The Hon. Marise Payne

Marise is an accomplished and considered strategic leader, highly experienced in foreign policy, national security and strategic issues. She served in the Australian Senate for over 26 years between 1997 and 2023 and was a member of the National Security Committee of the Australian Cabinet for seven years, in the most challenging and complex strategic environments of recent decades.

As Australia’s first female Minister for Defence (2015-2018), Marise delivered the Australian Government’s 2016 Defence White Paper and Defence Industry Policy Statement, which shaped the AU$200 billion regeneration of Australia’s Defence Force capabilities. Then as Minister for Foreign Affairs (2018-2022) she was closely engaged in the establishment of the AUKUS partnership, grew the Quad Partnership with her U.S., Indian and Japanese counterparts including the holding of the landmark first in person meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers in 2019, and established the first ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Since retiring from the Australian Parliament as the longest serving female Senator in the country’s history, Marise has continued her work furthering key relationships with Australia’s allies and partners including as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Hoover Institution in the United States, a Board Member of ORF-America (Observer Research Foundation) and a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow and Professor of Practice – International Relations and Public Policy at Western Sydney University in Australia.