“Vanessa is a recognised global & domestic corporate
sustainability expert focusing on human rights.”
Vanessa is a recognised global corporate sustainability expert.
Originally an anti-trust lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, she was a Legal Advisor to the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, Harvard Professor John Ruggie. This included being part of the core team drafting the internationally recognised UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Vanessa has also advised other key global business and human rights initiatives including the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), the UN Global Compact, and the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights and worked with businesses from multiple sectors. This included managing Rio Tinto’s human rights programme for 10 years.
Vanessa holds various expert advisory roles including as Board Member of the Global Compact Network Australia and Chair of Human Rights and its Modern Slavery Community of Practice. She has been appointed to several Australian government expert advisory groups including the Modern Slavery Expert Advisory Group, the National Roundtable on Human Trafficking and Slavery and the Governance and Advisory Board to the Australian National Contact under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, based in Cth Treasury. She was a member of the Global Reporting Initiative’s Technical Committee on Human Rights Disclosure and is an officer of the International Bar Association’s Business and Human Rights Committee and a member of the Development in the Field panel for Cambridge University’s Business and Human Rights Journal. Vanessa is also an IHRB Research Fellow.
In 2016 Vanessa was recognised as one of Australia’s 100 Women of Influence and was shortlisted to join the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. In 2018 she was a finalist in the Agenda Setter of the Year category in the Australian Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards. In 2022 Vanessa joined Chief Executive Women Australia, a network of over 900 members holding leading roles in Australia’s largest private and public organisations working to support gender equity and the current and next generation of Australian female leaders.
Vanessa has a Master of Laws from Harvard University, Bachelor of Laws (first class honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Japanese) from Monash University in Australia.
“Alice is a passionate and strategic corporate sustainability expert
who supports businesses to manage sustainability risks, respect
human rights, and deliver positive social impact.”
Alice brings significant experience advising companies, government and other stakeholders on sustainability risks and opportunities, with a particular focus on business and human rights and stakeholder engagement.
Starting her career as a corporate lawyer at leading law firm Allens, Alice then worked as a Policy and Sustainability Advisor in New York with the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. Alice’s work focused on a range of business and human rights issues, including gender, Indigenous peoples’ rights and responsible supply chains, as well as government relations.
After returning to Australia, Alice was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Australia, the Australian business-led network of the UN Global Compact and Australia’s leading corporate sustainability initiative. In this role, Alice was a regular advisor to companies, government and other stakeholders on sustainability risks and opportunities, strategies, frameworks and policies including around business and human rights and agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals. While in this role, Alice was also appointed as a member of the UN Global Compact board, which is chaired by the UN Secretary-General, as a representative of the initiative’s 80+ country networks. Alice also led the annual Australian Dialogue on Business and Human Rights, and was appointed to the Foreign Minister’s Business and Human Rights Advisory Group in 2017.
Alice has a Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Finance, Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Master of Communications.
“Siobhan is a procurement & supply chain professional
with global experience in reducing supply chain risk & supporting
business to respect human rights through their supply chain activities.”
Over the past fifteen years she has held management roles in a number of sectors including manufacturing, retail, banking and mining. She has a deep knowledge of procurement processes, systems and supply chain complexities.
Siobhan has experience identifying and assessing supply chains for a broad range of risks including; supply disruption, human rights abuses, fraud, corruption, social and environmental risks. She has developed and implemented a number of strategies to reduce supply chain risk. She has also developed and implemented supply chain programs targeted to deliver a positive impact to local communities, minority groups and indigenous groups.
Siobhan has a specific interest in business and human rights and the procurement function’s role to respect human rights. She is committed to developing the skills and capabilities of procurement teams to address this challenge. She has developed and conducted numerous training sessions on issues ranging from bribery and corruption, human rights and modern slavery, local content to indigenous participation. She has a thorough understanding of and has implemented several technology solutions to help business manage their supply chain risk and compliance.
Siobhan has a Graduate Diploma in International Law from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Business (International Trade) and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University.
