Melanie Harris

Melanie Harris is a proud Aboriginal woman of the Yuin people from NSW. She is Australia’s first female First Nations Trade and Investment Commissioner, based in Kuala Lumpur. In this role, Melanie develops Australia’s trade, investment, and education relationships with Malaysia and Brunei. She also leads the Australian Trade & Investment Commission (Austrade)’s regional health sector team, fostering greater collaboration and partnerships between Southeast Asia and Australia.

Melanie has held various positions with Austrade over the past 16 years. She was previously their First Nations champion, focusing on opportunities to equip businesses with the capabilities to become export-ready and to increase their participation in international markets.

Before her current role, she led the Trade, Investment, Digital, and Business Capability Development Program on behalf of Federal and State/Territory governments, ensuring that Australians working in Trade & Investment acquire future-ready skills. Melanie has a background in human resources, change management, and project delivery.