OUR EXECUTIVE

Originally from the Sunshine Coast, Renee Cremer is a proud Yuin woman and mother. Renee is an early career public servant living on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country.

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Passionate about youth leadership and paving the way for future generations, Renee looks forward to engaging more First Nations youth in international affairs as Chief Executive Officer of Young Australians in International Affairs.

In 2021 Renee had the honour of representing Australian youth as Australia’s first ever delegate to the G7 Youth Engagement Forum (Y7). She was also a Global Voices Scholar part of the delegation to the 2019 OECD Forum in Paris. During this time, she wrote a policy paper on improving engagement and integration outcomes for unskilled and underemployed female migrants living in regional and rural Australia.

Renee graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Deakin University in 2021, completing a major in politics and policy studies and minors in international relations and criminology. Renee has also spent time as a youth support and pathways coordinator in regional Queensland.

She looks forward to developing a career in federal policy and international relations, hoping to inspire other young Indigenous women, and mothers especially, to pursue their passions with tenacity and dedication.

Winuri is the Co-COO at Young Australians in International Affairs and a Consultant at Nous Group, Canberra. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Global Studies from Monash University with a specialisation in international relations and international human rights law.

She is driven to develop inclusive security policy and has an interest in national security, crisis management and the role of women in creating effective peace solutions. Winuri is an advocate for stronger human rights frameworks and has co-authored a report for the UN on inclusive jury legislation in Australia.

In her previous role as President of the Monash International Affairs Society, she was heavily involved in the Victorian diplomatic community and was deeply engaged in creating accessible opportunities for youth engagement in international affairs.

As a regular youth voice in Australian politics and foreign policy, Winuri has appeared on Monash University panels and student podcasts. Her work has been published by Asialink, Pivot and the Young Diplomats Society.

Michael is the National Events Director at Young Australians in International Affairs. He was previously Project Director of Future21, YAIA's principal summit held in Canberra, in September 2022. He works in the Australian Public Service.

A New Colombo Plan alumni, Michael graduated valedictorian for his University of Melbourne Bachelor of Arts studies with a focus on politics, economics and Chinese language. He also holds a Diploma in Mandarin and Graduate Certificate in Public Administration.

With extensive experience delivering events portfolios for international affairs organisations, Michael leads a team of officers in hosting events across Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and online.

Angus is the People and Culture Director at Young Australians in International Affairs. He completed a Bachelor of Languages in 2021 and is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Languages at the Australian National University in Canberra. He is a passionate student of East Asian languages, culture, politics, and international relations, with a particular focus on Japan and China.

Angus’ interest in intercultural communication and international affairs was piqued by the opportunity to study Japanese in high school. He has since studied Japanese language and culture for over 10 years and has spent time living and working in Japan. He has also studied Mandarin for over 3 years and begun formally studying Cantonese in 2022.

He is motivated by the aspiration of enhancing international dialogue, conflict resolution, and intercultural understanding and respect. As a life-long student of languages, Angus is passionate about language politics, linguistic preservation, and he also volunteers his time as an English language tutor to recently arrived immigrants.  Angus is thrilled to be a member of the YAIA team and hopes to contribute to its fantastic culture, and to represent and promote its mission.

Phoebe is the Communications Director at Young Australians in International Affairs, responsible for leading a team to manage YAIA's social media and website and overseeing the rollout of all things digital media.

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Phoebe currently works as a Policy graduate within the Australian Public Service and strives to develop her career in strategic policy design and analysis. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree specialising in International Relations and Politics & Policy Studies from Deakin University.

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Phoebe joined the Communications portfolio with YAIA as an Officer in 2021 prior to becoming Director, and has gained experience in digital communications with the Australian Institute of International Affairs (Victoria), Women in Aid and Development, and the Australian Local Government Women's Association.

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Alana is the Chief Financial Officer for Young Australians in International Affairs. Having completed a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies from the Australian National University, Alana was heavily involved in international affairs through numerous volunteering roles and internships alongside her studies. 

She spent significant time studying abroad, notably at Peking University (China) and Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (Indonesia) with a New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant. During 2015, she worked as a Business Analyst at a global record label in China to further develop her Mandarin Chinese professional fluency and support Australia-China relations.

In commencing her career at Deloitte, Alana worked in Private Tax & Advisory supporting high net worth individuals, families and businesses from both Australia and overseas. Alana currently advises to a private Family Office, is a committee member for Australia China Young Professionals Initiative (ACYPI) and runs her own private advisory business whilst completing her Chartered Accountant (CA) studies.

Henry is the Co-COO overseeing Publications, Careers and People and Culture. Henry first joined YAIA as the Pacific Fellow in 2020. He works in policy and intergovernmental relations in the public service.

Henry is passionate about international affairs in the Pacific, with a particular interest in Pacific security policy, subregional relations, sovereignty issues, and cultural diplomacy. He is a Young Pacific Leaders alumni and is active in Pacific initiatives and advocating for Pacific agency.

Henry also has a special interest in US politics and has completed a Congressional internship in Washington D.C. as a participant in the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme. Henry holds a Bachelor of International Studies from the University of Wollongong and is currently studying a Masters of Politics and Policy at Deakin University.

Riley is the Publications Director at Young Australians in International Affairs, responsible for leading a team to manage YAIA’s Fellowship Program, Policy Lab, and Insights blog.  She first joined YAIA in late 2022 as a Brisbane Events Officer.

She is passionate about engaging youth in international affairs and elevating their voices and experiences. Through this role, Riley is eager to expand YAIA’s publications audience and number of young contributors.

Riley currently works as an undergraduate tutor at the University of Queensland.  She holds a Bachelor of International Studies degree specialising in International Relations and French, and has just completed a Master of International Relations, which included a thesis on youth and climate-related mobility in the Pacific Islands.

Dorothée is the Careers Director at Young Australians in International Affairs. Passionate about helping young people enter and navigate the complex careers landscape of international affairs, she first joined the portfolio as an Officer in 2022. Dorothée is currently pursuing a Bachelor of International Business, with an academic focus on the European Union and Latin America, at the Australian National University.

Dorothée stumbled into the world of international affairs unexpectedly when she joined the French embassy's soccer team for the 2021 Diplomatic World Cup, a two month-long football tournament of the embassies in Canberra.

Since then, she has dedicated herself to gaining a comprehensive understanding and practical experience in international relations, both domestically and abroad. Dorothée has worked across various domains, including the private sector, international NGOs, and the Australian public sector.