Susan has been the director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival since 1995. She has been instrumental in securing greater funding and recognition for the event, broadening its appeal and attracting an impressive ongoing roll call of international guests.

Susan’s previous roles include Night Manager at the Last Laugh, Associate Producer of South Australia’s State Theatre Company and General Manager of Circus Oz. She is a member of the Helpmann Awards Administration Committee and she chairs the comedy panel. She also regularly judges high-profile comedy awards in the UK and North America

She has served on the boards of Neonheart and Strange Fruit performing arts companies, and on the Playing Australia Committee and the Myer Performing Arts Awards Committee.

Susan was inducted to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017, and in 2018 was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to arts administration through festival leadership and governance, to the tourism sector in Victoria, and to the promotion of Australian comedy.

Susan was presented the 2017 Centenary Sue Nattrass Award by Live Performance Australia. This award recognises outstanding service to the live performance industry in a field that may not enjoy a high public profile.