Jennifer Parker

Jennifer Parker is the Principal and Founder of Barrier Strategic Advisory and one of Australia’s leading voices on defence and maritime strategy.

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She advises government, industry and research organisations on defence strategy, maritime security, Indo-Pacific strategic affairs and the implications of strategic and geopolitical change. Jennifer is also a regular national and international media commentator and an experienced speaker, panellist and moderator.

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Jennifer holds a number of university and think tank affiliations, including Adjunct Professor of Practice at the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute, Non-Resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, Expert Associate at the National Security College at the Australian National University, Adjunct Fellow in Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra and International Fellow at the London-based Council on Geostrategy.

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Before establishing Barrier Strategic Advisory, Jennifer served for more than two decades in the Royal Australian Navy as a warfare officer. She specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer and undertook specialist anti-submarine warfare training with the Royal Navy. Her operational experience spans the Middle East, Indo-Pacific and other regions, alongside appointments in force design, strategy, international engagement, exercise planning and operations.

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Her appointments included service as an exchange officer with the Royal Navy, second in command of HMAS Darwin and, in her final RAN posting, Director of Operations for the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain, a multinational maritime security coalition operating across the Middle East and Indian Ocean.

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Jennifer has published extensively on Australian defence strategy, maritime security, naval capability and Indo-Pacific strategic affairs. She is regularly featured across Australian and international print, digital, radio and television media, including the ABC, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Sky News Australia, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.