Previously, Michaela was Vice President and the Regional Head of Government and Public Policy for Asia Pacific at Google, where she oversaw the company’s interactions with governments, institutional and corporate policy partners and civil society stakeholders in the region. In this role she was also on the Asia Pacific Operations, Global Affairs and Risk leadership committees.
Prior to this, Michaela held a range of senior positions in the Australian government, including as a senior diplomat of more than 27 years with a focus on Asia, trade and security. She was the inaugural CEO of the National Foundation for Australia China Relations in 2020. She served as Australia’s Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau from 2017 to 2020 and on diplomatic missions in Singapore and Thailand at pivotal times. She also served as a senior international and counter-terrorism advisor to Australian foreign and defense ministers.
Michaela has held several senior trade and economic roles, including leading global investment promotion activities and operations, and the established markets operations for Australia’s Trade and Investment Commission. She previously led Australia’s development assistance program for Afghanistan and Pakistan and was a trade negotiator to the WTO and for Australia’s free trade agreements with the US and Singapore.
Michaela has served on a number of Professional, Not-for Profit and Advisory Boards. She currently serves as a member of the Digital Advisory Group for the Asian Development Bank. She is one of Australia’s representatives on the APEC Business Advisory Council; a Non Executive Director of the Asia Society Australia; a Non Executive Director of the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee; and an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and Masters in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University.