Peter Yates

Peter Yates is The Asia Foundation’s representative in Australia and regional director for Governance. With 15 years of experience working across Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific, Peter has expertise in democratic development, political governance, policy reform, subnational governance, and inclusive state-society relations. In the role of representative, Peter oversees all aspects of the Foundation’s work in Australia, including developing and cultivating effective working relationships with the Australian government, Australia-based donor representatives, partner agencies, diplomatic missions, national and international institutions, and the media.

As regional director for Governance, Peter leads efforts across the Foundation’s portfolio of governance programs in more than 20 countries, contributing to regional and thematic research agendas and the application and training of political economy analysis. He has previously managed large, multi-donor governance programs for the Foundation, having lived in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Peter’s political governance work has seen him contribute to election observation missions in more than a dozen countries across the globe, including as deputy chief of mission during the 2014 Afghan Presidential election recount.

Peter’s extensive international experience is complemented by time working within the Australian federal parliament, both as chief of staff to a member of parliament and as ministerial policy adviser to the Minister for International Development. Peter has also worked at the Australian Council for International Development and the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University.