Julie Bishop

The Hon Julie Bishop is regarded as one of Australia's finest Ministers for Foreign Affairs and is the first woman appointed to that role.

Elected to the House of Representatives in 1998 following a highly successful legal career, Julie has served as Minister for Ageing; Cabinet-level Minister for Education, Science and Training; and as the Minister supporting the Prime Minster on Women's Issues. She was the first woman to be elected as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party when elected to that position in 2007, which she held until 2018.

In addition to a slew of internationally acclaimed responses, resolutions, and awards throughout her political career, Julie established the Innovation Xchange with a mandate of finding solutions to some of the most intractable development and health challenges globally. The Xchange has worked with international organisations including Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Global Fund.

Julie graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Adelaide in 1978 and attended Harvard Business School in 1996, completing the Advanced Management Program for Senior Managers. In 2017, the University of Adelaide awarded her the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University for her contribution to Australian parliamentary service.