Asia Society Australia Team
Leadership team
Anthony Bubalo - Chief Executive Officer
Anthony Bubalo joined Asia Society Australia in July 2023 as its Chief Executive Officer. He has over a decade of experience as a senior executive leading research, not-for-profit and consulting organisations.
He has also worked as an Australian diplomat, intelligence analyst, speechwriter, and think-tank researcher.
Prior to joining Asia Society, Anthony was the Chief Operating Officer of the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas. Before that he was a Principal at the international management consultancy, Nous Group. In 2004 he joined the Lowy Institute as one of its founding researchers and established its West Asia Program. Between 2012 and 2018 he was the Lowy Institute’s Research Director and Deputy Director.
While at the Lowy Institute Anthony published research on Islamist, energy security and geostrategic connections between the Middle East and Asia, and on Australian sports diplomacy in Asia. He is the author of Remaking the Middle East, published by Penguin Random House Australia. He has written for Australian and international publications including The Australian, the Australian Financial Review, the Financial Times, Asahi Shimbun, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, and The New Republic.
Between 1991 and 2003, Anthony worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He served as an Australian diplomat in Saudi Arabia and Israel. From 1997 to 1998 he was seconded to the Office of National Assessments, where he was the senior Middle East analyst. He was a departmental speechwriter twice, in 1999 and 2003.
Thomas Soem, Deputy CEO and Director, Partnerships
Thomas Soem is the Deputy CEO and Director of Partnerships at Asia Society Australia. In this role, he provides strategic and operational leadership and manages relationships with our corporate members and key stakeholders and supporters.
Thomas joined Asia Society Australia in 2019 as the Executive Director in Sydney. Previously, Thomas was the Head of International Research and Development at the University of Sydney, managing large international research and development projects in Asia, Europe and the US. He gave strategic advice on international funding opportunities and global partnerships, and led over 100 projects with national and international agencies, including the Australian Government, the United Nations, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
Prior to that, Thomas was International Programs Manager at the Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific, leading the institute’s executive leadership programs with China.
Richard Maude, Executive Director, Policy
Richard Maude joined Asia Society Australia in January 2020 as the Executive Director of Policy and is, also, a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute.
He's a former senior government official with 30 years’ experience in foreign policy and national security.
From 2018 to 2019, Mr Maude was Deputy Secretary, Indo-Pacific Group, in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australia’s senior official to the East Asia Summit.
In 2017, Mr Maude was head of the whole-of-government taskforce which supported the preparation of the Australian Government’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.
Mr Maude was Director-General of the Office of National Assessments from May 2013 until November 2016. Before taking up this position, Mr Maude was the senior adviser on foreign policy and national security issues to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
He has served overseas in Malaysia, where he was Deputy High Commissioner, Singapore and as the Liaison Officer for the Office of National Assessments in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC.
Nadia Auff, Director, Finance and Operations
Nadia Auff joined Asia Society Australia in October 2022. She is the Director, Finance and Operations at Asia Society and is responsible for the sound financial management, planning, reporting and business partnership within the organisation.
Nadia is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has held senior finance roles within the Health, Allied Health and NFP sectors where she has managed multi-disciplinary teams across Finance, HR, IT, Customer Service and Property. She has expertise in developing robust systems to protect the organisation from financial and non-financial risks and has driven performance improvements from both a commercial and compliance perspective.
Starting her career in smaller private sector health organisations and moving into the larger corporate sphere, her career development has enabled a practical, hands-on approach as well as broader strategic capabilities.
Her achievements include delivering major capital works projects across multiple states within budget and successfully implementing IT system upgrades and integrations.
With a commitment to providing operational excellence, Nadia supports her colleagues to achieve ASA’s goals and can bring about positive change through an inclusive and humanistic management style.
Guided by a passion for the environment, social justice and animal welfare, Nadia contributes to these regularly and volunteers as a committee member for a local homeless youth charity.
James Scullin, Director, Programs
James Scullin joined in June 2021 as a program/project manager with experience developing diverse and tailored programs for business with a focus on Asian business engagement, foreign policy, climate change and cultural awareness.
