Our Approach
Our Story
Our Approach
At The Inner Circle Strategic Advisory we are committed to working with clients who share our desire to build cohesive communities, a stronger economy and a more prosperous Australia.
We want to help clients successfully engage with government to achieve outcomes that drive economic growth. Similarly, we want to help like-minded candidates in their pursuit to become part of the political discourse.
Our Story
After almost a decade of working at a senior level within the Australian Federal Parliament, our Partners decided it was time to make a contribution from the outside. It was time to use the knowledge and resources, acquired over many years, to bring industry and government together to develop better policies and ultimately achieve greater results for all.
Clients in the film and television industry, health, technology, hospitality and not-for-profit sectors benefit from our broad policy knowledge and unrivalled political network.
Our Leadership
With direct experience in areas of trade, tourism, aviation, investment, foreign affairs, international development and the Pacific, the Arts, treasury, defence and small business, we have extensive knowledge of government’s policy direction and how to engage in the process.
Our experienced campaign team have a track record of winning campaigns. We know how to connect, communicate and influence voters. Whether it’s a local, state or federal government campaign – our team know the keys to electoral success.
Karly Abbott
Partner
Karly is an experienced political strategist with extensive campaign knowledge and experience. Having worked within the federal parliament for almost a decade, she has a unique understanding of the inner workings of government.
Over the last ten years, Karly has run local council, state and federal political campaigns. She understands how to develop local issue campaigns, connect with the public and effectively communicate key messages. She is passionate about applying these skills to develop product campaigns, communication strategies and stakeholder engagement plans for business, industry groups and local government.
As a senior adviser to both the former Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and the former Minister for Defence Industry, Karly has a demonstrated ability to secure policy outcomes that deliver real benefits for industry. In recent years, she helped to secure the $140 million Location Incentive Program, a $45 million federal grant program for tourism infrastructure and $10 million to develop a new nation brand.
Karly worked with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to develop a nationwide roadshow explaining the opportunities for Australian businesses to utilise the preferential market access secured in Australia’s trifecta of trade agreements with China, Japan and Korea. This program was later expanded to include the new agreements secured, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). As the Senior Tourism Adviser for the federal government, she initiated the development of a new national tourism strategy to drive visitor and expenditure growth from 2020 to 2030 and worked with business leaders like Andrew Forrest, Alan Joyce and Christine Holgate to develop a new nation brand to promote Australia on the world stage.
Most recently Karly worked in the Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business portfolio where she advised the Minister on small and family business policy. From tax cuts to cutting red tape, Karly played a vital role in implementing policies to support Australia’s seven million SMEs.
Prior to a career in politics, Karly worked in the not-for-profit sector and understands the reliance of the not-for-profit sector on government and how best to engage to ensure funding is maintained and policy decisions support the objectives of the sector.
Karly holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics, Government and Economy from Griffith University. She was also admitted as a Legal Practitioner to the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Kathy Quinn
Partner
An experienced communications professional, Kathy has worked for over eight years in state and federal politics, including advising ministers at the highest level of government.
With a comprehensive knowledge of government process and policy, and demonstrated campaign experience and success, Kathy is uniquely qualified to provide strategic communications advice to businesses seeking to engage with the political process.
Kathy specialises in public relations and brand management, having managed state and federal politicians’ public images, and developed and implemented strategic communications plans to achieve policy objectives.
With a passion for community engagement, Kathy strongly believes both the government and private sectors fall short of people’s expectations when it comes to communication around major policy and investment decisions that impact on the community. Kathy is committed to working with clients who share a passion to improve community engagement outcomes at all three levels of government.
With direct experience in portfolios such as planning, housing, international development, trade, tourism, investment and defence, Kathy has a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to drive policy changes from inside and outside government.
Kathy studied Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology, where she graduated with Distinction, before later completing a Graduate Certificate in Business (Public Relations). Kathy worked at a Brisbane-based publishing company and a number of professional services firms before settling on a career in politics.