Hailing from Adelaide in South Australia, Sally Townsend studied economics at Adelaide University before coming to Japan in 2000 to teach English for a year. She went on to polish her Japanese skills at a language school and from there decided to pursue a full-time degree in sociology at Nihon University, graduating in 2008. After graduation, Sally entered the wine industry, first with an importer in Tokyo, then working for a Singapore-based luxury lifestyle company, opening their Japan office. In March 2019, Sally took on her current position as South Australia’s trade and investment commissioner to Japan and South Korea, where she covers a wide range of industries. An active participant in the Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan for a number of years, Sally was first elected chair in January 2019 and is now in her third term.
