Research and public affairs agency, Essential, has appointed Alys Gagnon to its executive team as Associate Director. She will be leading the agency's Melbourne practices in education, gender equity, social affairs and community services.
Before joining Essential, Alys was Executive Director of The Parenthood, where she helped establish a movement to support Australian parents, children and families.
A writer, unionist, political adviser and organiser, Alys brings over 20 years of public affairs experience from a range of diverse roles in the non-profit, media, and political machinery of Australia’s civil society.
Co-owner and Executive Director, Peter Lewis, said the long-time political adviser was to join Head of Research, Alissa Henderson, and Head of Campaigns, Alana Mew, to deliver the company’s most experienced management team yet: "Alys has been at the core of Essential’s success and growth in recent years, in large part because she’s been pivotal to so many of our client’s wins."
Before joining Essential, Alys was Executive Director of The Parenthood, where she helped establish a movement to support Australian parents, children and families.
A writer, unionist, political adviser and organiser, Alys brings over 20 years of public affairs experience from a range of diverse roles in the non-profit, media, and political machinery of Australia’s civil society.
Co-owner and Executive Director, Peter Lewis, said the long-time political adviser was to join Head of Research, Alissa Henderson, and Head of Campaigns, Alana Mew, to deliver the company’s most experienced management team yet: "Alys has been at the core of Essential’s success and growth in recent years, in large part because she’s been pivotal to so many of our client’s wins."
-Sep-23-2026-02-32-38-6871-AM.png)
-Sep-23-2026-01-19-36-1994-AM.png)