My parents migrated to Sydney from Holland when they were in their early 20s, and my dad worked as an engineer and small business owner. Like many migrants he and mum faced some challenges in adapting to a new country and starting their careers from scratch. But they were determined to see me and my brother get a good education and take advantage of all the opportunities we could. We lived in Gordon, Turramurra, and Killara and I did all my schooling locally. I did my undergraduate degree at Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education which is now part of the University of Technology, Sydney.
I chose to raise my family in Bradfield for the same reasons many of us do: it’s a truly special corner of the world. We have fantastic public and independent schools, great access to sporting clubs and facilities, and lots of beautiful parks and bush all around us.
I’ve spent my career finding solutions to really complex problems. I started out working in energy policy development and advocacy at state level, before setting up a consultancy focussed on helping businesses understand and manage environmental and social risk. For the past decade I’ve worked in climate finance at the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia, the Investor Group on Climate Change, and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Until recently I was an advisor to a start-up delivering cheaper electric cars to Australian consumers. In all these roles my focus has been on creating truly sustainable and lasting economic growth.
I’m standing in this election because over and over I’ve watched the major parties dodge having honest conversations about our economy, our society, and our environment. So many of the problems we have stem from decades of inaction by both sides of politics.
If I’m elected to represent Bradfield, I will work with all sides of politics, I will listen to experts, and I will seek input from my community, to deliver sensible, evidence-based policies that benefit our country.