Ruth Baird commenced as Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Tasmania State Office in May 2023. She is responsible for managing DFAT's engagement with a wide range of stakeholders in Tasmania, including government, business, international organisations, academia, the arts and the community.

Ms Baird is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently in Cook Islands as Chargé d'Affaires.

She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Politics from the University of Tasmania, and Master of International Relations and Diplomacy from the Australian National University.