Leanne Close APM
Chief Executive Government & Strategy, Risk 2 Solution Group
Session #8 – Fireside Chat: High-Performing Women in Defence and National Security in Tackling Wicked Problems
Leanne is the Chief Executive Government and Strategy at Risk 2 Solution. She is a member of various boards and committees, including Australian Volunteers International, ACT Gambling and Racing Commission Board, ACT Sentence Administration Board and the Victoria Police Audit and Risk Committee. Leanne is also a member of the Victorian Government External Advisory Panel on Countering Violent Extremism.
In 2021, Leanne led BizRebuild, the charitable arm of the Business Council of Australia supporting economic and community recovery for businesses affected by major disasters. In 2020, Leanne led the National Security and Counter-Terrorism program for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute where she authored several articles on national security and public governance and was co-editor of the ASPI Counter-Terrorism Yearbook 2021. Leanne is a former police officer with 33 years policing, law enforcement and training experience in the Australian Federal Police (AFP), culminating as Deputy Commissioner from 2014-2019. During this time, Leanne was the AFP representative at the Australia /New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee. From 2015-2019, Leanne also co-chaired the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing. In 2016, Leanne undertook a 12-month secondment to the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department leading their Criminal Justice Group. Education and
Training
- Master of Education Leadership
- Graduate Certificate in Professional Development Education
- Graduate Certificate in Applied Management
- Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment
Experience
- 2014 – 2019 Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner
- 2014 – 2019 AFP representative Australia/New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee
- 2015 – 2019 Co-chair Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing, Asia-Pacific Group
- 2016 – Head of Criminal Justice Group, Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department
- 2020 – Head of National Security and Counter-Terrorism Program, Australian Strategic Policy Institute