Melissa Pinfield

Melissa Pinfield is a Senior Partner at Meridian Institute, where she is Executive Director of the Just Rural Transition Secretariat. Prior to embarking on this role, Melissa was Programme Director of the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) based at SYSTEMIQ. She draws on a wide network and deep experience working with governments, private sector, civil society, and international institutions to facilitate and support the evolution of multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Melissa is passionate about connecting people and supporting co-created solutions that deliver impact on the ground. She brings over 15 years of government and international relations experience, having worked for both the UK and Australian Governments on climate, international forests, and land use. Her early career in the diplomatic service included a four-year posting to Beijing, where she established the long-running Australia-China Bilateral Climate Change Partnership.