Ms Phoebe Dunn
Ms Phoebe Dunn is an accomplished legal, public policy and investment leader with over 30 years’ experience across government, commercial, legal and community sectors. As Chief Executive Officer of mRNA Victoria, she spearheads the Victorian Government’s strategy to position the state as a global leader in mRNA research, commercialisation and manufacturing.
Ms Dunn oversees major public investments and strategic partnerships, driving local capability in vaccine and therapeutic development. Under her leadership, mRNA Victoria has delivered landmark deals with global pharmaceutical companies including Moderna and BioNTech, establishing Melbourne as a hub for mRNA research, manufacturing and innovation and providing sovereign population-scale manufacturing capability for Australia.
Her strategic leadership places mRNA Victoria at the forefront of state-led science and health innovation supporting critical infrastructure, fostering collaboration between government, industry and researchers, and accelerating the translation of scientific discovery into commercial and public health outcomes.
Ms Dunn holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University, receiving the Supreme Court Prize in 1993. She commenced her career at global commercial law firm Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst), as a senior associate specialising in major projects and environmental law, before becoming a senior adviser and subsequently national security adviser to the federal Attorney-General. In these roles, she led significant policy, programs and legislative reforms including in national security, privacy, native title, courts and tribunals and administrative law, and had responsibility for advising on and managing delivery of Australia’s post-9/11 anti-terrorism law reforms and policy responses.
Ms Dunn has also contributed extensively to landmark legal reforms and public policy in Victoria, playing a pivotal role in designing and delivering a new integrity regime for Victoria, including the establishment of the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC), the Victorian Inspectorate and the Public Interest Monitor. She also led key reforms across gambling regulation, criminal justice and corrections systems, including major bail and parole changes, crime prevention initiatives and critical infrastructure projects.
Before joining mRNA Victoria, Ms Dunn was appointed as a Member of the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal where she served for three years, presiding over a range of administrative law matters. Her broader career includes executive and advisory roles shaping policy, regulatory and integrity frameworks.
Passionate about delivering real-world, positive impact, Ms Dunn has also held senior leadership roles across the arts, health and community sectors including as Chair of the Phillip Adams BalletLab Board, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of the Amy Gillett Foundation, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association, an executive at the Melbourne Arts Foundation and an executive at the Point Nepean Community Trust. Ms Dunn has also volunteered her time to support local community and education groups, including as chair of a community child-care centre, a council member of a government primary school and a committee member of the Fitzroy housing estate adventure playground - ‘Cubbies’.
Ms Dunn remains actively engaged in Monash University through mentoring programs and philanthropy, and is a proud alumna of Leadership Victoria’s Williamson Community Leadership Program.
She lives in Melbourne with her partner and has two adult children currently studying at university.