Lisa Ward

Lisa Ward is the CEO of Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland. Lisa has a long and varied work history in helping others.

Ward started their career working in the Department of Finance from November 2003 to November 2006. There, they worked on parliamentary services, property divestment, and governance. From March 2009 to November 2013, they were the Director of the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. In this role, they managed a team of protection visa decision makers and was responsible for developing quality assurance frameworks to monitor the quality of protection visa decisions.

In September 2019, Ward became the Chair of Mantua Sewing Studio, a social enterprise utilising ethical sewing manufacturing practices to provide opportunities for highly skilled women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Lisa held this position until December 2020.

Ward is currently the CEO of Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, where they use their experience and knowledge to help improve the lives of those in the community.

Some direct reports include Zack Sohrabi - Community Training & Employment Program Manager, Carrie Barnett - Multicultural Community Sector Manager.