Michael Spencer - Associate

Michael is one of Australia’s leading issues management practitioners with more than 30-years’ experience in industry, government, and not-for-profits managing complex and challenging issues.

After working as a senior journalist and news producer with the Seven and Nine networks, Michael moved into media relations with the Victorian Premier’s Office and became head of the Victorian Government Media Relations Unit. He joined BHP as global manager of media relations and was promoted to Vice-President Communication after successfully managing the communications of the merger between BHP and Billiton.

He has since worked in consulting, including more than 15 years in an Associate capacity with John Connolly & Partners, for a wide range of international and domestic clients.

Michael is highly regarded as a pioneer in the implementation of corporate social responsibility strategies having been the first head of corporate citizenship at NAB. He served a two-year term as Head of Marketing and Communication at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Germany contributing to the success of that multi-stakeholder program for forest management, before returning to Australia to establish FSC in Australia. During the Millennium Drought, a number of businesses asked him to establish a water stewardship initiative. After establishing that initiative in Australia, he became the founding Chair of the International Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) and built a strong presence in the Asia-Pacific Region attracting global partners such as Apple as well as domestic partners in Australia, China, and Indonesia. He served as global Chair for nine years and has been recognised as an Honorary Life Member by both FSC and AWS in Australia.

Michael holds a PhD in environmental governance and academic qualifications in business and public policy. He teaches sustainability regulation for business, international institutions and organisations and geopolitics and business globalisation at the Monash Business School in Melbourne and previously taught research methods and financial communication at RMIT University. He is a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Global Water Institute at the University of NSW and a member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Fair Water Footprint initiative that emerged from the Glasgow Climate Summit (COP 26). He was previously an Associate of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at the University of Melbourne and served for 10 years as President of the Strathbogie Ranges Conservation Management Network.