Kate was raised on a farm in rural Australia before studying economics and international studies at Deakin University in Melbourne. During her undergraduate studies, she was selected as a New Colombo Plan Scholar by the Australian Government, spending 18 months studying in Taiwan and completing internships with the Asian Development Bank in Vietnam and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in Japan. After graduating, Kate joined McKinsey & Company for five years, where she worked across strategy, sustainability and social impact. She now works at Westpac Banking Corporation, focusing on sustainability strategy and supporting institutional customers to strengthen their approach to First Nations engagement. She is eager to pursue the MPP to deepen her understanding of public policy and the role it plays in strengthening collaboration between governments, investors and communities. Kate believes stronger policy capability is essential to expanding economic opportunity and supporting community led development.