Louisa (BA ’97) has more than 20 years’ experience in Australia and internationally, in strategic change management and evaluation, with specific expertise in the international and security sectors.
During her career as a specialist advisor, Louisa has worked closely with more than 20 organisations, including government agencies; not-for-profit organisations; academic institutions; the private sector; and multi and bi-lateral organisations.
After graduating from Flinders University, Louisa moved to China where she was selected as the Australian representative to the United Nations response to the 1998 flood disaster.
This was the first and only occasion on which China has called for emergency assistance from the international community. The flood affected 180 million people, left 15 million homeless, destroyed 13 million homes and resulted in 24 billion dollars of economic loss. During this crisis, Louisa was deployed to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture in Hunan Province where she liaised between UN and Chinese government officials and monitored the disbursement of funds.
This experience in turn laid the foundations for Louisa’s work in disaster relief (crisis response) and, supportive work for developing nations more broadly as well as Australia’s response to that mission.
Later, transitioning from disaster relief to economic development assistance, Louisa established AidLogic. The organisation provides advisory and consultative services aimed specifically at increasing the benefit and impact of development assistance.
Louisa is currently working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand to develop initiatives that increase economic participation and employment opportunities, with an emphasis on the economic empowerment of women.
Louisa continues to apply her disaster relielf expertise. She has recently consulted to the Australian Civil Military Centre where she designed the Australian Interagency Preparedness Framework designed to enhance whole-of-government capacity to respond to crises. In the past, she has worked with a UNFPA Inter-Agency Working Group drafting coordination policies for sexual and reproduce health response in crises.
Concurrently to her civilian career, Louisa serves in the Australian Army as an Officer in the Australian Army Reserve. Louisa was awarded her Commission in 1992, and currently provides service as a Subject Matter Expert on diversity and inclusion, and Women, Peace and Security to Vice Chief of the Defence Group and the Peace Operations Training Centre.
Louisa is the National Secretary of the United Nations Association of Australia, a Director on the board of Australia Business Volunteers and an elected member of the International Development Contractors (IDC) Australia Executive Committee. Louisa was a nominated participant on the Australia’s future security and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world panel for the 2020 Australia Summit.
Louisa Minney was awarded a Flinders University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017 for her significant contribution to the community, the nation and internationally in the area of disaster relief (crisis response).