Stephanie Speck is a senior international executive in the field of strategy, governance and communication with more than 24 years’ experience in government, corporate, and development communications.

Beginning her career with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia, Stephanie has led strategic communication and governance initiatives in more than 25 countries. Her portfolio of international communication experience includes anti-corruption in Afghanistan, electoral systems in Albania, emergency relief in Banda Aceh, governance reform in Iraq, food security in the Pacific, private sector investment in Palestine, tourism in the Maldives, disaster management in Sri Lanka, and countering violent extremism in Syria.

Steph has spent many years at the front of democratic state-building in post-conflict environments, working in high-level public diplomacy, state-building and spokesperson roles, including as Senior Adviser to the Senior Minister of Afghanistan; Adviser to the Government of the Occupied Palestinian Territories; Senior Adviser to the President of Somalia; Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister of Iraq; and Chief of Communications, ICT, Knowledge Management for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Stephanie was awarded Australia’s Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal for field-based communication work undertaken post the 2005 Indian Ocean Tsunami. In 2009, Rotary International appointed her a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of her contribution to international peace and development.

Currently the Head of Communications for the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest multilateral climate investment fund, with $13.5billion in financing across 243 projects in 129 countries, Steph is a passionate believer that climate action goes hand in hand with sustainable development, and that the media is a key partner in helping both people and planet prosper.