Anne Lyons is a Resident Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of ASPI’s Professional Development Centre, responsible for delivery of a range of policy and professional development programs across Defence, the National Intelligence Community, national security and related agencies. 

Anne joined ASPI in February 2018 after more than 20 years as a senior executive in both the public and private sectors and currently runs her own executive coaching & leadership consultancy. 

Her ground-breaking ASPI report Identity of a nation: protecting the digital evidence of who we are identified the importance of digital heritage and identity to Australia’s national security. 

Prior to that Anne was member of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) senior executives, her most recent role as NAA Chief Information Officer managing ICT, information policy, governance, security and capability. Anne previously led the Archives’ public access, declassification, government services and whole of government information policy & assurance, including the Australian Government’s National Digital Transition and Continuity policies, requiring comprehensive information governance and management in all government business systems by 2020. 

Anne managed the AFP’s marketing, media and communications during a period of increased operational tempo, including the 2002 Bali bombing investigation, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) in 2003 and major national and international operations. 

Anne was an original member of Australia’s Open Government Forum and from 2016 to 2019 was a member of the National Defence Reserves Support Council (DRSC) and Chair of the ACT & SE NSW DRSC supporting Australian Reservists and their employers. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has a BA in communications and Indigenous studies, is a qualified executive coach and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) master practitioner.