Ms Ruth Adler
High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam
Biography
Dr Ruth Penelope Adler is a senior staff member of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and until December 2005 was Assistant Secretary, Staff Development and Post Issues Branch, a position she held from September 2003. Prior to that, Dr Adler held various positions in the department in Canberra, including Assistant Secretary, Market Development, Business Liaison and Regional Trade Policy Branch (May-September 2003); Assistant Secretary, Trade and Economic Analysis Branch (2002-03); and Director, Regional and Bilateral Trade Policy Section (2000-02).
Overseas, Dr Adler has served as First Secretary (then Counsellor) and Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Mexico City (1998-2000) and Third Secretary (then Second Secretary), Australian Embassy, Manila (1991-94). Dr Adler joined the department as a graduate trainee in 1990.
Dr Adler was born in Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of New South Wales, a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History/Latin American Studies from La Trobe University.
She is married to Dr Conrad Goonerage and has two children, Jesse (11yrs) and Amelia (9yrs). Dr Adler's interests include reading, cinema and travel.