Melissa Stewart

Sustainability Committee Member
21 years experience

Melissa has more than twenty years’ specific expertise designing/leading the response to modern slavery and other human rights issues, including: the development of law/policy at the international/ national/ organisational level; practical operational experience assessing/addressing the risk and incidence of human trafficking in global corporate procurement and value chains.

She has been recognised for her leadership on the responsibility of business for exploitation in supply chains in both Australia and abroad and has held senior advisory roles and full-time positions for a full range of stakeholders including the UN, Governments, corporates and civil society. She most recently acted as a full-time expert to Australian insurance group IAG supporting their whole-of-business response to compliance.

As a qualified Canadian lawyer with advanced degrees and practice in human rights law, and in international development, Melissa previously advised Governments in Australia and globally on the issue of modern slavery and human rights. Most recently she worked with the Australian Government on the Bali Process Government and Business Forum and advised on best practice around operationalising ethical recruitment and responsible sourcing. She was on the Australian Government National Roundtable on Trafficking for six years, and for the duration of the Attorney General’s Working Group on Trafficking and Supply Chains, and the Working Group on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles.