Dr Webster is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). She has been Acting Deputy Secretary International Security, Legal and Consular Group since April 2026. Prior to this she was DFAT’s Chief Security Officer, a role she had held since October 2023.
From December 2020 to October 2023, Dr Webster was Australia’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. She acted as First Assistant Secretary of DFAT’s Consular and Crisis Management Division in 2020, following her role as Assistant Secretary of the Crisis Preparedness and Management Branch through 2019.
Dr Webster has worked in DFAT since 2015, firstly as Director of the United Nations Economic and Development team and then as Director of the Media and Parliamentary team. Before joining DFAT, she worked in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s International Division, leading the team responsible for Australia’s relationship with Europe, multilateral organisations and the Pacific.
Dr Webster holds a PhD and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in philosophy from the Australian National University.