Andrea Gleason commenced as NSW State Director in July 2026. She is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and has over 30 years’ experience in foreign and trade policy and negotiations, international security and public diplomacy.

Andrea served as Australian Consul-General in Honolulu from 2021 to 2024, leading Australia’s engagement with the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the state of Hawai’i. Prior to this, Andrea was deputy head of the taskforce which supported the successful campaign for Australia’s Mathias Cormann’s selection as Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She was DFAT’s Western Australia State Director in 2015-2018.

Overseas, Andrea has also served in Washington DC as Counsellor, Trade Policy (2009-2012) and in Stockholm as Second Secretary (1997-2000). In Canberra, Andrea has held a range of positions focussed on trade negotiations, Australia’s Pacific partnerships and public diplomacy. 

Andrea has a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Queensland and a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University.