GovComms: The Future of Government Communication

Shannon Kenna is an experienced communications professional, specialising in strategic communications for the public sector. She joined the Treasury in 2015 to manage a major government advertising campaign and has since managed the delivery of five federal budgets. As Division Head of Communications and Parliamentary, she manages a broad program of work, including oversight of a full suite of com...

Olga Stankova is Special Assistant to the Director of the International Monetary Fund's Communications Department. She currently leads technical assistance and conducts research on economic policy communications, and manages outreach on the Fund’s strategy and policy work. Previously, she was responsible for communications on the World Economic Outlook and the Global Financial Stability Report. Pr...

Caroline Fisher is the Assistant Professor in Journalism at the University of Canberra. In 2014, she completed her PhD, which examined the career transition between journalism and parliamentary media advising. Prior to perusing further studies at the university, Caroline was a producer, reporter and presenter for ABC News and Radio National. She has also acted as a ministerial media advisor to Ann...

Caroline Fisher is the Assistant Professor in Journalism at the University of Canberra. In 2014, she completed her PhD, which examined the career transition between journalism and parliamentary media advising. Prior to perusing further studies at the university, Caroline was a producer, reporter and presenter for ABC News and Radio National. She has also acted as a ministerial media advisor to Ann...

Tanya is a communications and brand professional with over 20 years’ experience. Her wide range of skills relate to communications and branding strategy, public relations, issues management, stakeholder communications and government liaison. Tanya has led communications for organisations in both public and private sectors. Prior to managing corporate affairs at the CSIRO, Tanya was the General Man...

Conrad is Director of the GREAT Britain campaign. GREAT is the government’s most ambitious international campaign ever run, uniting the efforts of both public and private sectors to generate jobs and growth for Britain. Conrad also leads the UK Government’s Year of Marketing initiative, which aims to inform and prepare communicators across departments.  In 2014, Conrad’s role at the Prime Minister...

Conrad is Director of the GREAT Britain campaign. GREAT is the UK Government’s most ambitious international campaign ever run, uniting the efforts of both public and private sectors to generate jobs and growth for Britain. The GREAT brand has a current value of 271 million pounds and has received 69 national and international awards to date. In 2014, Conrad’s role at the Prime Minister’s Office on...

Craig has 25 years’ experience in the digital industry and is passionate about boosting organisational performance through the use of digital strategies and tools. Craig has previously managed and created start-up companies, and served in a variety of senior roles in both government and private sectors. Throughout his professional career, Craig has led national digital projects, designed innovativ...

Nick is the Head of Strategy and Communications at The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA). Nick graduated from the University of Melbourne with his Postgraduate Diploma of Editing and Communications in 2008. He has since filled a range of communications roles within the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Nick has worked in a range of areas, from communications research to media...

Brent joined the South Australian Tourism Commission in November 2015 as a marketing communications specialist with experience in advertising, digital, public relations, sponsorship and communications across the banking, retail and telecommunications sectors. Brent has been responsible for overseeing $1.6 billion growth in the visitor economy. He played a key role in launching the new global brand...

Mark Hocknell has over 25 years of experience in corporate management, consulting and academia. He has completed his Masters degree in Business Administration at the Queensland University of Technology and has developed two business courses which he has now been teaching for 8 years. Beyond Mark’s experience teaching and consulting, he is also a member of the Industry Advisory Board Griffith Unive...

Eleanor is the General Manager of Outreach and Capacity Building at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). She has worked in a range of management roles, from strategic marketing and communication to Director of public affairs. Her previous places of employment include the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Australian Tax Office and Department of Environment and Herit...

Jenny is an experienced producer of data management systems and data dashboard solutions for social change. Her skills relate to co-design, delivery and evaluation of collaborations, working with complex and wicked social problems. These include poverty, homelessness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and development, school to work transitions and school readiness in vulnerable communi...

Jo’Anne Langham is an experienced independent consultant with a strong background working in public policy. Her capabilities include human-centred design, statistical data analysis, and public administration. Jo’Anne holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D.) focused on economic psychology - tax compliance at the University of Queensland. She formerly worked as a Senior Director of Corporate Research a...

Matthew Abbott, Senior Executive Leader – Corporate Affairs. Matthew is head of media, government relations, internal communications, publications and the internet at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Before joining ASIC in 2010, Matthew was a director of a public affairs consultancy, held a senior corporate affairs role with global shopping centre company, the Westfield...

Sheena Ireland is the founder and director of communications consultancy: Specialists in Communications. She has held senior communications positions in government and industry, including areas such as science and research, automotive, arts and sport. Her 16 years’ experience working with government and industry includes working as the Director of Stakeholder Relations at the Australian Research C...

Barbara Walsh is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. Her specialised teaching and research interests lie in areas of integrated learning, social responsibility and corporate and strategic communication. Barbara’s 25-year career in public relations and corporate communications, also includes working as an Account Director for PR Co...

Professor Mark Evans (PhD) is Director of Democracy 2025 and Professor of Governance at the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis. Mark is an expert in the study and practice of governance and policy analysis. He has a long track record of achievement in developing high quality, values-driven, knowledge institutions built around outstanding research with policy impact, relevant professional...

Simon Troeth is Director – Media at the Minerals Council of Australia. He has a long and distinguished career in both the media and politics.      Simon started his career as a print journalist, working for the Herald Sun and several other newspapers before moving in to politics where he spent 15 years working for state and federal politicians and was the Principal Media Adviser to the Premier of...

Shawn Callahan is the founder of Anecdote and one of the world’s leading business storytelling teachers and advisors. He started his career in technology with companies including Oracle and IBM, before he founded Anecdote in 2004. Anecdote helps leaders and sellers be better oral storytellers and assists corporations deliver on their strategies using stories. Most recently Shawn published his book...

Josie Khng joined the contentgroup team in January 2018 as one of its strategists. Prior to her move to Australia, she was head of social media at global creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty in Singapore. She has a wealth of global brand experience and has led award-winning creative campaigns for IKEA. Now she focuses on developing creative strategies and content for her government and public sect...

Andrew Bell is an ABC producer and reporter in the ACT. He worked for the BBC and commercial radio in Wales before moving to Australia in 1988. In Australia, he has reported and produced news bulletins and documentaries for regional and metropolitan commercial television, Reuters and the ABC in Sydney and Melbourne.  Andrew discusses the evolving world of media and how technology is changing the p...

Stuart Howie, author, communications and media consultant, journalist and speaker shares with us insights and strategies from his latest book, The DIY Newsroom. Stuart draws on the principles and practices of newsrooms. Why newsrooms? Well, newsrooms are at the top of the content food chain - information is their reason for being. Stuart knows a thing or two about newsrooms, having transformed new...

As one of the leading and most experienced communicators in Australia, Adrian Cropley shares with us the growing functionality of combining communication and business and the role that plays in successful leadership. With over 20 years’ experience, Adrian has worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies in areas such as change management, crisis management and strategic communication. From this,...

This week we present an exclusive interview with Geoff Fisher, contentgroup’s Client Services Manager, about the application of Phase One and Two of our Content Communication Framework. Taking you behind the scenes of how contentgroup operates, we explore the future of strategic communication and what it means for government. This week’s episode breaks down myths that surround comms teams, injecti...