Elizabeth O'Connor

Cultural and public diplomacy for the Australian High Commission, Nairobi.

I have led marketing and pr campaigns for the Royal African Society's flagship festivals - Film Africa and Africa Writes since 2017.

I led the communications for the global Conflict, Stability and Security Fund activity across East Africa.

Since 2010 I managed the international media for the Lake of Stars project, an annual international music festival in Malawi. Between 2014 and 2016, international media coverage reached more than 500 million people each year including CNN, BBC World, The Guardian, Metro, Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed, Time Out, Mail and Guardian South Africa, Africa Geographic, Culture Trip, MAPP Africa, Newsweek, Wanderlust, Vice, Suedduetsche Zeitung, MTV Base, the Scotsman and DSTV.

I was the marketing manager for the world’s leading design museum. A key priority for the role was managing the international marketing campaign for the museum’s re-opening in London in November 2016. Managed an opening marketing campaign which attracted 150,000 people to the museum in the opening six weeks with hour-long queues during the opening weekend. Over target, this represents 75% of the previous museum’s annual audience.

Livity Africa (now Digify Africa) was the first international expansion of the award-winning youth agency Livity UK. I joined the agency in its infancy and played a critical role in transitioning it into a digital-first agency. I implemented a digital strategy which grew their main online community, Live SA, to over 1 million young South Africans. This network of engaged young people helped us attract clients like the British Council, Google, Red Bull, Barclays, VW, Canon, Converse and Omidyar… Show more

Livity Africa (now Digify Africa) was the first international expansion of the award-winning youth agency Livity UK. I joined the agency in its infancy and played a critical role in transitioning it into a digital-first agency. I implemented a digital strategy which grew their main online community, Live SA, to over 1 million young South Africans. This network of engaged young people helped us attract clients like the British Council, Google, Red Bull, Barclays, VW, Canon, Converse and Omidyar Network to help them reach young people through digital, events and media. Show less

I was the head of marketing and media for an independent 3-screen cinema and arts centre based in one of the most diverse areas of London. I was also part of the senior team responsible for achieving Rich Mix’s outstanding performance in the 2012 financial year - increasing annual footfall by 25% to 150,000.

I provided communications, media and issue management advice to ministers, ministerial staff and senior civil servants for high profile, large-scale government projects including the $128m Melbourne Recital Centre/Melbourne Theatre Company Theatre and $268m AAMI Park Stadium. I championed the use of digital and social media in our communication approach, which positioned Major Projects Victoria as a leader in this area within the Victorian Government.

The UK Government established e-skills UK to support the development of technology skills within the UK workforce and wider population. As a senior manager in the marketing and communications department, my responsibility was to engage the IT industry, schools, colleges and universities in e-skills UK’s initiatives. e-skills UK is now known as The Tech Partnership.

I managed the peak body’s communication with all local councils and their elected representatives. I took this 12-month contract prior to moving to the UK and during that time managed a number of major projects including signing up councils to a new online paid-subscription service, LGOnline; and Local Government Week which engaged communities with their local councils.

The GBRMPA is the Central Government body responsible for managing the Great Barrier Reef and Reef HQ is the authority’s tourist and environmental education centre. I managed a team of staff and volunteers marketing Reef HQ to schools, international and local tourists. Over a 12 month period we increased local membership and visitor numbers by 15%.