Deidre Willmott is a former Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia. Prior to becoming Executive Chairman of Cannings Purple Strategic, Wilmott was Communications Director of External Relations for the

Fortescue Metals Group Fortescue is a global metal mining company headquartered in Australia. Fortescue focused on iron ore mining under the name of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) until July 2023. As of 2017, Fortescue is the fourth-largest iron ore producer in the ...

Early life

She was born in

Bridgetown, Western Australia Bridgetown is a town in the South West region of Western Australia, approximately south of Perth on the Blackwood River at the intersection of South Western Highway with Brockman Highway to Nannup and Augusta. History The area was origina ...

, and studied law at the

University of Western Australia University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Crawley, Western Australia, Crawley, a suburb in the City of Perth local government area. UW ...

Career

As a student, Willmott elected was President of the University of Western Australia Student Guild, the second female since its founding in 1913. Willmott was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1986. After working as a commercial lawyer she was General Manager of the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006, were an International sport, international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Melbourne ...

between 2003 and 2006. Willmott was the executive director of the Western Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry between 2006 and 2008. She was the Cabinet Secretary and Chief of Staff for two Western Australian premiers,

Richard Court Richard Fairfax Court (born 27 September 1947) is a former Australian politician and diplomat. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001 and as Australian Ambassador to Japan from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Liberal Party ...

and

Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...

between 2008 and 2010. In 2008, she withdrew as the Liberal candidate for Cottesloe in the 2008 state election, after Barnett decided to rescind his earlier resignation. Following that, she initially accepted an offer by Liberal Party figures to succeed retiring

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Chris Ellison Chris Ellison may refer to: * Chris Ellison (actor) (born 1946), English actor * Chris Ellison (businessman) (born c. 1957), New Zealand entrepreneur * Chris Ellison (politician) Christopher Martin Ellison (born 15 June 1954) is an Australian ...

, but that position was eventually filled by Chris Back. Willmott was the initial

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM; or) is a wiktionary:biennial, biennial summit meeting of the List of current heads of state and government, governmental leaders from all Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations. ...

state director 2011 for Perth.

Personal life

She married a fellow UWA student Michael Lishman. She is the deputy chairman of St Hilda's Anglican SchoolSt Hilda's School Council, Mosman Park, WA - Our School
. Sthildas.wa.edu.au. Retrieved on 2012-09-25. and board member of the Senses Foundation.

Early life

Career

Personal life

References

See also