A commercial pilot and passionate aviator, Lea has worked across many sectors of the industry in Australia and internationally. Her unique global experience has enabled Lea to work across areas of flight operations, business development, sales, aviation training, policy development and strategic and change management. Often the only female in rooms across aviation, Lea set out to move the dial for a more diverse and inclusive industry and successfully lobbied the Australian Transport Minister for a multi-million-dollar program to establish the Women in Aviation Initiative - a fund still in existence today supporting organisations to inspire, connect and engage women in careers within aviation.
In 2020, Lea was appointed Senior Aviation Advisor to the then Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister under the Coalition Government, providing advice and oversight of policy and regulatory design and implementation, particularly in the context of the Australian governments COVID-19 pandemic response. In 2022, Lea was appointed inaugural Director and CEO of the RMIT University Aviation Academy. An agile enterprise established to respond to skills needs and market opportunities, offering a comprehensive aviation-related curriculum and work integrated learning ethos to aviation professionals across the entire industry eco-system.
Lea is currently completing an Executive MBA at Melbourne Business School as the inaugural national recipient of the Helen McPherson Smith Trust and Chief Executive Women Scholarship for enterprising women in a for-purpose organisation.