Helen Brown

Helen Brown’s focus is on improving the business relationship with Australia’s neighbours in Asia, particularly in South-East Asia. She stepped away from a life-long career in journalism, including 20 years at the ABC, to concentrate on bringing together her skills as a connector and communicator, and utilising her insight into a dynamic and complex nation and region. She spent four years on-the-ground in Indonesia as a multi-media correspondent, gaining inside views and contacts during coverage which included the 2014 Presidential election, trade disputes, multilateral political and financial summits and business developments. She travelled to many areas of the archipelago and saw first-hand how policy and economics affected people’s lives. 

She serves as Communications and Outreach Lead at The Australia-Indonesia Centre, and helps business to navigate these complex areas to create mindful and successful long-term relationships as managing director of Bisnis Indonesia. She is also an accomplished writer, speaker and moderator on a range of topics including Indonesia, agribusiness, trade and innovation. 

Helen was selected as an inaugural participant and panellist on the Lowy Institute’s dialogue for journalists from Australia and Indonesia in 2015. She served on the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, co-founded a media discussion group in Indonesia, and on the Victorian Committee of the Australia Indonesia Business Council.