John Spierings
Senior Policy Advisor
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Dr John Spierings works with GoodWolf as a social policy research specialist who has been at the centre of policy making and strategic activity within government as well as in the not-for-profit and philanthropic communities.
John was Executive Officer at the Reichstein Foundation (2013-2020), a family-based philanthropy investing in environmental sustainability, social justice, the law and related projects to promote economic rights and reduce inequality.
Prior to that appointment he served for nearly five years as a senior policy adviser to the Hon. Julia Gillard, in her roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister. In the PMO he had responsibility for higher education, skills, employment, industry, innovation, science and research policy coordination.
He was the chief researcher and policy advocate in education and training at the Dusseldorp Skills Forum for a decade (1998 – 2008). John’s PhD is in Australian economic history, focused on business management in Australia between the wars. He has previously worked at Adelaide, Monash and Melbourne universities. He was a Councillor at the City of St Kilda between 1990 and 1994, being Mayor in 1992-93. John currently serves as a non-executive Director of Environmental Leadership Australia and Market Forces; and is a member of the Sustainability and Environment Committee of The Myer Foundation and the Climate Change Steering Group of the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network.