Who We Are
Katie Connolly
DIRECTOR
Katie Connolly is a strategist and communications expert who has worked at the highest levels of politics in both the United States and Australia. She combines her talents as a writer with her thirst for data-driven insights to produce elegant, authentic and cut-through messaging and strategy.
Katie spent four years working as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Director of Strategic Communications, where she was responsible for digital strategy, speeches, research, and prep for debates, question time and major interviews.
Before returning to Australia, Katie spent a decade working as a pollster and strategist at the Benenson Strategy Group in Washington DC and New York. In that role, she worked on Democratic presidential campaigns including for President Obama (2012), Secretary Hillary Clinton (2016) and Secretary Pete Buttigieg (2020). She also managed the team providing polling advice to President Obama’s White House between 2011 and 2015, and worked for corporate clients such as Uber and HBO and non-profits including the ACLU and AFL-CIO.
Katie also spent several years as a reporter covering US politics for the BBC and for Newsweek magazine, where she was an embed on the 2008 presidential campaign. Her work helped Newsweek win a coveted New York Press Club Award and garner a National Magazine Award nomination.
She holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she won the prestigious Menzies Scholarship, and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne. She currently lives in her hometown of Brisbane.
Chloe Bennett
DIRECTOR
Chloe Bennett is a senior political strategist and policy expert with experience advising leaders in federal and NSW politics. Chloe’s policy expertise spans across a range of issues, most notably in health and aged care, education, gender equality, law and justice.
She spent six years working for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, most recently as Governance Director and previously as Deputy Director of Policy, leading work across policy, legal, Cabinet, and Parliament.
Chloe held key roles in two successful federal election campaigns. She was Campaign Policy Director for Labor’s 2025 Federal Election, and in the 2022 campaign she was the policy adviser travelling with the leader.
Before working for the Prime Minister, she was Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director to the NSW Opposition Leader and an Adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Chloe is a Director of the Chifley Research Centre and a former delegate to the Australian American Leadership Dialogue.
She holds a Master of Laws (Global Health Law) from Georgetown University in Washington D.C,, and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Sydney. Chloe resides in her hometown of Sydney.
Jenny Mason
DIRECTOR
Jenny Mason is a seasoned executive with more than thirty years of experience in leadership roles within NSW and the Commonwealth.
Jenny spent nearly six years working for Anthony Albanese, the last three years as the Deputy Chief of Staff with a focus on integrity measures, social policy and the reform of parliamentary culture.
She is a former Secretary of the NSW Department of Human Services and the NSW Department of Juvenile Justice.
She also led the Research and Policy function in the final two years of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, helping shape its landmark recommendations.
Jenny was Chief of Staff to the NSW Attorney General, Minister for Corrective Services, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Emergency Services.
She has taught undergraduate and post-graduate courses on accountability, governance and public policy at leading Australian universities.
Jenny has a PhD from the University of Sydney, specialising in the analysis of government funding and oversight of the not-for-profit sector, particularly as it relates to the provision of out-of-home care for neglected and abused children.
She also is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Jenny is based in Sydney.