Tanya Harris

I have nearly three decades of experience in the private and international development sectors spanning media, marketing, hospitality, telecommunications, and health industries. I bring corporate finance and business operations perspectives, having led the development and execution of sustainability and procurement strategy, policy and process development, governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement, delivery and internal/external capacity building and training over the past 15 years.

I am a contributor and expert practitioner of Sustainable Procurement – Guidance ISO 20400, a sector and industry roundtable representative during the Australian Federal Government consultation to develop the Modern Slavery Act and productivity commission assessment of National Supply Chain Resilience and a United Nations One Planet Network expert advisor.

Having worked across 25 developing and developed countries supporting public sector initiatives through advisory services to contribute to the international sustainable development goals, sustainable healthcare and global climate targets, I have seen firsthand the impact of the decisions we make in board rooms, whether they be action or inaction.  

My specialties range from leading with the heart, equity and social justice, targeted economic empowerment and unwavering optimism in the innovation and opportunity sustainability brings.

My favourite projects are those that are creating meaningful change by connecting the dots, building confidence and capacity in other people so that they can make a difference, and developing practical and flexible frameworks and guidance to deliver high impact social and environmental outcomes.

I have fingers in many pies holding positions on international, Asia-Pacific and national steering committees, expert working groups, consortiums, networks and forums.

I work in sustainability because I am highly curious, overly optimistic and a bit of a mush bag. Every day I am inspired by the little things; the brilliance of new ideas, motivations and behaviour, resilience and creativity, the diversity of colour, shape and species on the planet we all share – it is interesting, constantly changing and often breathtaking. I am super lucky that I was able to make my personal values and interests into a profession!

In my spare time I am an avid reader, house potterer, garden dabbler, live music fan, and Lego (not-so) master builder with the occasional adrenaline sport and crazy adventure thrown in.