To be attributed to Optus Board Chairman, Paul OSullivan:
I am pleased to announce that Michaela Browning has been appointed as a Non Executive Director of the board of Singtel Optus Pty Limited (Optus).
Ms Browning is the CEO for Asia Pacific at Brunswick Group, a position she has held since April 2024. Prior to this Ms Browning was Vice President and the Regional Head of Government and Public Policy for Asia Pacific at Google. In this role Michaela oversaw the companys interactions with governments, institutional and corporate policy partners and civil society stakeholders in the region.
She has also held a range of senior positions in the Australian Government, including as a senior diplomat, for more than 27 years with a focus on Asia, trade and security. This included roles as Consul General for Hong Kong and Macau (2017-2020), General Manager for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (2015-2017), and Senior International Adviser to ministers for Defence and Foreign Affairs and a trade negotiator including on telecommunications. She was also the inaugural CEO of the National Foundation for Australia China Relations (2020-2021).
Ms Browning has served on a number of professional, not-for-profit and advisory boards. She is currently the Australian representative to the APEC Business Advisory Council, where she chairs the Finance and Economics Working Group, and serves as a board member of the Asia Society Australia the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee, and the US-ASEAN Business Council. Additionally, she is an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and a member of Chief Executive Women.
Michaela is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) and Masters in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University.
