Our Staff

Meet the AmCham Team

 


 Chief Executive Officer
April Palmerlee

April Palmerlee was appointed CEO of AmCham in 2017 after an international career in government, education, and the corporate sector. American-born, Palmerlee has lived in Sydney since 2003 and is a dual citizen. She is a member of Chief Executive Women and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She received a BS from Georgetown and a Master’s from Columbia. In Australia, she has worked for the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, the Centre for Independent Studies, and Potomac Partners. In the US, she held the rank of Assistant Secretary at the Department of State with the remit for international women’s issues. Before that, she was a senior executive at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She has also worked for couturier Oscar de la Renta, financial publisher The Bank Credit Analyst, and not-for-profit The Spanish Institute. She is on the boards of CIS and Georgetown University Australian and New Zealand Centre. She also chairs a scholarship selection committee at the Fulbright Commission.



General Manager
Rasa Buckley

Rasa Buckley joined AmCham in 2019 after 20+ years in Asia. She is based in Adelaide.

A graduate of the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Economics (Asian Studies) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Rasa worked in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia for global media companies including Lucasfilm, CNBC, BBC and TechTV.

An expert in building exposure, promoting brands, creating compelling stories and producing innovative events, Rasa ran her own communications company for clients including Disney, Maker Studios, NBCUniversal and Sony Entertainment Television Networks.

Drawing on her long experience in Asia, Rasa’s role at AmCham supports business objectives by connecting people globally as well as locally and leading them to success.



Director of Research
Adam Duker

Dr Adam Asher Duker has joined AmCham as the Director of Research. Adam has nearly two decades of experience in academia, political advocacy, advisory work and advocacy.

American-born, Adam has spent the better part of the last decade in Europe and in Egypt, where he held the Abdulhardi H. Taher Chair – the largest endowed humanities professorship in the Arabic-speaking world – at the American University in Cairo.

He was most recently a research fellow at the University of Waikato (New Zealand), a seasonal lecturer at Alphacrucis College (Sydney), and a professor of history and religion at the American University in Cairo (Egypt). He holds a PhD and an MA from the University of Notre Dame (US), another MA from the University of Arizona, and a BA (summa cum laude) from the University of California, Berkeley.

He has served as an American Cultural Ambassador to Switzerland and Fulbright Fellow in the Obama administration. He has also advised US Senator Ben Sasse on US Middle Eastern policy.

With organisational leadership experience on five continents, he is skilled at fundraising, planning, diplomacy, lectures, and media. He speaks or reads eight languages.

Adam will be supporting AmCham research, committee policy work, fundraising, communications, and other special projects.



General Manager
Doug Grant

Doug Grant joined AmCham in 2018 after a distinguished career in the finance industry. He is based in Sydney.

With over 20 years’ experience working within the finance industry as a Business Development Manager, broker, consultant and sales and marketing representative, Doug has built a broad network of business clients and referral partner contacts across most industry sectors through his focus on relationship creation, ongoing relationship management and solutions sales.His understanding of sales processes, cycles and mindsets has enabled him to quickly establish and build rapport leading to constructive relationships with all business levels, from administrative staff through to senior executives.

Doug engages actively with current members and continually forms new relationships to grow the membership base of valued AmCham business partnerships.


General Manager
Libby Marshall

Libby Marshall MBA joined AmCham in 2021. A long-time AmCham member, supporter and Academy graduate, she is based in Brisbane.

With more than 30 years’ experience working within the disciplines of organisational capability, leadership learning and development, organisational strategy and business development, Libby understands what AmCham members need. Her professional experience spans tourism, airlines, sport, government, not-for-profit, energy and higher education in the UK, France, the USA and Asia.

Libby is currently a contracted Executive MBA Coach to the University of Queensland Business School, the University of Sydney Business School and the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA.  She is also Managing Partner at Tanner Menzies. She has held previous board directorships with Tourism and Events Queensland, the Celebrate Queensland Committee (Australia Day Council Queensland) and MS Queensland.  Libby holds post graduate qualifications in HR and Business and is an MBA graduate from the University of Queensland Business School.



General Manager
Adam Serry

Adam Serry joined AmCham in 2020. With over 20 years of management experience, he is based in Melbourne.

Adam’s career spans general management, relationship management and business development across sectors including not for profit, membership organisations, finance / accounting, legal and professional services. He has excelled at senior relationship / engagement and management roles at CEDA and The Institute of Chartered Accountants (now Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand), and as General Manager VIC/TAS of The Tax Institute.



General Manager
Kristie Young

Kristie Young joined AmCham in 2021. With over 20 years experience in industry, she is based in Perth.
 
Kristie is a respected member of the mining and business community with strong connections across industry, academia, government not-for-profits and service providers. Her unique background across technical engineering, business development, marketing, strategy, growth, commercial, consultancy, account management, diversity & inclusion, advisory, governance, education and HR provides a unique mix of skills that sees her well placed to effect real change in the Australian business landscape.
 
Kristie is currently non-executive director with ASX listed companies Lithium Australia and Primero Group. She sits on the Wesley College Council/Board, the Board of the Petroleum Club of WA, is a Perth UQ EAIT Alumni Ambassador, and a member of the CMEWA Diversity & Inclusion Reference Group.
 
Kristie holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) Hons from the University of Queensland, a Post Graduate Diploma of Education (Mathematics & IT) from the University of Western Australia, a CertIV HR from the Australian HR Institute and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

 



Event Coordinator
Ellie Pringle
 Government Relations Manager
Amie O'Mahony
 Member Engagement &
Administration Lead
Karen Kelly



Event Manager
Claire Harrison
 		Special Projects Officer
Alice Abraham
 National Academy Lead
& Membership Administrator
Kiara Mackellar
   
 Digital Communications Lead
& Event Coordinator 
Hannah Harding
  Accountant
Michele Merdith
  Assistant Accountant
Harry Wijesundara