Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, April 2025 – Leanne Lawrence has stepped into a new role as Chief of People, Planning and Governance at Burnet Institute, bringing with her a distinguished career in people leadership across Australia’s public, nonprofit, and cultural sectors. In this new role, she will oversee the Institute’s people operations, strategic planning, and governance framework as it continues to advance global health outcomes through research and outreach.
Prior to this elevation, Leanne was serving as Chief People Officer at Burnet Institute, where she led people and culture initiatives while strengthening internal systems to support the institute’s strategic mission. Her leadership builds on a strong foundation developed over six impactful years at Arts Centre Melbourne, where she held executive roles including Chief People Officer, Executive Director Human Resources, and Interim Chief Executive Officer. During her tenure, she championed transformation projects, culture shifts, and employee wellbeing programs such as the Arts Wellbeing Collective.
Before her time in the arts sector, Leanne served as Human Resources Manager at Benetas, a leading aged care provider, where she focused on strategic HR initiatives in a highly regulated sector. Her earlier experience includes senior HR and executive leadership roles at the Fair Work Commission, where she directed national workforce functions and acted as Director of Corporate Services, and at the Department of Premier and Cabinet, where she managed people and culture strategy across the Tasmanian public service.
About Burnet Institute:
Burnet Institute is a globally renowned Australian medical research and public health organisation dedicated to achieving a fairer, healthier world. With headquarters in Melbourne and field offices in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, Burnet applies scientific and public health innovation to major global health challenges. Its work spans infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and health system strengthening through high-impact research, international development, and education.
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