Kate Simmonds
Physical Risk & Resilience Advisor
Kate is the Chair of IGCC’s Physical Risk and Resilience Working Group. She is responsible for building member understanding of physical climate risks, advocating for effective adaptation policy, and supporting opportunities for private investment in resilience.
Kate has also worked within IGCC’s Corporate Engagement team, where she focused on the political, economic, and technical challenges of decarbonising the Australian gas sector. She also supported international projects, such as the Climate Action 100+ Sector Strategies and Net-Zero Company Benchmark.
Previously, Kate worked in the insurance sector as a Senior Climate Analyst for WTW. She led the development of their Australia and New Zealand climate change strategy and built their first physical climate risk models, covering bushfire, flood, and cyclone. She was a member of the Insurance Council of Australia’s Climate Change Action Committee and contributed to the Climate Measurement Standards Initiative.
Kate has a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) from the University of Sydney, a First Class Honours in Climate Science from the University of New South Wales and is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Melbourne.