Her Excellency Ms Betty Pavelich assumed her duties as Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Australia and New Zealand in November 2018. On January 31, 2022, she also became the first Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to be accredited to the Republic of Fiji (non-resident). She has also served as Dean of the Women Heads of Mission in Australia since August 2022 and NATO Co-Contact Point Ambassador for Australia with her Dutch colleague since 2021.

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Ambassador Pavelich moved to Toronto, Canada with her family as a young child.  After residing in Canada for 33 years, she returned to her Homeland of Croatia in December 2005, where she raised her three children.

Ambassador Pavelich joined the Croatian Foreign Service in December 2005, as an Advisor to then Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, following a 15-year career with the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa, where she had served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Advisor to Canadian Members of Parliament. Throughout her diplomatic career, the ambassador has held senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia including: Director for North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Croatia to NATO and Director for North America. During her time in Canada, Ambassador Pavelich was active in the Canadian political process and possesses extensive electoral experience. She dedicated much of her spare time in Canada to efforts of the Croatian-Canadian community, as well as to her local community in Ottawa.

Ambassador Pavelich graduated from the University of Ottawa (Ottawa, Canada) in 1989 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Political Science. She also holds an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (2009) and a Certificate in Diplomacy from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia (2006).

The Ambassador speaks Croatian, English and French, has a working knowledge of German and beginner knowledge of Spanish.