Melissa is a prolific commentator with expertise in Australian foreign policy, Australia’s Asia engagement and the practice of diplomacy, including new diplomatic actors.

As founding director of the Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue (AP4D) she has helped change the narrative to recognise the range of tools of international influence, with key ideas around an all tools of statecraft and whole-of-nation approach being adopted into policy thinking. AP4D's latest paper focuses on Education as a Tool of Statecraft.

She has a long association with the University of Melbourne, including as a fellow of the Asia Institute, director of diplomacy at Asialink, senior fellow of Melbourne Law School and program manager of the International Conflict Resolution Centre.

For 13 years Melissa served as National Executive Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, recognised for three years running as the top think tank in Southeast Asia/Pacific and one of the top 50 think tanks worldwide in the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tanks Index.

Melissa has extensive experience establishing and sustaining Australia-Asia engagement through Track II dialogues involving government officials, academics, media and business. She is a lawyer and specialist in conflict resolution, including negotiation, mediation and peace education.