Allan Behm specialises in international and security policy development, political and security risk evaluation, policy analysis and development, and negotiating the policy/politics interface.

Following a career spanning nearly thirty years in the Australian Public Service, he was Chief of Staff to Minister for Climate Change and Industry Greg Combet (2009 to 2013) and senior advisor to the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Penny Wong (2017-19).

He has a significant publishing record and is a respected commentator in both the electronic and print media. His book No, Minister – an insider’s account of what happens behind the scenes in Parliament House – was published by Melbourne University Publishing in 2015. It remains a “go to” text for those who are interested in leadership, political management, policy development and reform.

In 2022, Allan published No Enemies No Friends, a critical examination of what limits Australia as an actor on the international stage. In 2024, he followed this more introspective study of Australian foreign policy with The Odd Couple, a sympathetic portrait of the Australia-United States relationship. Both were published by Upswell.

Allan has tertiary qualifications in classics, philosophy and Asian studies. He attempts to speak French and Indonesian.