Australia Awards South and West Asia

Gary was appointed First Assistant Secretary, North and South Asia Division in February 2021.

He served most recently as Australia’s Representative in Taipei 2018 to 2021.

He has previously served in roles in Australia’s missions in Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo.

Gary headed Australia’s international climate policy and negotiations team at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and then the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) from 2011 to 2014.

Gary’s earlier roles include Speechwriter for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Director of the then India and South Asia Section, and Adviser in the International Division at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Elizabeth Wilde’s career spans international and national levels, and a range of Commonwealth agencies including Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and as Head of Council of Australian Government and Commonwealth Constitutional Reform taskforces.

Ms Wilde currently heads the Development Policy Division which overseas Australia’s international development policy and budget, global scholarships and awards programs, and gender equality, disability, and social inclusion policy.

Prior to this role, Ms Wilde worked in the Office of the Pacific where she led the Key Sectors Branch for the Pacific and Southeast Asia, and Australia’s COVID-19 response to the Pacific. From 2017 to 2020, Ms Wilde was Deputy Head of Mission of Australia’s United Nations Geneva Mission, with overarching responsibility for humanitarian, health, human rights and disarmament issues. Ms Wilde had special responsibility for Middle East issues and was Australia’s lead on the International Syrian Support Group (political and humanitarian response).

Penny Morton has over fifteen years’ experience in the Australian Public Service, working on domestic and international policy. She is currently finalising Australia’s new International Development Policy, as Assistant Secretary of DFAT’s Development Strategy Branch. She recently completed a Master’s in Public Policy at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs (2021-2022), focusing on international relations and development policy. Prior to Princeton, Penny was the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Climate Change Branch and oversaw the development of Australia’s International Climate Advocacy Strategy in the lead up to the Glasgow Climate Conference.

Penny was previously Deputy High Commissioner at the Australian High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh (2018-2020), where she oversaw the political, security, trade, development, and humanitarian agendas. As First Secretary in New York (2015-2018), Penny managed the social, political, and human rights portfolio for the Australian Mission in the General Assembly, focusing on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the rights of indigenous peoples and people with disabilities. Prior to this, as First Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (2012-2014), Penny managed the human rights and gender portfolios, legal issues, and counter terrorism efforts.

Prior to joining DFAT in 2010, Penny was a senior climate change negotiator at the former Department of Climate Change from 2005 to 2010.

‘Alopi Latukefu was appointed Director of the Edmund Rice Centre in February 2023.

Prior to accepting the role with ERC, Mr Latukefu was most recently the Director for the Global Education and Scholarships team in DFAT – managing amongst other things, the Australia Awards.

Mr Latukefu worked for nearly two decades on Australia’s aid, economic diplomacy and foreign policy. During this time he also worked as an adviser and chief of staff to the minister responsible for the Pacific (2008-09) as well as work on China, Japan and India.

Mr Latukefu prior to joining the public service had a career working in the university sector, as well as with First Nations organisations and communities in northern Australia and for nearly two years as CEO of Goolarri Media Enterprises in Broome.

Mr Latukefu has had extensive experience working on Pacific issues including establishing one of the first web-based network and information sites (the South Pacific Information Network – SPIN) during his time with the Islands-Australia research program (ANU) in the mid-nineties.

In her current role Christine is the Director, DFAT SEAH Review Implementation, working to support DFAT’s proactive approach to eliminating sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment from their global workplace.

In 2022, Christine was honoured to serve in the role of Australia’s Ambassador for Women and Girls working to improve gender equality throughout the region for women in all their diversity.

Prior to her role as Ambassador for Women and Girls, Christine worked with the Pacific Gender Section in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Reserve Service following completion of her lengthy full time Navy career in June 2021.

As a Maritime Human Resources Officer, Christine served as Australia’s Defence Adviser and Attachè to NZ, Cook Islands and Chile between 2018 and 2021. Christine Clarke’s previous roles included Head of the ADF Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office and served as Commanding Officer of HMAS Kuttabul. She was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the Australia Day Honours List in 2013 for excellence in leadership.

