Jane Mellsop is the Director of Trade, Investment, and Economic Security at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. Jane is an experienced international trade negotiator, lawyer and public policy professional.

Jane has served as a diplomat with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  Most recently, Jane was the Senior Trade Adviser to New Zealand‘s Minister for Trade and Export Growth where she provided critical advice on the full range of international trade issues, including the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), New Zealand’s hosting of APEC in 2021, implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and conclusion of bilateral free trade negotiations with the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Her previous roles have included Chief Legal Counsel for the negotiation and implementation of several free trade agreements, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), New Zealand - Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership, and the New Zealand - Korea Free Trade Agreement. Jane was also posted overseas to the New Zealand Embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands, and has worked on multilateral and regional security and human rights issues earlier in her career.

Jane has also been a Fellow and Director of Research at the think-tank Public Policy Forum in Ottawa, Canada, where she spearheaded a multi-year project on the Canada-China relationship and launched a training series focused on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples for senior public servants.

Jane also has social policy experience, having been a Policy Manager for Youth Justice and Disability at New Zealand’s Ministry for Children, Oranga Tamariki.

Jane has a B.A. in Politics and a L.L.B. (First Class Honours) from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where she graduated top of her class.