[1] A career public servant, diplomat and later small business owner, she succeeded Labor MP Annette Ellis, who retired from politics at the 2010 federal election.

During her public service career she represented Australia in India, was part of the delegation that normalised relations with Iran, and worked on a range of international and national issues, from Indigenous youth development and climate change to defence capability, tax and foreign policy.

[3] She subsequently ran her own small business offering media communication services to organisations such as the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

In July 2016, following the 2016 election, Brodtmann was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Personnel.

As a volunteer director on the Gift of Life and Our Wellness boards, Brodtmann helped to lift the profile of organ donation and raised funds for better health services in Canberra.