Founding Director

One of the most experienced and respected political strategists in the country, Evan leads Anacta’s team of government engagement specialists​ He has a diverse range of expertise across strategy, communications, and stakeholder relations. Evan is a former Member of Parliament, Director of Strategy to a Qld Premier and ALP State Secretary ​

Director

Victoria brings more than 25 years’ experience in government relations, strategic political advice and stakeholder relationship management. She is passionate about the value of empowering clients to navigate Government processes. Over 15 years serving as a Brisbane City Councillor, Victoria established a reputation for bringing people together to achieve positive results.

Director

Based in our Melbourne office, Licardo brings extensive experience in strategy, communications, issues and crisis management. He has served as a media adviser to two Victorian Premiers and has held senior corporate affairs and communications roles in the private and not-for-profit sectors.

Director

Ash brings over 15 years of leadership experience across politics, government, and the union movement. As the former Secretary of ACT Labor, he successfully led the party through multiple territory and federal election campaigns. He has also held senior advisory roles in government, working across key portfolios including Health, Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, and Government Services and Procurement.

Director

After working for several high-profile political leaders around Australia, including Premiers Dan Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk and most recently Federal Minister for Aged Care and Sport Anika Wells, Amber boasts a formidable network and knowledge of government relations. She divides her time between engagement with the NSW and Federal Governments, offering Anacta clients extensive expertise in how to make an impact in a crowded political landscape.

Director

Philippa brings a wide range of skills to our Perth office, drawn from her background in political and corporate research, campaigning and strategic policy development. Legally qualified and an experienced board director, Philippa has a successful track record working with industry and government to achieve positive results.

Director

With experience across politics, leading consulting firms, and the corporate and public sectors, Danielle offers deep insight into diverse operating environments. She draws on deep experience and networks in both NSW and Federal Government to support leaders navigating complex policy and engagement challenges. A trusted adviser across government and industry, Danielle helps organisations engage with influence and impact to deliver enduring outcomes.

Director

Craig brings extensive experience in government relations, stakeholder engagement, and crisis management. He has served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to Ministers in both the WA State and Federal Parliaments, providing him with a deep understanding of government decision-making processes and policy development. 

Craig has also held executive roles in national not-for-profit and advocacy organisations, where he focused on building cross-sector partnerships with unions and industry.

Director - Communication

Christine offers strategic communications expertise drawn from 25+ years working in high-pressure environments, from newsrooms to board rooms. An award-winning journalist, foreign correspondent and author, she is passionate about crafting compelling narratives that target the right audiences with the right messages to achieve our client’s goals.

Senior Associate

With a background in professional campaigns and communications Jess has developed strong connections in both the union movement and political circles. Jess has a strong skillset which includes research, policy analysis, digital communication, and copywriting. She is based in our Brisbane office.

Senior Associate

Sarah brings five years’ experience in political organisations, campaigning, stakeholder engagement and communications. Her relationships and networks are well established in Federal and NSW Governments, developed through her work for NSW Labor and at the electorate level. Sarah is based in Anacta’s Canberra office.

Executive Assistant

Based in our Brisbane office, Michelle has over 25 years experience as an Executive Assistant. Her diverse experience spans industries including television, banking, and fitness, gained while supporting executive and leadership teams in London, Sydney, and Brisbane

Managing Director

With over 14 years of experience in senior roles within the Labour Party, Teddy has an outstanding track record in political campaigning, strategic communications and political engagement. His role at the forefront of Labour’s path to power affords clients a unique insight into the mechanics of the Labour machine. 

As the architect of the Labour Business Network, Teddy provides clients with strategic counsel on fostering valuable relationships with Government based on the shared priority of driving growth to UK PLC. 

Director

Shonagh has held senior roles across the UK political and public affairs landscape for the past seven years. Previously, she served as a senior staffer to leading politicians in Holyrood and Westminster. 

Since 2022, Shonagh has led corporate client support, including for many FTSE 100 and 250 businesses, within the Labour advisory sector. She specialises in advising companies in the financial services, tech, energy and defence sectors.

Director

Kate has nearly two decades’ experience in journalism and political communications. Prior to joining Anacta, Kate headed up the London public affairs team at geopolitical advisory firm APCO where she provided clients with senior counsel on political engagement, communications and crisis management.  

 Previously, Kate worked as a political adviser for the Labour Party and a journalist in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. She has worked on general and local election campaigns, Labour leadership contests and has a large and diverse network in Westminster and beyond. Kate started her career as a reporter on the local newspaper in her hometown, later working for bigger regional titles including the Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO.  

Director

Melantha has spent most of her career in and around the Labour movement. Most recently, she returned to the Labour Party press team during the 2024 General Election. Before joining the advisory sector, Melantha spent five years at the trade union Community, where she initially led the union's political engagement strategy before becoming their Head of Communications. ​

Melantha has advised a range of organisations including household names like Airbnb, TikTok and Balfour Beatty. Melantha brings robust agency experience and an exceptional political network from right across the breadth of the Labour movement.

Account Executive

Ben draws from practical experience as a former Senior Researcher for two New Zealand Labour Prime Ministers, Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. Most recently, Ben worked on UK Labour's successful General Election campaign, supporting with budget oversight and print and message management.   

 Ben specialises in providing high quality and timely research to clients and prides himself on his ability to provide effective advice on matters of policy.   

Founding Director

David has been established in the government relations and political strategy industry for more than 15 years. During that time, David has worked on countless domestic and international political campaigns, successful large public private partnership bids and mining licence approvals, as well as enacting a wide variety of legislative and regulatory change.

Director - Operations

Mel brings years of experience in Ministerial offices, the public service, political offices and government owned corporations to her operations role at Anacta. Her extensive experience providing strategic advice, campaign support, governance, compliance and event coordination has proven invaluable in her oversight of the firm’s operations.

Associate

Based in Anacta’s Perth office, Lucy has broad experience in political campaigns and government. Her strong skillset includes community engagement, stakeholder management and research.

Founding Director

One of the best political researchers in the Asia-Pacific region, David served as pollster and strategist for New Zealand's last two Labour Prime Ministers, Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. In Australia, he was heavily involved in Labor’s successful campaigns in the 2022 Federal election and the Victorian state election. He advises on communications and strategy at the highest levels in politics and business.

Senior Counsel and Founding Partner

Stephen has extensive experience working at the top level in politics both sides of the Tasman and involvement in many landmark issue management and political campaigns. Stephen was a senior political adviser to New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange and following his resignation in 1989 to then Deputy Prime Minister Rt Hon Helen Clark.

Data Science Director

Thomas manages the quantitative research work across Australia and New Zealand. He is a master of survey methodology, data visualisation and advanced statistical techniques, and was responsible for the closest polling results of any firm in the 2020 and 2023 New Zealand elections.

Research Director (Australia)

Lachlan is an experienced political researcher, campaign strategist and communications professional. He has been a trusted senior adviser to a range of ministers and political leaders and has significant experience working on national and high-profile political campaigns, including as research director for the Australian Labor Party during the 2022 federal election. Lachlan's skills and experience include strategy communications, political research and analysis, media management and speech writing.