Mellissa Wood has 30 years’ experience in leading and providing scientific and strategic advice on food, land and water systems, sustainable development, resource and environmental management and public policy. She has held senior leadership positions with the Australian Government and internationally, including UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and CGIAR. Her expertise includes Centre, Agency and Board governance, food and nutrition security, conservation and natural research management, sustainable development, agri-food systems research, biodiversity and program development across Australia, African and SE Asian countries.

She has strong domestic and international public sector governance experience, including retired General Manager, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australian representative on CGIAR System Council and CGIAR System Management Board and Chair Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes (APAARI). She was Director, Global Crop Diversity Trust in Rome developing a global strategy for the biodiversity conservation for plant genetic resources and spent 15 years at the Bureau of Rural Sciences, Federal Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries providing scientific advice to support natural resource management decision-making.

Ms Wood is currently Chair, Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC), Visiting Scientist CSIRO, Food Systems and Global Change, Expert Evaluator AGFUND and Independent Advisor University of Queensland. She also holds positions on international Steering Committees and boards.

Ms Wood holds a Master of Public Policy (Development Policy) from Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has a Bachelor of Science (Resource and Environmental Management) from the Australian National University.