Thom Woodroofe

Thom Woodroofe, 21, is a foreign affairs analyst combining journalism, research, teaching and community work to advance an understanding of Australia’s place in the world. In 2009, Thom was recognised as the Young Victorian of the Year for his work in establishing Left Right Think-Tank, Australia’s first non-partisan policy body of young people. He is also the founder of Global Voices which coordinates youth delegations to important diplomatic forums abroad.

A freelance commentator on foreign affairs, Thom has contributed on the ground from hotspots such as Burma during parliamentary elections, communist Cuba under Castro, and on the Middle East peace process from inside The West Bank. He has interviewed both the current and former Prime Minister and was responsible for breaking a story concerning their relationship impacting Australia’s attendance at an Asia-Europe Meeting.

Thom is also a non-resident Associate Fellow of The Asia Society based in New York and on the Global Agenda Council of the World Economic Forum based in Geneva.

Thom has worked for both sides of politics overseas: in the United States Congress for former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and for former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in California. He is the youngest member of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue and the Australia Israel Leadership Forum.

Thom has been one of the youngest participants at such high-level gatherings as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and the G20 bringing him face-to-face with world leaders such as Presidents Obama, Hu Jintao and Medvedev. A regular public speaker he has addressed audiences such as the White House Press Corps at the National Press Club in Washington DC.

Thom has previously been named one of Melbourne’s 100 Most Influential People by The Melbourne Magazine, one of the region’s leading young people by The Asia Society, and one of the world’s emerging security leaders by the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland. More recently, Thom was chosen to represent Australia at Commonwealth Day in London where he met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Thom holds a Bachelor of Arts (Global) from Monash University which involved study across four continents. He is currently teaching and reading for his honours thesis at the University of Melbourne.

Thom can be contacted via email - (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) - or he can be followed on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/thomwoodroofe