Prior to Asia Society, James was National Project Manager for the Australia China Business Council (ACBC). In this role, James developed and managed a multitude of projects, working with ACBC’s business membership and Federal and State Governments to foster greater understanding and business engagement with China. His project portfolio included high-level national China policy briefings, China-Australia Free Trade Agreement advocacy across regional Australia, market entry delegations to China, an Australia-China business podcast, and online business support camps.
James has also worked with trade and investment advisory firm TradeWorthy on Asia Development Bank research on Belt and Road integration in ASEAN countries. Previously, James lived and worked in Beijing as an environmental consultant on European Commission climate change and development projects. He also worked as a tour leader to North Korea and in 2020 self-published the photography book Hotels of Pyongyang.
James is a graduate of the University of Melbourne where he holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Environmental Policy. He speaks Chinese and German.
Natalie Sambhi, Senior Policy Fellow, Asia Society Australia
Natalie Sambhi is a Senior Policy Fellow with Asia Society Australia. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Verve Research, an independent think tank focussed on Southeast Asia, and a Non-resident Fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program.
Natalie holds a BA (Asian Studies) (Hons) from the University of Western Australia, a MA (International Relations) and Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University, and a PhD from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, the Australian National University on the Indonesian military’s history.
Since 2022, Natalie has worked as an academic with Deakin University, convening modules for the Australian War College’s Defence and Strategic Studies Course (DSSC) and Australian Command and Staff Course (ACSC). She has previously worked as a Research Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre, as an Analyst and Managing Editor of ASPI’s blog, The Strategist, at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the Australian Department of Defence, University of Canberra and for the academic journal Asian-Pacific Economic Literature. In May 2014 and in January 2016, Natalie was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) in Washington, DC.
Natalie has been a guest lecturer and presenter at the Australian National University, Australian National Security College, Australian War College, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Indonesian National Resilience Institute (LEMHANNAS), Indonesian Defense University, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canadian Department of National Defence and several international think tanks and universities. Her writing has appeared in the National Bureau of Asian Research, Security Challenges journal, South China Morning Post, War On The Rocks, The Diplomat, The Interpreter and The National Interest.
Natalie has previously been involved with the Australian Institute of International Affairs ACT; the US-based Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) and was a founding member of ASPI’s Women in Defence and Security Network (WDSN). Follow her on Twitter @securityscholar.
Sarah Carr, Associate Director, Communications
Sarah Carr joined Asia Society Australia in September 2022. She is responsible for external communication, marketing strategy, content development, production, and management of Asia Society Australia’s key communication platforms.
Beginning her career working in State politics as an Office Manager/Electorate Officer for a State Member of Parliament, Sarah then moved into the position of Communications, Media, and Policy Advisor for the Federal Speaker of the House from 2016-2018.
After leaving politics, she worked as a media and communications expert, in the healthcare sector, specifically aged care and mental health, applying her skills and political knowledge to support both organisations through several respective industry-related royal commissions. Sarah has most recently worked as the first Communications Manager for Harcourts Australia Group, leading the national communications and content production for the real estate company.
Sarah graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations), in 2014, majoring in Political Science and History, with a minor in Bahasa Indonesia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, studied and completed a Graduate Diploma in Public Relations with Deakin University to further expand her knowledge and skillset, graduating at the beginning of April 2021.
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn
Dr Muyi Yang, Associate Director, Clean Energy, Asia Society Policy Institute
Dr Muyi Yang joined in March 2023. He is responsible for analytical work and convening capacity to promote the transition towards a clean and more sustainable energy future in Asia.
Prior to this role (2016-2022), he worked at the University of Technology Sydney, where he was actively engaged in teaching, research, and consulting on a wide range of policy themes including, electricity market reform, renewable uptake, coal power phase-down, transport electrification, energy governance, and political economy. His work mainly focuses on China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Between 2020 and 2023, he also worked at Ember, a global energy and climate think tanks dedicated to promoting the transition from coal to clean power.
Muyi holds a PhD and a Master's degree in energy policy, as well as a bachelor's degree in applied science.
