Global Women warmly welcomes our 17 new members from our November 2015 intake who have now joined the organisation, who represent a broad cross section of leaders from the private to public sector, corporate to not-for-profit, small business to entrepreneurs, and rural to international.
Each of these members has demonstrated repeated leadership success in their professional and personal lives, and now as part of a 240-person network with diverse perspectives, we look forward to their active participation contributing significantly to the future of New Zealand Inc, championing diverse and inclusive leadership.
Read about our new members below:
Angela Hunter
Angela was appointed to be the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Prudential Assurance Company Singapore (Pte) Ltd in August 2015. She oversees the Marketing Division, leading Marketing Strategy, Product, Customer Strategy and Engagement, Healthcare Services, Investment Marketing and Corporate and Marketing Communications.
Cecilia Robinson
Cecilia is the Group CEO of My Food Bag. Her key focus centres on the strategic and operational management of the business trans-Tasman. Cecilia has been a finalist or winners in several awards – most recently Cecilia won the NEXT Business woman of the Year 2014 and EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards (Ernst and Young 2013) and she also won the ‘Businesswoman of the Year 2012’. My Food Bag also won the TVNZ Marketing awards and was named the Rising Star of the year in the Deloitte Fast 50. Touted as a serial entrepreneur Cecilia has an extensive background in business management from founding and managing Au Pair Link alongside her husband James Robinson – Australasia’s largest Au Pair agency in April 2007.
Dame Therese Walsh
Dame Therese Walsh is an Independent director and is currently Deputy Chairman of TVNZ Ltd, a Director of NZX Limited, and ASB Bank Limited, a Trustee of Wellington Regional Stadium, and a Victoria University Council Member. She also sits on a number of Government panels including Chairing MFAT’s International Advisory and Selection Panel. See full bio
Deborah Edmunds
Deborah leads the Māori Business team at Kensington Swan where she is Partner, with two decades experience in all aspects of the public law and the law affecting Māori, the Treaty and iwi organisations. Her experience includes advising iwi, Treasury, state owned enterprises, Crown entities and Government agencies in respect of Crown asset transfers, disposals and acquisitions for Treaty settlements, including disposals under the Public Works Act (PWA) and the related Treaty and Māori land issues. Deborah has unparalleled experience in the law relating to Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi, and the policy and legal framework affecting Māori culture and heritage. Deborah has also specialised in major public asset transfer projects.
Debra Hall
Debra is an engineer by training, a marketer by profession, an entrepreneur with a successful exit from her own business, and in her retirement, an active angel investor and independent director. Debra is a member of the NZ Institute of Directors, with a small portfolio of directorships. Focused on the early stage space, she is currently a Director of Rose & Thorne Design Ltd (lingerie), Chairman of Roll Ltd (SaaS) and an Advisory Board Member of Data Insight Ltd (data analytics & property valuation). She also sits on the Electrical Workers Registration Board, and is an advisor to the National Health Committee. Debra sits on the Executive Committee of AANZ, where she leads the professional development workstream, including a bespoke Governance course for new and aspiring directors of investee companies. She received the WH Payne Active Angel award in 2015. See full bio
Desiree Botica
Desiree is General Manager and a foundation member of the Sysdoc group, a global consulting company with operations in NZ, UK, US and Australia. The Sysdoc contribution to the major transformation programmes of its clients is highly regarded and Sysdoc is cited as an industry leader in business process-led transformation. As a key member of the global board and leadership team she plays a major part in leading the company’s business operations globally, executing Sysdoc’s business strategy and ensuring operational excellence company-wide. See full bio
Claudia Wyss
Dr Claudia Wyss, BHB, MBChB, MBA (Harvard, Dean’s Award & Honours) is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading health sector experts. She has over 20-years’ experience in the health industry, including as a manager for McKinsey & Company in the U.S. and U.K, medical doctor, hospital manager & expert adviser to governments, health systems, hospitals and start-ups. Claudia is the current CEO of Healthvision NZ and has been responsible for leading major transformations in community care delivery, including via the application of new care delivery models and technologies. See full bio
Dr Michelle Dickinson
Dr Michelle Dickinson (MNZM) is a passionate researcher and teacher with a love of science and engineering. Her background in Biomedical and Materials Engineering have combined her interests in both biology and materials science to give her a unique insight into how nature and technology can learn from each other for future scientific developments. Currently you can find her as a senior lecturer in Engineering at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is a Member of New Zealand Order of Merit, awarded the Sir Peter Blake Leadership in 2015 and winner of the Prime Ministers Science Media Communication Prize and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicators Award in 2014. Michelle is also Co-Founder of the charity OMGTech!.
Dr Ngaire Dixon
Dr. Ngaire Dixon BVetMed(dist) CertSAM MRCVS, is director of Mace Consulting Ltd, and a director of Alzheimers NZ. Prior to her governance career Ngaire was the CEO of Pets n Vets Ltd, a veterinary business with the concept of total care, which she formed and expanded from to be part of a national organisation. She is highly experienced in all aspects of operational business management practices, in particular HR and corporate culture. Ngaire has a strong appetite and understanding of philanthropic organisations and has extensive international experience, frequently doing business in Asia. She is involved in leadership training and mentoring with a number of different organisations. Ngaire is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Veterinary Council of NZ, and the Institute of Directors.
