Brian Loughnane is the current Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia

Liberal Party of Australia

The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

 and has served in this role since February 2003. He was born in Geelong, Victoria

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

 and was educated in Colac, Victoria

Colac, Victoria

Colac is a small city located in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, situated approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac and the surrounding volcanic plains, approximately 40 km inland from Bass Strait. Colac is the largest city in and...

. He graduated with an Honours degree in Political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

 from LaTrobe University.

Loughnane worked in Industrial Relations at Shell

Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...

 from 1982-1992. He was an advisor to Vin Heffernan the Minister for Small Business in the Kennett

Kennett

-People:* Bob Kennett, racing car driver* Brady Kennett , racing car driver* Edward Kennett , speedway rider* Gordon Kennett , speedway rider* Houn Jiyu-Kennett , roshi* Jeff Kennett , politician...

 government. In 1994 he became Chief of Staff to Leader of the Opposition

Leader of the Opposition

The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...

 Alexander Downer

Alexander Downer

Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...

. When Downer lost the leadership he was Chief of Staff to John Howard

John Howard

John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....

 until late 1995.

From October 2000 to February 2003 he was State Director of the Victorian Division of the Party. He was campaign direcotr for the Aston by-election, 2001

Aston by-election, 2001

The 2001 Aston by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Aston in Victoria on 14 July 2001. The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's Peter Nugent, on 24 April 2001. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 June...

 and the Victorian state election, 2002.

Upon his appointment as Federal Director he has served as Campaign Director for the party at the federal election in 2004, 2007 and 2010.

Loughnane is married to Tony Abbott

Tony Abbott

Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...

's Chief Of Staff, Peta Credlin.