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Other major projects include:

• Queensland Government: Strategic Communication Review for the Department involving both internal and external communications. All recommendations were fully implemented
• Queensland Government: Research, analysis and facilitation of workshops and interviews to assist a Government Department develop its new four-year strategic plan
• Stakeholder consultation and facilitation services – Listening to Small Business Roundtables conducted for the ACT Government
• Queensland Government: Organisation review focusing particularly on the communication strategies and performance. All recommendations were fully accepted and implemented

Education

• BA (Communication) specialising in Public Relations, Marketing Communications and Social Psychology.
• Master’s Degree in Information Studies, specialising in Internet Communication and Social Media. Anne received the Dean’s Award for Excellence.
• Australian Institute of Company Director’s Course.

Professional memberships

• Global Affiliate, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) London.

Previous career roles

Director, Anne Howard Communications (2002-2007)

Anne provided strategic communication advice and delivered national awareness campaigns  for technology transfer  companies, national professional associations, and commercialisation events in the bio-sciences arena.

Executive Director, Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia (KCA), 2000-2001

Anne was retained by the Board of KCA to build a stronger membership and increase awareness and understanding with key stakeholders about innovation, commercialisation and the role the research community could play in helping to build Australia's economic success.

Inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Venture Capital Association, 1995-1999

Anne was instrumental in developing AVCAL into a strong and viable industry organisation.  Anne applied her strategic planning skills and implementation abilities to take the organisation from a little known non-profit organisation representing an alternative asset class to a peak industry body that played a key role in the Australian Government’s industry policy agenda, finally being rewarded with the introduction of the Innovation Investment Funds (IIF) program.

Anne successfully raised the awareness and understanding of venture capital with a wide range of stakeholders from Australian SMEs, entrepreneurs and researchers, the finance sector and funds management industry, angel investors, business advisers, IP lawyers and corporate advisers, to Federal and State governments and the national media.

Anne gained support and recognition of the importance of supporting Australian innovation and initiated the Australian Venture Capital Awards, as well as the Annual AVCAL conference.  Anne was funded by the Australian Government to write one of the first books in Australia about venture funding, Winning Australian Venture Capital, published in 1997. Anne was made a Life Long Member of AVCAL.

Board roles

• Public Relations of Australia (PRIA), ACT Division
• NSW Innovation Council (1999-2000) and served on three Council Working Groups – Biotechnology, Innovation Culture, and Regional Development
• Sinfonia Mid North Coast
• AusDance, ACT

 

 

Anne has more than twenty-five years’ experience in Public Relations and communication including public relations strategy development and implementation, corporate positioning, reputation management, and issues and crisis management. She has provided services to Commonwealth, State and Local government agencies, corporates and NFP organisations.

Anne is currently CEO of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, the peak body representing more than 4,000 professional PR and communication practitioners across Australia.

Anne is the former CEO of the Australian Venture Capital Association, and a former Member of the NSW Innovation Council.

Anne's research report, "Connecting with Communities: How local government uses social media to engage with citizens", published  in 2012, has been downloaded more than 10,000 times.