Jana Rangooni
As GM at Mediaworks, Jana is currently completing a strategic review for Mediawork’s 3NOW Television on demand service, after spending most of 2015 working on the company’s new integrated newsroom. Prior to this she has spent the majority of her 28 year media career in Radio both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. During this time she has worked On-Air as well as in News, Marketing, Programming and General Management.
Judge Caren Fox
Deputy Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court Caren Fox (nee Wickliffe) was appointed in 2000 as a judge of the Māori Land Court resident in the Tairawhiti and Waiariki districts. She was also appointed as an alternate Environment Court judge in 2009. She was then appointed deputy chief judge of the Māori Land Court in February 2010. See full bio
Natalie Cameron
Natalie Cameron joined AIA Australia in January 2005 and was appointed to the position of General Counsel and Company Secretary in October 2007, and subsequently to the AIA Australia Executive Committee. In January 2012, Natalie accepted the role of Chief Operating Officer. Following success in major transformational changes to AIA Australia’s claims, underwriting and other service areas, Natalie then assumed responsibility for the end-to-end Group Insurance channel, adding Distribution and Pricing to the Group Operations area. Natalie accepted the role of CEO, AIA New Zealand, commencing 1 June 2015. Natalie has a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in English, with minors in management and politics) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Monash University in Australia.
Rachel Petero
Rachel is a global entrepreneur firmly rooted in her rich Māori heritage which has led her back to Aotearoa after 15 years abroad (2001 – 2015). Ngāti Tamaoho me Ngāti Whawhakia and Ngāti Tahinga me Ngāti Te Ata are her Waikato-Tainui tribal affiliations. Founder of GENVIVA, RP Enterprise & Investment Ltd, Women Leading Change Qatar and Rise 2025 (#rise2025), Rachel is a qualified CIPD HR professional and ICF ACC credentialed executive coach. She is a Board Member of Kiwa-Middle East in Abu Dhabi and Advisory Board member to getonboard.com and Global Angels Foundation. In Jan 2016, Rachel took on the Global Women Leadership Development Director role for the Breakthrough Leaders programme, now in its sixth year.
Raelene Castle
Ms Castle is a lawn bowls champion, has played netball and tennis at representative level, and is a leading sports administrator. She has served in marketing and business roles in organisations such as Telecom, Fuji Xerox and the Bank of New Zealand and took this experience and her sports-playing skills into Netball New Zealand, the International Netball Federation and the Chairing of the New Zealand Sports Organisations’ leadership group. As Director and then Chief Executive of Netball New Zealand until 2013 she played a key role in the establishment of the trans-Tasman netball championship and in securing a naming rights sponsor for the international competition and broadcast rights in New Zealand. She has brought Fast Five Netball to New Zealand and helped to transform Netball New Zealand and the International Netball Federation into strategically focused businesses while growing the profile of netball significantly. In 2013 she became the first female Chief Executive of a national rugby league club, namely the Canterbury Bulldogs. Ms Castle is a Trustee for the youth-oriented Rising Foundation and a business mentor to young female executives.
Sanchia Yonge
Sanchia Yonge is a Customer Director for NZTE, supporting New Zealand businesses as they grow internationally. In her role, Sanchia leads a team of Customer Managers who work with companies based from Auckland to Northland. Sanchia has over fifteen years of international experience, with a focus on developing high-performing organisations through employee insight. During her 10 years in the US, Sanchia was instrumental in the global expansion the “Best Companies” programme, which now recognizes companies in more than 40 countries. In 2011, after returning to New Zealand, Sanchia joined Kenexa’s global leadership team and was responsible for NZ’s Best Workplaces programme – the benchmark for employee engagement in New Zealand. In 2013, after acquisition by IBM, Sanchia played a pivotal role launching IBM’s Smarter Workforce brand across Australia and New Zealand. See full bio
Suzan Craig
Suzan Craig is founder, owner, and CEO of Tahi NZ Eco-resort and sustainable honey. Tahi is a secluded ecological retreat of over 740 acres, encompassing surf beach to native forest, and is dedicated to conservation and the restoration of ecosystems. As a Global Ecosphere Retreats-certified Long Run Destination, Tahi strives for the highest standards in sustainability through the balance of community development, cultural stewardship and biodiversity conservation. The Long Run is the flagship programme of the Zeitz Foundation initiative.
Tracey Bridges
Tracey Bridges is Managing Partner of SenateSHJ New Zealand, one of Australasia’s leading communications consultancies. She was one of four partners who founded the firm in 2003, and has helped it grow into one of the region’s largest independent public relations agencies. In 2015 SenateSHJ was named Asia-Pacific Corporate and Public Affairs Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report. Tracey is a specialist in strategy, issues management and social marketing, and has worked extensively in the energy sector. She is an author and a speaker in the fields of social marketing and ethics in public relations, and is internationally recognised for her work in the area of human behaviour change. Tracey is a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, and has served on governance boards in the Government and the not-for-profit sector.