Rachel Muir, Associate Director, Partnerships and Engagement
Rachel Muir joined Asia Society Australia in October 2023 as Associate Director, Partnerships and Engagement. She is responsible for managing relationships with major partners, supporters and corporate members.
With a background in engagement, marketing and events Rachel has been working in the not-for-profit and associations space for over a decade. She has extensive experience in stakeholder management and business development in the education, union and professional body sectors.
Previously Rachel was Associate Director at the Caulfield Grammarians’ Association (CGA) where she managed a team of 4 staff, secured an additional 100k in funding, more than doubled engagement across digital communications, and won two international awards for a brand, visual identity and website project and the inaugural Young Alumni Ambassador Program (YAAP).
Rachel is passionate about using strategy to increase organisational impact and working with young people to empower them to be the next generation of leaders.
Prior to her role at CGA Rachel spent 15 months living and working in Berlin.
Rachel graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Master of Creative Industries (Creative Production and Arts Management) in 2012 and a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Visual Arts)/Bachelor of Arts (History) in 2010.
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn
Dominique Fraser, Research Associate, Asia Society Policy Institute
Dominique Fraser joined in October 2021. Her work focuses on the relationship between Europe and Asia, in particular ties between Germany and the EU with China and ASEAN.
She has published extensively in Nikkei Asia, The Straits Times, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), The Diplomat, and elsewhere.
Prior to joining ASPI, Dominique worked in the field of atrocity prevention in Geneva, where she lobbied governments to incorporate an atrocity prevention lens into their human rights work and undertook research into risk factors for atrocity crimes.
Dominique completed a Master in International Affairs at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, following a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in International Relations, from which she graduated as Valedictorian of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Queensland.
In 2022, she was named a Young Woman to Watch by Young Australians in International Affairs.
Genevieve Donnellon-May, Research Associate, Asia Society Policy Institute
Genevieve Donnellon-May is a geopolitical and global strategy advisor interested in regional resource governance (land, energy, water) and environmental conflict in Asia.
She is also a 2023 CSIS Pacific Young Leader, an Australia-China Emerging Leader, an Australia-Vietnam Young Leader, and a 2023 Yenching Global Scholar. In 2023, Genevieve was shortlisted by the Young Australians in International Affairs as one of the Young Women to Watch in International Affairs.
Genevieve holds an MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) and a Diploma of Languages from the University of Melbourne. She has held positions as the 2022 Young Australians in International Affairs Climate Fellow as well as at the Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, South Korea.
Additionally, Genevieve is a member of the Indo-Pacific Circle, an associate of the Indo-Pacific Studies Center, and a reviewer of peer-reviewed journals.
Jaimie Dang, Finance and Operations Manager
Jaimie is the Finance and Operations Manager at Asia Society Australia. She is responsible for the delivery of the support functions of finance, human resource management, IT, procurement, records management and compliance.
An integral part of this role is to provide leadership in the optimisation of resource and business planning including the organisation’s data management system.
Jaimie coordinates process automation and is part of the team responsible for transforming the organisation’s technology and transformation capabilities. Jaimie brings a strong background in office and financial administration management to Asia Society Australia and has worked across the private and not-for-profit sectors. She has an aptitude for leaning new applications and is an advocate of technology automation and strategic change.
Jaimie holds a Master in Professional Accounting. She is inspired daily by her husband and their daughter and is an aspiring yoga and pilates instructor in her free time.
Aster Haile, Program Manager
Aster Haile joined Asia Society Australia in November 2022, and is based in the Melbourne office. Aster leads the Generation Asia platform, Asia Society Australia's commitment to supporting emerging leaders in Australia-Asia relations, and coordinates activities through the RMIT Asia Trade and Innovation Hub. She is involved in the delivery of all Melbourne based programs.
Aster holds a Master of Development Studies from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) from RMIT University. Aster has spent extensive time studying and working in Indonesia with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, focusing on regional security issues, international development, and migration issues.
Prior to working with Asia Society Australia, Aster was a Program and Engagement Manager for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, expanding the reach of the world’s leading youth development program.
