Jessica Rudd

Jessica Rudd is a Brisbane-based writer, lawyer and business leader.

She began her career in media and intellectual property law, politics and crisis communications in Australia, the UK and China before her first novel, Campaign Ruby, was published in 2010. Its sequel, Ruby Blues, followed in 2012. She has since written columns for newspapers and magazines and contributed to anthologies. 

Having lived in Beijing for 5 years, in 2015 Jess started a Chinese online retail business, Jessica’s Suitcase, which she then sold to a publicly listed company in 2018. 

In 2023, Jess worked as interim CEO for The Parenthood, an advocacy organisation pushing for better early childhood education and care and more paid parental leave. She has since been appointed as Chair of its board. She is also Co-Chair of the National Apology Foundation, Pro-Chancellor of Griffith University, and serves as independent non-executive director on the boards of the ASX-listed Australian Agricultural Company and the superannuation fund, Hostplus.