Simonne Pengelly
Bachelor of Arts (Drama) (Hons.) /  Master of Business Administration / Graduate Certificate in Disaster Risk Reduction / PhD Candidate

Simonne Pengelly has a strong background across the arts, business and commercial enterprise. She has a Bachelor Degree with Honours in performing arts, an MBA, and is a PhD Candidate in Disaster Management at the University of Newcastle. Her research investigates the role of the creative industries in international crisis planning and response and disaster risk reduction.

Simonne also has a strong background in politics and was a Senate Candidate (NSW) for the Australian Labor Party (ALP) at the 2019 Federal Election. She is a member of the NSW ALP Administrative Committee and Economics Policy Committee and a former member of the International Policy Committee. Simonne was previously employed in the offices of two Federal Members of Parliament.

Simonne is currently working as a business executive for a large commercial law firm and a sessional academic at the University of Newcastle (School of Architecture and Built Environment). She is a former Board member of Tantrum Youth Arts and has worked professionally in film and television and as a recording and touring musician.