As a committed LGBTQI+ ally, Christine led the Department of Defence contingent in the Sydney Mardi Gras on two occasions. She is strong advocate for women’s rugby and cricket, having held many senior Navy and Australian Defence Force executive committee positions.  She holds a Masters in HR and is an Australian Human Resource Institute medallist.

Elizabeth (Liz) Cowan is a gender specialist with 15-years’ experience working to advance gender equality, both in Australia and internationally.

Liz honed her gender technical skills through almost a decade working with the international non-government organisation, CARE, where she provided gender equality technical advice to programs in the Indo Pacific, with a focus on Timor-Leste and the Mekong sub-region. Liz has worked with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), leading the AFP’s engagement with the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. Liz joined DFAT in 2022 and now provides technical leadership to enhance Australia’s efforts to integrate gender equality through the development program. Liz has a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) and a Master of Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development (Gender specialisation), both from the Australian National University.

Nick’s experiences of cerebral palsy and as a manual wheelchair user has shaped his drive for working to increase awareness and inclusion for people with disability in the wider community.

Extensive board, governance and political experience provides Nick with a strong foundation of knowledge across policy and access issues. He has been a Director of JFA Purple Orange, the Housing Board and a member of Ministerial Advisory Committees such as Students with Disabilities (SA), Physical Disability Australia and Home Modifications Australia. He was a candidate in the 2014 and 2018 State Elections for South Australian based political party, Dignity Party (formally Dignity for Disability).

A strong, passionate and active disability advocate, Nick is a certified Youth Worker specialising in engagement with a strong emphasis on empowerment. The original founder of the Julia Farr Youth Committee, now known as Enabled Youth Disability Network (EYDN). Nick was Chair from its beginning in 2008 until 2015 and continues to have an active role with the Youth Mentoring Program and Peer Support Networks.

Nick has also worked for Determined2 Immersion Therapy. A world first water-based therapy program that allows people with disabilities and injuries to use scuba equipment in a controlled pool environment to be as free as possible in water.

Rachel Lloyd is Assistant Secretary, International Policy Branch at the Department of Education.  She has previously worked at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, including on the COVID taskforce and in the Office for Women, as one of the original staff at the Parliamentary Budget Office and at the Treasury.

She has also worked at ANU and University of Canberra as a teacher, researcher and staff at university residences. Rachel prioritises corporate contributions in the workplace and has been the Chair of the PM&C Women’s network, Sponsor of the Dept of Education Social Club and as a mentor for current and former staff.  She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has degrees in Economics and Asian Studies from ANU.

Outside of work, Rachel volunteers in the netball and cricket communities and is Chair of a School Board.  She has two active teenage daughters who continue to keep her busy.

Mr Vosen is currently the Assistant Secretary of the Humanitarian Preparedness and Response Branch at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

In 2018 he was appointed Ambassador to Mongolia, serving at Australia’s Embassy in Ulaanbaatar until 2021.

He has previously served overseas as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Vientiane; and Counsellor, Australian High Commission, Port Moresby. In Australia, he has served Director , North Korea Section in DFAT, as Director, Afghanistan and Iraq Branch, AusAID,  and also in various positions in the Departments of Defence and Finance.

In October 2019, Russell Rollason was appointed International Development Advisor at E-Water.

He brought to this role 14 years’ experience in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade designing and managing international development programs in water resource management in the Indo-Pacific region.  He was instrumental in establishing the DFAT funded Australian Water Partnership.

A science honours graduate from the University of Queensland (Geology and Mineralogy), Russell also holds a Master in General Studies from the UNSW.  In 1998, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, for services to international development and humanitarian aid through the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) and promotion of social justice in Australia.

In 2010-13, Russell served as First Secretary in the Australian High Commission to India where he expanded Australia’s technical cooperation program with India in water resource management.  He managed Australia’s partnership with the World Bank regional South Asia Water Initiative.  After joining AusAID/DFAT in 2005, Russell drafted Australia’s first Mekong Water Resources Strategy and strengthened relations with the Mekong River Commission.

Russell has more than 20 years’ experience in civil society organisations, having served 12 years as Executive Director for ACFOA (now the Australian Council for International Development) and four years as the elected Chair of the Geneva based International Council for Voluntary Agencies.  He has also worked as a consultant and team leader for two Asian Development Bank technical assistance projects in Asia.