About Us
We foster stronger connections, educate and empower our government, business, academic and civil community to better understand the critical issues facing our region.
Based at The University of Western Australia, we are a non-partisan and not-for-profit institution.
Through our research and educational activities, we strengthen strategic thinking between Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and the United States, and engage thought leaders to address challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region.
Since our inception in 2013, we have informed a broad and diverse community of over 30,000 at more than 800 events across 25 cities in 10 countries.
Our People
Professor Gordon Flake
Chief Executive Officer
Shelby Crookes
Chief Operating Officer
Dr Lisa Cluett
External Relations Director
Dr Kate O’Shaughnessy
Research Director
Andre Winarto
Program Director
Research and Programs
Alana Ford
Senior Research and Program Fellow
Cyber and Technology Policy
Dr Pia Dannhauer
Research and Program Associate
Southeast Asia
Kathryn Froend
Research and Program Associate
Northeast Asia
Sarah Leary
Honorary First Nations Foreign Policy Fellow
First Nations Foreign Policy
Aaron Magunna
Honorary Fellow
Lisa Leitch
Program Coordinator (Events and Partnerships)
Katherine Cresey
Program Coordinator
Communications and Education
Elissa Cuss
Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Manager
Melinda Mounsey
Program Coordinator (Education and Engagement)
Aliah Bogdanich
Digital Production and Communications Officer
Bella Benjamin
Promotion and Communications Officer
Operations
Therese Sanders
Business Advisor
Jeffrey Choong
Finance Officer
Shari Owen
Executive Assistant
and Office Coordinator
Board of Directors
The Hon Kim Beazley AC
Former Ambassador of Australia to the United States
Chair
Deidre Willmott
Non-executive
Director
Deputy Chair
Mark Baillie
Chair of the United
States Studies Centre
Director
Sarah Beshar
Non-executive
Director
Director
Professor Amit Chakma
Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Australia
Director
The Hon Richard Court AC
Former Ambassador
of Australia to Japan
Director
Professor Gordon Flake
CEO at the
Perth USAsia Centre
Director
Dr Michael J Green
CEO at the
United States Studies Centre
Director
Lynn Kuok
Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies, Brookings Institution
Director
Leila Smith
CEO at the
Aurora Education Foundation
Director
Rebecca Tomkinson
CEO at The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA
Director
Audit, Risk & Remuneration Committee
Deidre Willmott
Non-executive
Director
Chair
Sarah Beshar
Non-executive
Director
Committee Member
Geoff Lotter
Non-executive
Director
Committee Member
Rebecca Tomkinson
CEO at The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA
Committee Member