Aster speaks fluent Indonesian, intermediate Malay, and beginner Spanish.
Julie Oreggia, Manager, Partnerships and Engagement
Julie Oreggia joined Asia Society Australia in February 2023. In her role, she manages relationships with major partners, supporters, and corporate members and leads the design and execution of our Executive Briefing series.
Julie started her career as an International Communications Officer for the CMA CGM Group where she was becoming a communications expert, mainly focusing on Africa and Asia.
Passionate about Human Rights and International relations, Julie then moved to the position of Parliamentary Attache for a former Minister and Member of the French Parliament. In this role, Julie was able to manage projects regarding international relations and foreign affairs. She was specifically involved with aid development funding and projects across the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Her work also included communications and public relations management. In this position, Julie dedicated her time to work on Human rights, women's empowerment in Africa, and migrants' rights.
Julie graduated from Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence with a master’s degree in communications and lobbying and with a master’s degree in international marketing and business Development from Skema Business School in Paris. During her studies, Julie was an intern at the French Embassy in Israel.
With an international background and a career working in multicultural environments, Julie also speaks native French and fluent Spanish, and she aims at learning other languages.
As a French, she is proudly sharing her passion for French gastronomy and wines.
Jafrin Kabir, Program Officer
Jafrin Kabir joined Asia Society Australia in March 2023. She leads the delivery of programs in Melbourne and is responsible for the management and delivery of Asia Society Australia’s major events and conferences.
Jafrin has completed a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in International Relations and Politics from ACU Melbourne. She has experience working in various leadership and project management roles including organising the Asia-Pacific Model United Nations Conference 2022 leading a team of 11 as the Co-Secretary General to bring the conference back to in-person since 2018. Being part of the university Academic Board and other advisory and governance committees, she was nominated by the ACU Vice Chancellor for the National Leadership Forum (organised at National Parliament House and Hyatt Hotel, Canberra), where she participated as a delegate. Jafrin was also selected to undertake a placement at the Embassy of Ireland, Canberra through the Girls Run the World Program 2022.
Jafrin has pursued her education across three countries and two continents; originally coming from Bangladesh, having lived in Pakistan briefly and finishing her undergraduate in Australia.
She speaks fluent Bengali, Hindi and Urdu, and is interested in learning more languages.
Majdina Widodo, Digital Content Producer
Majdina Widodo joined Asia Society Australia in January 2022. As Digital Content Producer, she is involved in the production of video, graphic, website, and social media content as well as designing physical collateral.
As a digital designer specialised in flat and motion design, she has previously worked with the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) to assist in producing and editing video content for the ‘Stop Beating Around The Bush’ project that aims to represent and inform minority groups about health in the rural health space. Additionally, she was involved in a government-funded project endorsed by RMIT, 'Angels of War: Remembering Australian Army Nurses' aimed to commemorate Australian army nurses' historical contributions, sacrifices, and stories that was displayed in Federation Square in July 2022.
Majdina completed a Bachelor of Design (Digital Media) at RMIT and is a New Colombo Plan Alumna where she spent a semester studying Entertainment Design at Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea.
Greg Earl, Editor, Briefing MONTHLY
Greg Earl is the editor of Briefing MONTHLY - a public update with news and original analysis on Asia and Australia-Asia relations, and the essay series Disruptive Asia.
Greg was the deputy editor, opinion editor, national affairs editor and Asia Pacific editor of The Australian Financial Review.
He spent more than a decade as a reporter based in Tokyo, Jakarta, and New York. He is now an independent writer, editor and consultant; is researching a book about Australia and Asia; and writes a column on economic diplomacy for The Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter. He is a member of the Australia-ASEAN Council board (AAC); and a former member of the Australian National University Indonesia Project advisory board; the Australia Japan Foundation board; and the steering committee for the Australia-Indonesia Dialogue.
His connection with the region began as a high school Indonesian language student and then as an exchange student in the Philippines. This year he has been a member of an international observer group during the Indian election; attended the Australia-Vietnam Young Leadership Dialogue in Ho Chi Minh City; and served on the selection panel for an AAC Muslim Exchange Program in South East Asia.