“Alexander is a leading expert on modern slavery, supply chain transparency and stakeholder engagement.”
Drawing on eight years’ experience working for the Australian Government to shape Australia’s national response to modern slavery, Alexander brings significant expertise in business and human rights, key Australian and international regulatory frameworks, and equipping businesses to protect labour rights in global supply chains.
Alexander led the development and implementation of Australia’s landmark Modern Slavery Act 2018, including: leading the national consultation process to develop the Act; authoring the Government’s official guidance for reporting entities; and establishing the Online Register for Modern Slavery Statements.
Alexander also has extensive experience supporting companies to address modern slavery risks. He drove the Government’s work to equip businesses to comply with the Act, including providing policy advice about the application of the Act and presenting at over 40 Government workshops in Australia and overseas. Alexander has also represented Australia at the United Nations on modern slavery issues, delivered modern slavery training to foreign governments, worked on modern slavery issues for the Australian Parliament and appeared as an expert Government witness at Parliamentary inquiries.
Alexander has also worked on a range of other human rights issues for Government, including war crimes legislation and developing community resources for people at risk of forced marriage. He has a Master of International Law (Distinction) from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of International Relations (First Class Honours) from La Trobe University.
“Sarah brings over ten years’ experience working at the intersection of business and human rights. She is passionate about embedding human rights into corporate strategy and culture as well as facilitating collaborative approaches to complex challenges. ”
Sarah is a business and human rights specialist with extensive experience in Australia, the United States and Asia Pacific. Sarah has worked to embed responsible business conduct standards into policy and practice collaborating with diverse organisations to assist them build human rights capacity, manage human rights risks and drive positive change.
Sarah most recently served as Twitter’s Head of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy for Australia and New Zealand, leading the company’s local public policy agenda, trust and safety engagement and social impact initiatives. Prior to Twitter, Sarah worked at the forefront of business and human rights issues in leadership roles at the Australian Human Rights Commission and the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR).
Sarah has been appointed to a range of government and multi-stakeholder bodies and advisory groups and has authored thought leadership pieces and practical guidance in the area of business and human rights.
Sarah is a law graduate from the University of Technology Sydney and is admitted to practice in New South Wales, Australia. She holds a Master in Global Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney. Sarah is undertaking a Master of Business Administration and was the recipient of a Leadership Scholarship from the University of Sydney.
“Claire believes in the power of the corporate sector in creating positive outcomes for people and communities through effective risk management and integrating sustainability into core processes and practices.”
Claire joined Pillar Two from a bank in Bermuda where she led their ESG efforts. Prior to this, Claire led Newmont Mining’s global human rights program which included developing corporate policies and standards, implementing global training programs, conducting saliency assessments and embedding human rights into Newmont’s supplier risk management program. She has led human rights reporting efforts, including responding to benchmarks and producing public reports aligned to international frameworks, notably the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights Reporting Framework. Claire has worked as a consultant advising companies on their stakeholder engagement strategies and human rights due diligence processes.
Claire spent eight years working for the leading organization committed to a safe, just and sustainable world, enabled by responsibly produced metals - the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). She managed multiple projects as part of ICMM’s Social and Economic Development and Reporting and Assurance programs and represented the industry in key multi-stakeholder initiatives including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the Global Reporting Initiative.
Claire began her career at the United Nations, analyzing the UN’s response to humanitarian disasters and supporting the allocation of funds for rapid response and underfunded emergencies. She holds a Master’s degree in Politics from the University of Edinburgh.
“Catie is an independent business and human rights expert who supports businesses and other organisations to strengthen their human right risk management. ”
Catie has a strong professional commitment to working with practitioners to develop practical approaches to implementing key standards effectively and achieving meaningful outcomes. Catie brings particular expertise in facilitating dialogues and other processes that enable people to work and learn together.
