Lou Adena is the Faculty Chief of Staff at 91É«ÇéƬ Canberra, joining in early 2026 after more than a decade at The Australian National University (ANU). With 12 years in higher education, she has held senior strategic advisory roles, working closely with university leadership and Council across both strategy and operations.
Lou's experience spans organisation-wide change, financial restructuring, governance, compliance, regulatory oversight, strategic engagement, and crisis communications. Lou has a strong track record of delivering major initiatives and leading emerging programs, including delivering the inaugural Rare Earth Element conference (REECON), which brought together government, academia, the diplomatic corps, and 26 mining companies to support ongoing national collaboration and research.
Since 2024, she has championed a Chief of Staff network across the higher education sector, connecting leaders from over 30 universities. Passionate about supporting professional staff, Lou advocates for their inclusion in decision-making and helps ensure they can shape university strategy.