Merriden Varrall | Partner, Geopolitics
KPMG

Dr Merriden Varrall heads up the Australia Geopolitics Hub at KPMG, where she helps business understand and navigate the complex global geopolitical environment. She provides business-relevant insights into global, regional and local geopolitical trends and works with clients to develop strategies and solutions. 
A former UN diplomat based in China, Merriden is a sought-after commentator on geopolitics, East Asia, China’s foreign policy, and Australia’s bilateral relationship with China. From 2014-2018, Merriden was the Director of the Lowy Institute’s East Asia Program. Before joining the Institute, Merriden was the Assistant Country Director and Senior Policy Advisor at United Nations Development Programme, China, where she worked on China’s role in the world, focusing on its international development cooperation policy.