Ms Lanyon is a senior career officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has recently completed a posting to Los Angeles as Consul-General. Ms Lanyon has previously served as Minister Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Indonesia and Deputy Head of Mission in Cambodia, as well as postings to Jakarta and Singapore. She has also served as Foreign Affairs and Trade Regional Director in Sydney, Assistant Secretary, Africa Branch and Assistant Secretary, Public Diplomacy Branch and worked extensively in APEC and ASEAN.

Ms Lanyon holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University.