Ms Southwell is a principal partner of Southwell Murphy and Associates (SMA). She has extensive business management knowledge and experience. Her key capabilities are in the areas of Government and Defence policy and process, organisational, business and project management. Ms Southwell has an in-depth knowledge of Australia’s Government and Defence policies and procedures and as such was selected as a senior assessor for the Australian Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management between 2003 and 2006.

Ms Southwell has also been involved in a large range of Whole-of-Government initiatives and has worked on interagency activities and taskforces. Ms Southwell has also had experience working across Australia’s three levels of Government: Federal, State and Local, as well as having extensive experience in working with business and community groups. Ms Southwell has presented many papers on strategic management issues at Australian and International forums.

Ms Southwell has held a variety of senior management and leadership positions over the past 25 years. Her principal roles have included:

• Management Consultant
• Political Liaison Officer
• Project Director
• Program Manager
• Senior Executive Adviser
• Change Agent and Facilitator

Ms Southwell holds a Masters of Management from the University of Canberra and is Member of the Australian Institute of Project Management. She also attended the Australian Command and Staff College as a civilian member and as a result of these studies, she was awarded a Graduate Diploma (Defence Studies) as well as the military citation of Pass Staff College Joint (PSC(J)). She was also awarded the Australian Service Medal by the former Australian Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill, for her contribution to the Bougainville Peace Process in Papua New Guinea in 2001.