Anna Cush
20+ years of cross-sector communications experience. Engagement Institute (formerly IAP2) accredited practitioner. National Emergency Medal recipient (Cyclones Yasi 2011 and Debbie 2017). TMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads) representative inside the GC2018 Commonwealth Games Communication Centre, on a team of communication and media representatives. Seven years as Principal Communication Advisor at TMR on a $400M+ annual infrastructure program.
Founder, Evoke Advisory.
Anna Cush started Evoke Advisory because the Australian communications market is missing something specific: a senior-led firm where the person who advises is the same person who has led the program, designed the playbook and held the line under pressure. Across government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
Her career covers 20+ years and $5B+ in infrastructure programs. Nearly a decade of that inside the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), including seven years as Principal Communication Advisor running a $400M+ annual infrastructure program. TMR also placed her inside the GC2018 Games Communication Centre as its representative on a team of communication and media representatives, where she ran media and communications for a $1 billion transport program and the movement of one million spectators. She holds the National Emergency Medal for emergency response during Cyclone Yasi and Cyclone Debbie.
Before TMR, she advised at Boeing and held national communications roles at Lifeline Australia, the Australian Department of Health and Queensland Rail. As Senior Consultant at Phillips Group, she led a team on a major City of Gold Coast water project. Her career started at DVL Smith in London.
Evoke Advisory was founded to bring senior counsel to organisations whose programs carry weight: infrastructure at scale, recovery under pressure, government strategy and international environmental and social impact assessment. Clarity in complexity is what clients come for, and what Evoke provides.
Policy direction. Management. Planning. Execution.
Most consultants work in one or two of these. Anna has done all four, across corporate, government, not-for-profit and renewable energy sectors. Every line below has a named role and a specific project behind it.
Policy Direction
- Principal Communication Advisor to TMR Senior Leadership Team for 7 years, shaping policy-level communications strategy for a $400M+ annual infrastructure program
- TMR representative in the GC2018 Games Communication Centre, on a team of communication and media representatives — handling transport media, government relations and crisis communications for the transport program under maximum public scrutiny
- State Disaster Coordination Centre reporting during Cyclone Yasi (2011) and Cyclone Debbie (2017), running emergency communications under national emergency conditions
- Minister’s Office liaison for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3, managing political relationships through procurement and pre-construction
- Councillor and Mayoral briefings for City of Gold Coast on the Our Natural City Strategy Review
Management
- $5B+ in projects and programs advised. $400M+ annual TMR infrastructure program run for 7 years, plus $1.2B Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3, $675M Canberra Light Rail and ~$1B GC2018 transport program
- TMR Senior Leadership Team member during GC2018, responsible for media and government relations counsel and managing Departmental reputation
- Three parallel disaster recovery workstreams (22A, 22F, 22I) across three local government areas at the same time
- Phillips Group Senior Consultant, running a team of consultants for a major City of Gold Coast water project
- Program management across planning, procurement, construction and reconstruction phases
Planning
- Social Impact Assessment and Public Interest Considerations chapters for the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 business case
- Tender evaluation for communication and engagement elements, Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 procurement
- GC2018 crisis preparedness: designed crisis communications systems, spokesperson matrices and media holding lines from scratch for Games-time scenarios
- DeepGreen ESIA: developed the communication and engagement strategy for the world’s first deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
- Communication and engagement strategy for 20+ infrastructure projects
Execution
- 24/7 TMR press office built and run from scratch during GC2018 Commonwealth Games
- ‘Get Set for the Games’ media campaign, which gained international media attention
- Emergency response communications during Cyclone Yasi and Cyclone Debbie: coordinated critical public updates under extreme time pressure
- Community engagement delivery across Gold Coast, Logan, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Canberra
- 8,000+ survey participants for Transport for NSW South East Sydney Bus Service Changes
- Global stakeholder workshop in San Diego for the DeepGreen ESIA, with International Seabed Authority
She didn’t inherit the systems. She built them.
Anna was the TMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads) representative in the main Games Communication Centre for GC2018 — part of a team of communication and media representatives — responsible for all transport media, transport government relations, transport crisis communications and issues management for a $1 billion transport program and the safe movement of more than one million spectators across the Gold Coast.
She built the 24/7 TMR press office from scratch. The processes, the procedures, the media holding lines, the spokesperson matrix, the crisis messaging and the media training. She launched the ‘Get Set for the Games’ media campaign, which gained international attention. And she sat on the TMR Senior Leadership Team throughout, providing media and government relations counsel at the highest level of public scrutiny.
No other boutique advisory founder in Australia has been on a Games Communication Centre government team during a major international sporting event.
Built across sectors.
2000–2010
Before TMR. Range across sectors.
