Bio
Melina Morrison is the inaugural chief executive of Australia’s first cross-sector apex body for co-operatives and mutuals, the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals. Melina has advocated for co-operatively owned enterprise for more than 17 years successfully lobbying for government inquiries into the important role of the co-operatives in the economy and for legislative reform to improve access to capital for co-operatives. Her advocacy work for the sector resulted in Australia minting a coin commemorating the International Year of Co-operatives in 2012 and the $AU 14 million education and information program for farm co-operatives, Farming Together. Melina’s former roles in the co-operative sector include five years as editor of the Members’ Digest for the global peak body, the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). For the ICA, Melina provided media and communications strategies including the media messages for the ICA “Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade”. Melina was the commissioning editor for “Building a Better World”, the International Year of Co-operatives Yearbook and stories.coop the first digital showcase for co-operative case studies.