Lois Ransom has over 35 years of experience in State and Federal government working across the biosecurity continuum in all aspects of plant health and biosecurity, including applied plant pathology, biosecurity policy, regulation and operations.  She was Australia’s Chief Plant Protection Officer from 2004 to 2012, an overseas Agriculture Counsellor in Japan for three years and helped New Zealand primary industries and government develop an agreement for national emergency response arrangements.

In addition to national activities, Mrs Ransom represented Australia for many years at the Commission of the International Plant Protection Convention, which she chaired from 2016-18.  She received a national biosecurity award in 2018 and a Public Service Medal for services to biosecurity in 2019.