Josephine Johnston

Jo is an influential leader in the creative and not for profit sectors. She has significant expertise in strategy, Government and stakeholder relations, business operations, legal affairs and governance. Throughout her career, initially as a lawyer and then as a senior executive, Jo has used her skills and influence to advocate for and improve outcomes for women in the workplace. Jo has been CEO of the Copyright Agency since February 2022. Prior to this, Jo was the General Counsel and Company Secretary, acting as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and the Chair. As part of her governance role, she completed the AICD course in in 2018. Earlier Jo was the 2IC to the Group General Counsel at a major media company (Foxtel) and senior associate at a top tier law firm (Allens) in its Corporate and Commercial team. In these roles, Jo gained extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions and major commercial negotiations, as well as leading substantial teams. Jo qualified as a lawyer in New Zealand, and worked in private practice at a prestigious firm before moving to the Crown Solicitors Office where she practised public and administrative law. Jo has a long history of volunteer work including with women’s refuges, the Asylum Seekers Refuge Centre, pro bono legal advice to sporting organisations and organising teams to support local foodbanks. Jo is an avid reader and is passionate about the importance of telling Australian stories and the power of literature to transform lives.