Madison Smith
2023
Bob Hawke John Monash Scholar
Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience
University of Canterbury
New Zealand
Madison is a driven young professional who is passionate about increasing Australia's resilience to natural disasters. Her experiences in Western Australian bushfire risk management, operational emergency management as a State Emergency Services volunteer, and high-level policymaking and data analytics at the WA Department of the Premier and Cabinet provide her with a multi-disciplinary outlook and deep understanding of community resilience and service. Madi elevated her skills in disaster risk resilience and leadership by pursuing a Master of Disaster Risk and Resilience at the University of Canterbury, NZ, a course widely regarded as the best available in this field. She aspires to train women to lead community resilience programs and develop a transferable decision-making framework to enhance accountability between levels of government. Madison enjoys volunteering with Rotaract and exploring outside her comfort zone. She is an avid hiker, novice triathlete and community builder, bringing people together through non-profit ventures and board games. Madi is currently located in London.