Catie spent the early years of her career at Allens, a leading law firm that operates in alliance with Linklaters LLP, where she provided pro bono support to UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, Professor John Ruggie, throughout his mandate to develop the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Catie has spent the past decade immersed in the business and human rights space at a global level. She has served in a number of leadership roles with the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights (GBI). Catie also co-facilitated the recent launch of the Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association and an earlier initiative to support high quality peer learning among law firms committed to operating with respect for human rights. As an independent advisor, she has provided support to major multinational from diverse industries, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Danish Institute for Human Rights and other organisations.
Catie holds a PGCert in Poverty Reduction: Policy and Practice from SOAS University of London, a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Laws (with honours) and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University. She is currently based in London.
“Shamistha is a corporate sustainability expert who is passionate about supporting business efforts to respect for human rights.”
Shamistha brings significant business and human rights experience including conducting salient human rights risk analyses, designing stakeholder engagement programs, drafting human rights policy and process documents, developing and strengthening operational-level grievance mechanisms, and developing and delivering human rights training.
Shamistha started her career as a corporate lawyer at Allens in Australia, where she advised businesses, including those in the banking, mining and oil and gas sectors, on how to align with international and domestic business and human rights standards. She then worked at the World Benchmarking Alliance where she engaged with the private sector to ensure that human rights is at the core of corporate sustainability action through the development of benchmarks that assess corporate performance in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals. During her time at the World Benchmarking Alliance she was appointed as the Gender Lead where she engaged with the private sector in relation to how to drive gender equality and women’s empowerment across value chains, including through conducting gender-responsive human rights due diligence and developing gender-responsive grievance mechanisms.
Shamistha holds a Master of European and International Human Rights Law (Cum Laude) from Leiden University (Netherlands), a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University (Australia).
“Sarah is a trusted expert in the field of business and human rights, working directly with affected stakeholders and rights holders across the Global South and advising some of the largest U.S. and European companies on gender equality, human rights, and worker well-being.”
Sarah brings almost 20 years of expertise across multiple issue areas including human rights due diligence, stakeholder engagement, labor rights and gender justice. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies as the lead on human rights due diligence as well as guiding their ESG teams on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy development and implementation. For over a decade, Sarah was a Senior Policy Advisor for Oxfam America’s Private Sector Department where she was the thematic lead on gender equality in cocoa value chains, managed Oxfam’s community-based human rights impact assessment initiative (COBHRA) with local organizations in Asia and Latin America and served as the relationship manager for several company engagements for the Oxfam confederation such as Amazon, Walmart, Mars, and Mondelez. She has published articles and presented on the topic of human rights impact assessments and community engagement. She serves on two local boards in Boston, MA that promote human rights and inclusion and is a Professional in Residence at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Sarah has Masters degrees in Sustainable International Development (Brandeis University) and Education (Boston University). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Philosophy (American University of Paris) and a Certificate in French Studies, Level A (Sorbonne University). Sarah speaks English, French and Spanish. She is a member of the Hawaiian Kānaka Maoli.
“Riana is committed to providing expert practical and commercial advice to support with implementing respect for human rights. She has worked with some of the world’s largest listed companies and governments to enhance respect for human rights and embed climate and sustainability initiatives globally. ”
Riana worked as a corporate lawyer at King & Wood Mallesons, before moving to London to work with Pillar Two on human rights and modern slavery, and as a Manager with the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights, where she led the member peer learning program, and legal and policy initiatives. Most recently, Riana has worked at Boston Consulting Group, as a core member of the Climate and Sustainability, Private Equity, Retail, and Public Sector practice areas. She advised corporations and governments on business transformation, establishing new regulatory functions, market entry and growth strategy, supply chain management, sustainable investment strategies, and due diligence.
Riana holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (LLM) with Distinction from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of International Relations from Flinders University. She has published academic research on corporate responsibility and directors’ duties to respect human rights in offshore subsidiaries and supply chains. Riana speaks English and Spanish.
