Gabrielle Upton
Encyclopedia
Gabrielle Cecelia Upton MBA
, BA
, LLB
MP (born ca. 1964), an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Vaucluse
for the Liberal Party of Australia
since 2011
. Upton is the Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills.
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
and Bachelor of Laws
. During her years at UNSW, she was President of the UNSW Law Society in 1987. Upton graduated with a Master of Business Administration
from the Stern School of Business at New York University, New York. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Visiting Fellow at the Law Faculty of UNSW
and the Deputy Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Australia.
From 2000 until 2010, Upton was Legal Counsel at the Australian Institute of Company Directors
and a member of CAMAC, the Australian Federal Government’s principal advisory committee on corporations and securities law, between 2006 and 2011. She previously worked in New York in corporate finance at Deutsche Bank
and Toronto Dominion Bank and as a banking lawyer at Freehills
and DLA Phillips Fox.
Upton served as a board member of Neuroscience Research Australia
, one of Australia’s largest research centres on the brain and nervous system and of Intersect Australia, tasked by the NSW Government to develop and deliver ICT platforms to drive NSW research and innovation. She also served as Deputy Chancellor at the University of New South Wales between 2006 and 2009 and on its Council from 2002 until 2010.
Upton has spoken out about the need to raise awareness
about mental health
and in March 2010 gave a speech to Sydney Rotary where she called for a “full gamut” approach to combating mental illness. This speech noted that every day in Australia six to seven people die by suicide
, which was 40 per cent higher than deaths caused on the country’s roads – a statistic she described as “completely unacceptable”. She has also written about the prevalence of mental illness among young Australian lawyers and discussed moves by the legal profession to combat mental illness in the law firm workplace. Upton has also spoken publicly about the benefits of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, a program that helps young people strive toward personal excellence.
She is married to Alex Sundich and they have two children.
would not re-contest the next state election, on 26 September 2010 Upton won Liberal Party pre-selection for Vaucluse. At the 2011 state election, Upton was elected with a swing of 9.9 per cent and won the seat with 81.4 per cent of the vote on a two party preferred basis. Upton's main opponent was Susan Jarnason, representing the Greens, followed by Pauline Neill of Labor
. Following the election, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills.
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, LLB
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
MP (born ca. 1964), an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
representing Vaucluse
Electoral district of Vaucluse
Vaucluse is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, based on the suburb of Vaucluse. Vaucluse is one of two original electorates to have never been held by the opposing Labor party and always by the Liberal Party or its predecessors, the other...
for 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...
since 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
. Upton is the Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills.
Early years and background
Upton was born and raised in Sydney. She attended Brigadine College in Randwick and the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
. During her years at UNSW, she was President of the UNSW Law Society in 1987. Upton graduated with a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the Stern School of Business at New York University, New York. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Visiting Fellow at the Law Faculty of UNSW
UNSW Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law of the University of New South Wales is a law school situated in Sydney, Australia. The Faculty is one of the most innovative and prestigious law schools in Australia....
and the Deputy Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Australia.
From 2000 until 2010, Upton was Legal Counsel at the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is Australia's leading membership body for directors in Australia and the leading Australian not-for-profit corporate governance organisation....
and a member of CAMAC, the Australian Federal Government’s principal advisory committee on corporations and securities law, between 2006 and 2011. She previously worked in New York in corporate finance at Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
and Toronto Dominion Bank and as a banking lawyer at Freehills
Freehills
Freehills is a commercial law firm that operates in the Asia-Pacific region. In Australia it is considered one of the 'Big Six' law firms.-Offices:Freehills has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane in Australia...
and DLA Phillips Fox.
Upton served as a board member of Neuroscience Research Australia
Neuroscience Research Australia
Neuroscience Research Australia is an independent medical research institute based in Sydney, Australia. Previously called the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute, the institute relaunched as Neuroscience Research Australia on 1 June 2010., NeuRA is accredited by the National Health and...
, one of Australia’s largest research centres on the brain and nervous system and of Intersect Australia, tasked by the NSW Government to develop and deliver ICT platforms to drive NSW research and innovation. She also served as Deputy Chancellor at the University of New South Wales between 2006 and 2009 and on its Council from 2002 until 2010.
Upton has spoken out about the need to raise awareness
Awareness
Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of...
about mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
and in March 2010 gave a speech to Sydney Rotary where she called for a “full gamut” approach to combating mental illness. This speech noted that every day in Australia six to seven people die by suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, which was 40 per cent higher than deaths caused on the country’s roads – a statistic she described as “completely unacceptable”. She has also written about the prevalence of mental illness among young Australian lawyers and discussed moves by the legal profession to combat mental illness in the law firm workplace. Upton has also spoken publicly about the benefits of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, a program that helps young people strive toward personal excellence.
She is married to Alex Sundich and they have two children.
Political career
Following the earlier announcement that the Liberal sitting member, Peter DebnamPeter Debnam
Peter John Debnam , is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Vaucluse between 1994 and 2011. Debnam is a former Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney,...
would not re-contest the next state election, on 26 September 2010 Upton won Liberal Party pre-selection for Vaucluse. At the 2011 state election, Upton was elected with a swing of 9.9 per cent and won the seat with 81.4 per cent of the vote on a two party preferred basis. Upton's main opponent was Susan Jarnason, representing the Greens, followed by Pauline Neill of Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. Following the election, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills.