Gai was the Member for Canberra from 2010-19, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence from 2016–19 and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence from 2013–16. Prior to politics, Gai also worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs, during which she was posted to New Delhi and served on the Middle East Desk. Gai is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

Georgie Skipper 

Georgie Skipper is the Chief of Corporate and Government Affairs at Sun Cable, a multinational company developing the world's largest solar energy infrastructure. Georgie is a foreign policy, national security, trade and investment expert, having worked across federal government and business for over 12 years. Most recently, Georgie established the Global Policy Unit at tech company, Atlassian. Prior to this Georgie was Senior Adviser to the Foreign Minister of Australia, the Hon Julie Bishop for over 5 years, and principal adviser on the Australia-United States Alliance. Georgie has also worked on trade and investment opportunities for sovereign wealth funds, industry and businesses between Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Countries. Georgie is a Member of the Board of Advice of the University of Sydney Business School and is a Fulbright 2020/2021 Scholar (due to commence in 2021). Georgie has consulted to corporates, investment funds, family offices and not-for profits in Australia and internationally. She was a Non-Resident Fellow at the US Studies Centre in 2019. 

JOHN GLENN

John Glenn is a retired RASigs LTCOL with an SAS background. He served in the US, UK and three consecutive tours in Cambodia (1991/92). John is an experienced negotiator, dispute resolver and business manager with over forty years’ experience as an executive and consultant in both business and government. John holds tertiary qualifications in mathematics, engineering, computer science and management. He is an AICD Company Director and a nationally accredited Mediator with IAMA. He has managed multi-disciplinary teams across a dozen or more countries as a senior executive in a multi-national IT company through to GM roles in telecommunications and consulting start-ups.  He is experienced in cross-cultural negotiations and business having worked in the US, UK, NZ, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore and much of South-East Asia. His business, Kiah Consulting, specialises in establishing sustainable agreements and recovering unsustainable and poorly performing ones.

Simone Pensko

Simone Pensko is the inaugural Chief Executive of the International Centre for Democratic Partnerships (ICDP)—an independent, non-profit, non-political organisation which forges genuine strategic relationships between Australia and the Pacific. Over the past four years under Simone’s guidance ICDP has been implementing the Australian Government’s Pacific Connect Program which provides a platform for entrepreneurs from the Pacific & Australia to work together to support business and economic development outcomes across the Pacific. Prior to this Simone was a senior executive with over twenty years’ experience in the Australian Public Service across several challenging portfolios including Finance and Social Services. She also had oversight responsibility for many strategic reviews and investigations for government, and as head of whole-of-government procurement policy led negotiations for contracts totalling over $1 billion annually across 130 departments and agencies. Simone is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

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