Maria Dimopoulos AM has spent decades shaping national and global conversations on cultural diversity, gender equality, human rights, and belonging. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, lived experience, and systems change, spanning government advisory, international development, and community leadership across the Asia–Pacific.
As Chief Executive Officer of the Settlement Council of Australia, Maria leads the national peak for the settlement sector, representing over 160 organisations supporting refugee and migrant communities. She positions settlement not as a transitional service, but as a foundational pillar of democratic participation, safety, gender equity, and long-term social cohesion. Under her leadership, SCOA drives policy reform, cross-sector collaboration, and evidence-informed advocacy grounded in the realities of intersectionality, alongside a commitment to truth-telling as a shared responsibility and relational practice central to reconciliation between migrant communities and First Peoples.
Maria’s work bridges research, policy, and practice, influencing how institutions across government, health, education, justice, and community sectors respond to an increasingly diverse and unequal world. She is particularly recognised for centring the leadership and expertise of migrant and refugee women, and for advancing settlement as both a site of structural prevention and a measure of a society’s commitment to human dignity.
Her leadership has been recognised through her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia, the Victorian Premier’s Award for Multiculturalism, and the Amnesty International Human Rights Award. She is widely regarded as a leading voice on intersectionality, belonging, and the transformative power of inclusive systems.