“Maria Pia brings an international and interdisciplinary academic and professional experience on business and human rights and corporate sustainability. ”
Maria Pia worked, as Senior Legal Advisor at the International Bar Association (IBA) Legal Policy & Research Unit where she managed the IBA’s policy, training and research projects on business and human rights and corporate integrity. In particular, she contributed to international consultations on the regulatory framework regarding business and human rights, including the European directive proposal on corporate sustainability due diligence; led research projects on company-based grievance mechanisms, modern slavery in global value chains and digital technologies and human rights; conducted training initiatives for the global legal profession on business and human rights and sustainability due diligence.
Most recently, she worked as Senior Legal Advisor at the Italian law firm, RP Legal & Tax, advising Italian and international corporate clients on ESG and business and human rights. Her work focused on the integration of sustainability standards (UN SDGs, OECD Guidelines for MNEs and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights) in corporate structures and global value chains through ethical codes, policies, contracts, stakeholder engagement, due diligence activities and company-based grievance mechanisms.
Maria Pia holds a PhD in Law and Economics from Erasmus University (Rotterdam), an LLM in Law and Economics from the University of Bologna, Hamburg University, and the Indira Ghandi Institute of Development Studies (Mumbai), and a Bachelor of Law with Distinction from LUISS Guido Carli (Rome). She is an officer of the IBA’s Business and Human Rights Committee and a board member of Human Rights International Corner, a non-governmental organisation specialised in business and human rights. Maria Pia authored numerous publications on corporate sustainability, business and human rights and modern slavery in global value chains. She speaks Italian and English.
“Chantelle supported the Australian Government’s implementation and first statutory review of the Modern Slavery Act and has experience supporting the public and private sector meet reporting requirements under the Act.”
Prior to joining Pillar Two, Chantelle worked at the Australian Attorney-General’s Department in the Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Branch. During her four years in this space, Chantelle supported the initial implementation of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act through raising awareness amongst corporate Australia of modern slavery and the Act’s reporting requirements. Chantelle coordinated the Government’s first annual report to Parliament on the implementation of the Modern Slavery Act and developed Australia’s first two Commonwealth Modern Slavery Statements which established the Government’s framework for addressing modern slavery risks in public procurement. Most recently, Chantelle supported the Government’s statutory three-year review of the Modern Slavery Act. Prior to joining in the Australian Government, Chantelle worked in Japan for two years as a junior high school English teacher.
Chantelle holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Development) and Bachelor of Arts (International Relations) from the University of Queensland and is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Psychology at the University of New South Wales.
“Rosie is a business and human rights specialist passionate about supporting companies to respect the rights of workers, communities and vulnerable groups, and encouraging business efforts towards a just transition”
Rosie began her career in business and human rights within the ESG team at Verisk Maplecroft. As an independent specialist, for over 4 years she collaborated on risk mapping, human rights impact assessment, benchmarking, reports and guidance with established consultancies, companies and multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Rosie works with the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights to support the identification and analysis of legal and policy developments in business and human rights for GBI member companies. In addition, she co-authored a report on monitoring the human rights impacts of trade and investment agreements for Chatham House (the Royal Institute of International Affairs), which influenced the EU’s updated approach to sustainable trade.
Rosie has particular expertise in human rights due diligence, impact assessment, stakeholder engagement and grievance mechanisms across a wide variety of sectors, in particular mining and renewable energy.
Rosie holds a Masters in International Law (Distinction) from the University of Bristol (the UK), and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Swansea University (Wales).
“Lauren’s principled approach and expert knowledge on modern slavery will assist businesses in going beyond compliance to engage with the heart of human rights issues”
Lauren joins Pillar Two from Walk Free, the producer of one of the world’s leading datasets on modern slavery through the Global Slavery Index which is used by many businesses and other stakeholders to assess the risk of involvement in modern slavery in different countries globally. As part of the research team, Lauren assisted in developing methodologies to address gaps in data such as in regions where government figures are limited and it was difficult to obtain primary data. She also co-produced models to estimate vulnerability of individuals and groups to modern slavery by looking at environmental, economic, political, health, food, community, and personal risk factors. Lauren has been involved in work to support businesses to manage their modern slavery risks including through analysis of legislative compliance of modern slavery statements by sector, the development of policy papers on best practice, including on consultation with survivors, and the assessment of government responses to business and human rights with reference to modern slavery. During her time with Walk Free, Lauren was also appointed as Regional Lead for the Americas, developing strategy for engagement and research within the region.
Previously, Lauren worked for St John of God Health Care – one of Australia’s largest private health care providers – as Law Clerk in their in-house legal team. Lauren has published work in the areas of human rights including modern slavery, migration and climate change. She also co-founded a community-based organisation in Kenya, focused on the provision of education and health care to the Maasai community at the border with Tanzania. Her work has seen her be rewarded with several local, national, and international awards.
Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science and Law and Society, and a Master of International Development (with Distinction), graduating top of class from the University of Western Australia.
“Sara is passionate about translating complex business and human rights issues into actionable strategies for companies to respect the rights of vulnerable workers in local and international supply chains.”
Sara has particular expertise in gender and labour relations in global value chains and business and human rights issues in conflict areas. Sara has spent the last four years conducting doctoral research on gender in global production networks, with an emphasis on women workers in the garment industry and the societal and commercial benefits of self-identity and role changes. Her doctoral thesis considers the effect of the interactions of global value chains and local gender dynamics on the lives of garment workers in Myanmar. It also focused on the impact of changing external circumstances - including the military coup and COVID-19 - on the commercial and ethical roles of businesses operating in Myanmar. This multifaceted work was recognised with the award of the RMIT Vice-Chancellor's Prize for Research Impact in 2022. Sara has also published her research in several highly regarded academic journals and presented insights about the situation for garment works in Myanmar at several international conferences. Her work has also been recognised by media outlets such as the New York Times.
Prior to commencing her PhD candidature Sara worked as a communications consultant in Europe, developing sustainability and annual reports for some of northern Europe’s largest companies. In this role Sara helped Nordic businesses understand and adapt to the then newly adopted EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive.
Most recently, Sara worked as a sessional lecturer at RMIT School of Management, teaching a range of different courses, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level within the broader areas of business and human rights and sustainable business practices. During her time at RMIT, Sara has been a prominent member of RMIT Business and Human Rights Centre since the Centre’s inception in 2020. Amongst her diverse roles at the Centre, Sara was the Project Manager for BHRIGHT’s 2022 Asia and Oceania Business and Human Rights Doctoral Symposium, attracting doctoral students from across the Asia Pacific region and contributing to their learning and research development.
Sara holds a Masters in International Business, with a minor in Sustainable Business, from Copenhagen Business School and a Bachelor of Business, with a major in Corporate Finance. Sara is in the final stages of completing a PhD in Management at RMIT.
“Elise is dedicated to working with businesses to assess and address human rights risks”
Elise has particular experience in researching modern slavery and modern slavery legislation. While completing her studies, Elise pursued several opportunities in business and human rights, with a focus on modern slavery. She completed an internship at Walk Free, an international human rights group that research, provide resources, engage with the community, and aim to drive legislative change relating to modern slavery. She also completed an internship with the Modern Slavery Research Cluster (MSRC) of the University of Western Australia (UWA), a group of interdisciplinary researchers and students from UWA and partner universities that conduct research, with the aim of addressing modern slavery. In these positions, Elise carried out research and analysis related to modern slavery and modern slavery legislation. While interning for the MSRC, she provided research assistance for a published article analysing and comparing modern slavery legislation in three jurisdictions.
Elise has experience working as a paralegal and vacation clerk at the international commercial law firm, Ashurst, in the Employment Team and the International Projects Group. She has also interned for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in the Human Exploitation and Border Protection practice group.
In her final year of study, Elise is undertaking a research project on the topic of penalties and the Modern Slavery Act 2018. She is also on the Student Editorial Board for the UWA Law Review. In this role she has reviewed multiple papers including for the forthcoming UWA Law Review Issue on International Human Rights.
Elise is based in Perth and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Law and Society major). She recently completed a Juris Doctor at UWA for which she was recognised on the Dean’s List for academic excellence and completion of research by invitation.