Thom most recently worked in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade as the Principal Advisor to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in his capacity as Ambassador to the United States, having served as his Chief of Staff during his previous tenure as the Asia Society’s President.

At the Asia Society, Thom was also a Senior Fellow and Founding Director of the China Climate Hub, where he worked on US-China climate cooperation and China’s climate diplomacy.

Prior to this, worked as a diplomatic advisor to the president and foreign minister of a Pacific Island nation, including helping them play a key role in securing the Paris Agreement and to form the High Ambition Coalition. He also worked with Rohingya politicians and refugees from Myanmar to deliver key accountability mechanisms and punitive measures, such as the establishment of a UN investigative body and the imposition of targeted sanctions.

Thom is also a Senior Advisor for Kaya Partners, a one-of-a-kind advisory firm, purpose built to help organisations identify new opportunities and mitigate risks through a deep understanding of climate policy, politics, and regulation of the energy transition.

Thom studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and is also a graduate of Monash and Melbourne universities.