Experience

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  Freelance

  • Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

  • Media and Public Information Consultant

    • Jan 2014 - Present
    • Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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  Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)

  • Adelaide, Australia

  • Senior Media Adviser

    • Mar 2015 - Apr 2015
    • Adelaide, Australia

    Responsibilities included: Drafting of a Communications and Engagement Plan; preparation of Media Releases and Marketing Collateral.

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  Defence Housing Australia (DHA)

  • Canberra, Australia

  • Senior Media Officer

    • Aug 2012 - Jan 2014
    • Canberra, Australia

    Responsibilities included: Ghost writing column articles for publication in major media; preparing articles for industry publications; drafting a newsletter for stakeholders; preparing media releases.

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  Dept. Human Services, Canberra Australia

  • Senior Media Adviser

    • Oct 2011 - May 2012

    Account Manager, Reputation Management

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  United Nations

  • United States
  • International Affairs
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Senior Information Officer - Congo (DRC)

    • Dec 2008 - Jun 2010

    My main responsibilities as Senior Public Information Officer with the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) were to:- Provide strategic media advice to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General; - Draft and place magazine articles, Op-Eds and Letters to Editors in major international news media; - Research and draft speeches for influential international audiences on behalf of the SRSG.Main achievements:- Successful placement of commentary and responses to criticism in: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (London), The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, European Voice (Brussels);- Responses to criticisms published on multiple websites;- Publication of an article in the Ambassadors Review Magazine (Washington);- Speeches drafted for major international forums.

  • Chief Public Information Officer - Ethiopia and Eritrea

    • Apr 2008 - Dec 2009

    Assigned to UN Peacekeeping Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE)UNMEE’s job was to help maintain a truce between Ethiopia and Eritrea and report on military movements from observation posts along a disputed boundary.Responsibilities: - Reputation management and Public Outreach for the Mission.- As Chief Public Information Officer I managed and mentored a multimedia team (Print, Web, Video, Radio) and four outreach centres from headquarters in Addis Ababa and Asmara.- Provided media guidance to the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Military Force Commander and Heads of substantive offices.Achievements:- Managed and edited a quarterly magazine.- Managed and edited a weekly radio magazine programme.- Maintained oversight of assignments and scripts for video programming. - Managed Press Relations and supported Mission equilibrium in a sensitive and volatile political environment.- Maintained oversight of product supply and output for four outreach centres.- Managed multinational professionals in two countries and four outreach centres.

  • Senior Public Information Officer - Somalia

    • Aug 2005 - Apr 2008

    The main role of the Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) was to attempt the reconciliation of conflicted parties through contacts with Somali leaders, civic organizations and the countries most affected by the collapse of state authority in 1991.Responsibility: To open and maintain a Public Information Office for the UN MissionAchievements:- As the Chief Public Information Officer for UNPOS based in Nairobi, Kenya I implemented a Media Communications Strategy for Somalia that I had drafted for the United Nations Political Affairs and Public Information Divisions in New York and met the main objectives;- Provided media guidance to the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General;- Established a public information office and website, and forged working ties with Somali and international press;- Maintained good working relations with the East Africa Press Corps, arranging media interviews with the Special Representatives and Press Pools for journalists accompanying us on trips to meet with the President and Prime Minister, inside Somalia;- Obtained favourable media coverage for the Mission

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  UNMEE

  • Chief Public Information Officer

    • 2007 - 2009

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  United Nations

  • Information Officer

    • Oct 2004 - Jun 2005

    Main outputs:- Developed a media strategy for the UN Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTC/CTED);- Conceived and launched a Counter-Terrorism New Bulletin;- Researched and drafted a Counter-Terrorism Information Kit for the 4th Special Meeting on Counter Terrorism in Almaty, Kazakhstan (26-28 January 2005).- Led research and drafting for an international ‘Top 10 Untold Stories’ campaign;- Developed website concept for the UN Rule of Law office.

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  United Nations

  • United States
  • International Affairs
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Media and Public Affairs Advisor

    • Dec 2002 - May 2004

    Served as Media and Public Affairs Advisor to the UN Office of the Iraq Programme (New York) Main outputs- Provided guidance to the Executive Director/Under Secretary-General of the Oil-for-Food Programme;- Worked with the UN Department of Public Information on responses to media attacks before the Iraq war and in the post-war phase of UN re-engagement;- Conceptualized and coordinated the redesign of the Oil-for-Food website.

  • Information Officer

    • Jul 2002 - Dec 2002

    Main outputs- Managed ‘exit’ media for the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia;- Drafted and produced the ‘2003 Peacekeeping Year in Review’ magazine- Led design and content development for 13 peacekeeping mission websites.

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  United Nations Development Programme

  • Media Relations Adviser

    • Oct 1998 - Oct 2001

    Main outputs- Managed a news team building media outreach for UNDP and its Administrator;- Wrote and placed Op-Ed commentaries for the UNDP Administrator in major international media;- Supervised preparation of media packages for the Human Development Report and other UNDP publications and events;- Led UNDP media and content development for the global NetAid campaign and NetAid.org website with Cisco Systems;- Conceptualized and launched UNDP ‘Newsfront’ website;- Provided strategic media advice to the Director of the Communications Office.

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  Press Foundation of Asia (PFA)

  • New York/United Nations News Bureau Chief

    • Jan 1979 - Nov 1998

    Main outputs- Established PFA’s first News Bureau in New York;- Reported extensively on economic and social development issues for a network of 100 newspapers and radio stations in South and Southeast Asia;- Reported from Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, Arab Gulf States, sub-Saharan and East Africa for PFA, The Christian Science Monitor, The Globe and Mail (Canada), CBC Canada (Radio and TV), and for Australian newspapers.

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  Advertiser Newspapers Limited

  • State Political Reporter

    • Jan 1966 - Dec 1978

    Main outputs- Worked in Editorial, Photo, Features and Radio News as a reporter;- Was assigned to State and Federal New Bureaus. Wrote news and feature stories covering the Parliament, Senate and leaders in Government and Opposition;- Undertook reporting assignments in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States while Senior State Political Reporter.