Staff

Susan Redden Makatoa

Susan Redden Makatoa

Susan is one of Australia’s leading corporate communications practitioners with over 20 years’ industry experience providing advice to leaders across the business, government and not-for-profit sectors. Susan was most recently at Temple Executive search, where she worked on assignments for Commonwealth Bank, Exchange for Change, Rabobank, NRL, Lendlease, eBay, the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Exchange for Change and Novartis.

Prior to this, Susan was Group Managing Director – Corporate for global firm Ogilvy Public Relations, one of Australia’s leading PR agencies, their overseeing public affairs, employee engagement and corporate affairs firms. She was previously a partner at SenateSHJ, and held senior roles at Savage & Horrigan, ASIC and the NSW Business Chamber.

Dedicated to the growth and development of the communication profession, Susan is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. In 2016 Susan was awarded the PRIA President’s Award for major industry contribution. She has also won four global IABC Gold Quills, five regional Golden Sabres and eight PRIA National Golden Targets. She has judged the PRIA Golden Targets, IABC Gold Quills and Mumbrella CommsCon awards. Deeply committed to diversity in the workplace, Susan was the author of the PRIA’s first diversity and inclusion policy in 2016. She has also been a speaker on the subject at TEDx, Macquarie University, IABC Global Conference, Women in Media and Communications and the CEO Institute. 

Susan is an accredited member of the AICD and sits on the boards of Tresillian Family Care Centres, social philanthropy group Benojo and the Touched by Olivia Foundation. She was also Chair of Executive Women Australia for three years. She has organised two PRIA annual conferences and a range of professional events, and guest lectures regularly at Sydney University.