The Centre for Policy Development is delighted to introduce Travers McLeod.
He joins CPD from the Oxford Martin School, an interdisciplinary community of scholars at the University of Oxford, where he worked on Now for the Long Term, the report of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations.
It’s hard to imagine a better prelude to life at the Centre for Policy Development than Travers’ experience in helping the Commissioners to make the case for overcoming short-termism to break the gridlock on global challenges and build a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable future.
Travers grew up in Exmouth and Perth in Western Australia and is now based in Melbourne. For much of the past six years he has lived in the United Kingdom. He completed a DPhil and MPhil in International Relations at Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and was a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Merton College, also at the University of Oxford.
Before leaving for the UK he worked as a lawyer in Australia, and was an associate to Justice Michael Kirby in the High Court. Travers joins CPD with a strong international network and publishing record. Now for the Long Term, which Travers played a key role in delivering, has received endorsements from around the world and been downloaded nearly 600,000 times since its launch. The Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations included a number of eminent leaders and was chaired by Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. Oxford University Press will publish Travers’ doctoral thesis on the function of law in United States counterinsurgency next year.
Having returned to Australia, Travers is excited about the prospect of contributing to public policy debates at home. “My work in Oxford has allowed me to investigate long-term global trends and policy challenges likely to dominate this century, and the ways in which institutions (be they in government, business or the non-profit sector) can capitalise on future opportunities and minimise the downside risks”, Travers said. “The chance to lead CPD is an exciting opportunity to apply these insights at home. I have big shoes to fill, but look forward to growing an organisation driven to producing positive and impactful ideas to steer Australia and the region in a more inclusive and resilient direction over the long term.”
Travers will take over from CPD’s Founder and current Executive Director, Miriam Lyons. Miriam has built the organisation into one of Australia’s leading independent progressive think tanks, with a hard-earned reputation for injecting constructive ideas into Australian policy debates. Miriam will remain connected with CPD as a Fellow. “After just one week working alongside Travers as he takes over the leadership of CPD, I’ve been so impressed by his intelligence, his dedication to evidence-based policy and his commitment to building the broadest possible constituency for ideas that could make Australia a fairer and more sustainable place to live. I can’t wait to see what he and the rest of the CPD team achieve together over the coming years.”
Short-term thinking cannot address Australia’s long-term dilemmas – help Trav’s team look further ahead!
