Michelle Chan is the Deputy Secretary, South and Southeast Asia Group and Head of the Office of Southeast Asia, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. She is Australia’s ASEAN, East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Official.

Ms Chan has extensive experience in foreign policy, diplomacy, national security and intelligence, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

Prior to assuming her current role, Ms Chan was the Deputy Secretary National Security and International Policy in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and was the National Security Adviser and Senior International Adviser to the Prime Minister.

From 2016 to 2018, she was Deputy Director-General of the Office of National Assessments (ONA, now ONI), Australia’s peak intelligence assessments agency.

Ms Chan’s earlier roles include ONA’s Assistant Director-General for Southeast Asia (2011–13) and DFAT’s Assistant Secretary responsible for Indonesia, ASEAN and Timor-Leste (2006–07).

She served overseas as Australian Ambassador to Myanmar (2008–11), with earlier postings in Indonesia (Counsellor (Political) then Minister-Counsellor (Political/Economic), 2002–05), Vietnam and Cambodia.

Ms Chan has a Bachelor of Arts (Juris) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide, and a Master of Arts and a Master of Laws (International Law) from the Australian National University.