A decade building breadth before depth. Started in London at DVL Smith, where agency work on corporate communications and media strategy set an international perspective early. Back in Australia, three years at Queensland Rail inside a major state transport enterprise, then federal government at the Australian Department of Health. National communications at Lifeline Australia, where NFP mission met government funding and corporate partnerships. Defence and aerospace at Boeing. Three years as Senior Consultant at Phillips Group, a founding partner of the Worldcom PR Group, leading a team on a major City of Gold Coast water project.
Six sectors, six operating environments. The foundation that made later work sharper.
2010–2019
Inside TMR. Depth at scale.
Nearly a decade inside the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. Seven years as Principal Communication Advisor running a $400M+ annual infrastructure program, on the TMR Senior Leadership Team.
Inside that decade, two marquee engagements. The GC2018 Commonwealth Games: TMR representative in the Games Communication Centre, on a team of communication and media representatives. 1M+ spectators, $1 billion transport program, 24/7 press office built from scratch. Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 ($1.2 billion): communication and stakeholder lead through procurement and pre-construction.
Running through all of it: emergency response communications during Cyclone Yasi in 2011 and Cyclone Debbie in 2017, awarded the National Emergency Medal by the Governor-General.
2019–2026
Co-founder. Building the practice.
Co-founded the first boutique, female-owned communications and community engagement consultancy on the Gold Coast, with a strong infrastructure focus.
Seven years across South East Queensland infrastructure, large-scale renewable energy generation and community engagement in regional New South Wales, the world-first DeepGreen ESIA with International Seabed Authority briefings, concurrent 2022 flood recovery across three local government areas, senior counsel to the City of Gold Coast and Sandon Point Aged Care EIS for Anglicare.
2026–present
Evoke Advisory. Senior counsel, directly delivered.
Founded Evoke Advisory as a principal-led firm. Senior counsel, directly delivered, every engagement.
The person who pitches is the person who does the work.
Tested under pressure. Recognised for service.
During Cyclone Yasi (2011) and Cyclone Debbie (2017), Anna ran emergency response communications, coordinating critical public updates, managing media and reporting directly to the State Disaster Coordination Centre. Real consequences for public safety. No margin for error.
For that service, she was awarded the National Emergency Medal by the Governor-General of Australia.
The work did not end with the recognition. It continued across further recovery projects, often delivered concurrently:
- Goat Track Reconstruction: community engagement for critical Gold Coast hinterland road recovery works
- Cunninghams Gap Reconstruction: communications for one of Queensland’s most significant freight and commuter corridors
- South Coast 2020–21 Flood Reconstruction Works: engagement and community communications
- 2022 Storm and Flood Events (Packages 22A, 22F, 22I): delivered concurrently across three local government areas
- Event 23C: restoration works on state-controlled roads in the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim LGAs
Notable projects
- Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (~$1B transport program): TMR representative in the Games Communication Centre, on a communication and media team; 24/7 press office; ‘Get Set for the Games’ campaign; 1M+ spectators
- Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 ($1.2B): business case, Social Impact Assessment, Public Interest Considerations, tender evaluation, community engagement, Minister’s Office liaison
- Bruce Highway (Brisbane to Gympie), Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue Upgrade Stage 1: strategic communication advisor, current
- Sandon Point Aged Care EIS (Anglicare): senior communications and community engagement advisor; community and stakeholder information sessions; project collateral and EIS preparation
- DeepGreen / The Metals Company: world’s first ESIA for deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection; International Seabed Authority briefings; global stakeholder workshop, San Diego
- Concurrent 2022 Flood Recovery: packages 22A, 22F, 22I delivered at the same time across three local government areas
- Transport for NSW: South East Sydney Bus Service Changes (8,000+ survey participants)
- Our Natural City Strategy Review: City of Gold Coast; Councillor and Mayoral briefings
Credentials
- Bachelor of Business, Griffith University (1996–1999)
- Certificate of Engagement, Engagement Institute (formerly IAP2 Australasia Certificate in Public Participation). Accredited practitioner.
- National Emergency Medal. Awarded by the Governor-General of Australia for service during Cyclone Yasi (2011) and Cyclone Debbie (2017) emergency response and recovery operations.
- Specialist skills: bid preparation and tender evaluation, Social Impact Assessment, public interest considerations, major events communications, concurrent multi-project delivery
- Based on the Gold Coast. Projects delivered across Gold Coast, Logan, Scenic Rim, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Canberra and San Diego.
Why cross-sector matters.
The hardest communications problems sit where sectors overlap. A government infrastructure program that needs corporate discipline and community trust. A major sporting event where government coordination, crisis preparedness and live media operations all have to work at once. A disaster recovery effort spanning government agencies, Tier 1 contractors and affected communities under extreme time pressure.
Anna hasn’t watched these intersections from the outside. She has worked inside them: as a government employee, a corporate advisor, an NFP communications executive and a principal consultant. That experience is practical, operational and hard-won.
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