Leann Meiers
From the Towers at Bathurst to the Tower of London: inside Leann Meiers’ remarkable career
Charles Sturt University Alumna Leann Meiers traces her journey from life on Bathurst campus to some of the world’s most iconic institutions – and why she still rallies the ‘Mitchell Mafia’ today.
When Leann Meiers arrived at Mitchell College (now Charles Sturt University) in February 1982, it was during a train strike - an early reminder that life rarely goes to plan.
She didn’t know a soul at her Bathurst destination. Her parents couldn’t drive her, and trains weren’t an option. But a friend-of-a-friend, also headed inland with her family, offered her a lift. Little did she know, that near stranger would go on to become one of her lifelong friends.
“I arrived at Mitchell College during a train strike, knowing no one - and within weeks, I’d found a community that’s stayed with me for life,” she said.
That serendipitous beginning set the tone for what would become a career defined by courage, curiosity and the power of connection. Stepping into Bathurst’s student Towers accommodation, the shared kitchens, late-night study sessions and orientation week antics in op-shop outfits quickly came together to create an instant family
This family remains part of what Leann and her friends still affectionately call the ‘Mitchell Mafia’ - an informal alumni network she helps convene to this day.
“Most of the people I met in those first weeks have become my lifelong friends,” she said. For Leann, living, studying and forming community in regional Bathurst instilled a confidence that made later leaps - professional and geographic - feel possible.
Access to education, opportunity and people became a golden thread running through Leann’s professional life. One of her earliest career leaps came in her final year of university when she accepted an internshipat the Powerhouse Museum that few of her peers wanted .
“I think everyone thought it was a train museum,” she said.
Instead, Leann walked into the centre of a major Bicentennial project. After just three years, at 28 years old, she was managing the publicity team. Then came another bold decision: London. Before leaving Australia, Leann had worked on an exhibition from the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London. The Master of the Armouries had told her to ‘look him up’ if she was ever in the UK.
“I picked up the phone on the off chance he meant what he said and would remember who I was, and following a meeting he offered me a job on the spot,” Leann said. “Never underestimate the network and never be afraid of making contact.”
It’s a principle she has returned to throughout her career - not networking transactionally, but maintaining genuine professional relationships built on respect and follow-through.
Across four decades, Leann’s career has seen her lead marketing and philanthropy teams at some of Australia’s most iconic cultural institutions - Taronga Zoo, the Powerhouse Museum, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Macquarie University and UNSW. With each role, her work has consistently sat at the intersection of culture, education, philanthropy and public trust.
“Across my career, the common thread has been a commitment to equity and social justice - working with institutions that serve communities, protect shared cultural and natural assets, and expand access to education and opportunity.”
Her years at Taronga Zoo remain especially vivid, launching the now-iconic Twilight at Taronga concerts and meeting legends in conservation like David Attenborough and Jane Goodall. “It was like a magic place, you’d get on the ferry and couldn’t quite believe this was your workplace,” she said.
Today, Leann has a standout governance portfolio, spanning boards such as FORM Dance Projects, Australian Vision Research, the Museums and History Artform Board at Create NSW, Settlement Services International and the Animal Ethics Committee for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens Development Committee. For Leann, governance is grounded in responsibility - ensuring organisations with social impact are well-led, ethical and sustainable.
“There’s a huge need for capable people to step up, especially in the not-for-profit space,” Leann said. She noted that many people mistakenly believe they need prior board experience to be considered - and encourages capable, experienced alumni to put themselves forward.
“Board service is more than a professional milestone for me - it’s a form of service. When governance is purpose-aligned and actively strengthens resilience and impact, that’s where the real satisfaction lies,” she said.
Leann’s connection to Charles Sturt has never wavered. “I’m really impressed with how Charles Sturt is leaning into its regional identity and building flagship partnerships,” she said.
Leann continues to mentor students and encourages fellow alumni to stay engaged. She notes that engagement can take many forms, such as signing up to Thrive, offering current students’ mentorship, or contributing through donations .
Staying connected, she says, is about reciprocity - recognising the role Charles Sturt played in her journey, and ensuring the next generation has the same springboard.
For her and her fellow Alumni, returning to Bathurst still feels like returning home.
“My time at Charles Sturt shaped my commitment to a purposeful career - built on service, curiosity and a willingness to say yes to opportunities that stretch you,” Leann said.
That’s the quiet message running beneath Leann’s story: regional beginnings can lead anywhere - to iconic institutions, to global networks, even to the Tower of London. All it takes is the courage to say yes, and the generosity to reach back and bring others with you.