Merran Lloyd is a Vice President at The Asia Group’s Australia Practice supporting defense and energy clients. Drawing on almost a decade of experience in national security policymaking, international engagement, and defence capability delivery, Merran provides clients with strategic analysis and political insights across the Indo-Pacific region to advance growth and expansion opportunities, government engagement strategies, and advocacy campaigns.
Merran held senior policy and leadership roles at the Australian Department of Defence across foreign policy, defence industrial cooperation, alternative financing, and delivery of nationally significant defence capability. Most recently, Merran served as a Director leading Australia’s engagement with the United States and United Kingdom to advance AUKUS industrial uplift and bolster private capital investment in critical defence capabilities and industry. She led development and implementation of the first-of-its-kind Advanced Capabilities Investment Fund, announced by the Minister for Defence Industry, which seeks to invest $1 billion in Australia’s advanced capabilities and exports of tomorrow.
Merran’s portfolio also included strengthening defense industrial cooperation with Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic nations. She helped forge multilateral agreements on the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience, working across government to align the Australian position. Merran then provided strategic leadership of Australia’s engagement in the 16-nation initiative, directing efforts on technical cooperation, information exchange, and the establishment of co-production and co-sustainment projects.
Previously, Merran served as a Director within the Headquarters of the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, providing strategic advice directly to the Chief of Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance on industry engagement. She directed initiatives to strengthen integration between Defence, prime contractors, and small and medium enterprises to enable industry uplift, accelerate acquisition timelines, and strengthen sovereign manufacturing capability.
Merran holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Communication in Marketing and Public Relations from Griffith University. She is admitted as a lawyer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.