Mellisa Houghton serves on the Southeast Asia Advisory Board.

Melissa is a highly regarded sustainability strategist and climate communicator with over two decades of experience helping organisations embed sustainability into their core operations. As founder of Eighty20 Communications, she partners with CEOs and executive teams to develop and deliver sustainability and climate strategies that generate positive environmental, social, and financial outcomes. Her work spans manufacturing, healthcare, FMCG, government, and not-for-profit sectors.

Mel brings deep expertise in climate risk management, ESG integration, circular economy, and responsible supply chains. She is recognised for her ability to translate complex sustainability challenges into clear, actionable strategies.

She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Law in human rights policy, where her research examined the impacts of climate change on people’s fundamental human rights. This academic foundation, combined with over 20 years of practical experience, underpins her passion for aligning business action with social justice and climate resilience. She also served for a decade on the Board of Oxfam Australia, reinforcing her commitment to equity, ethics, and long-term systems change.