New Zealand
My career has been characterised by collaboration with others, particularly those most impacted, to find and implement solutions that do their bit to move the needle on key social issues. I'm interested in how poverty interacts with education and mental health to leave people trapped. But what really lights my fire is meeting people and hearing their philosophies, perspectives, and experiences. Authentic connections. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many. Currently completing a Masters in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics through Victoria University. My thesis explores distributional impacts from different tax and eligibility approaches for funding New Zealand Superannuation.
Better taxes for a Better Future aims to promote discussion about a better tax system in Aotearoa. We're calling on the public, businesses, NGOs and politicians to think again about what tax means. We believe that in the face of deep, systemic challenges - such as embedded poverty and hardship, growing inequality, overstretched public services, environmental degradation and climate change - taxes are a power for the public good that will help build a better future. Tax is what we do together to build that future. We believe our tax system needs to: Raise more revenue to enable us address the challenges we face Make sure people who have more to contribute, make that contribution - by gathering more revenue from wealth, gains from wealth, all forms of income, and corporates Make greater use of fair taxes to promote good health and environmental sustainability. Address the impact of tax on the least well-off in our society Be transparent
Managed a diverse caseload of 100+ clients, supporting urgent needs while ensuring progress towards long-term goals. Supported clients to secure and make a sustainable transition into employment, in collaboration with community providers and other MSD business groups. Responded to emails and calls within 24 hours of receipt and kept managers in the loop regarding progress on larger projects. Provided reception cover, triaging inquiries and ensuring smooth service delivery. Coordinated seminars, facilitated referrals to external providers, and promoted wraparound support. Embedded tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti principles in daily practice and client engagement. Collaborated with leadership to develop methods for my team to achieve KPIs such as completion rate of Job Seeker Profiles during client appointments. De-escalated conflicts and remained calm and collected under challenging circumstances. Participated in leadership training as part of the Bay of Plenty’s Succession Planning Pool initiative and proactively engaged with the Te Ara Piki progression framework. Developed activities as part of the Accuracy Improvement Plan for the Mount Maunganui office. Office subject matter expert on self-employment and business accounts, supporting my team to apply the policy changes. Provided support and guidance for new team members around the application of policy and when dealing with challenging clients. Developed resilience and frontline knowledge of the public service and social welfare sectors. Guiding clients in the use of A.I. tools for their job search and supporting utilisation of the MSD Digital Suite resources. Delivered seminars to small client groups covering benefit obligations and available support.
Supported planning and logistics for NZ’s largest business advisory conference (500+ attendees) Coordinated travel, vendor liaison, inventory management, and post-event data analysis. Delivered marketing campaigns, integrating Te Reo Māori initiatives. Collaborated with teams across NZ, Australia, and the UK on marketing and strategy. Delivered an internal market research report used by senior management to guide their decision to create The Gap Instagram account including the relative effectiveness of various approaches to marketing on the Instagram platform. Project coordinated the development of physical and digital collateral for The Gap rebrand. Used basic coding ability and graphic design skills to rebrand education marketing blog posts and event collateral. Further developed ability to tailor my writing style to fit the purpose and audience. Wrote sponsorship contracts and coordinated with event sponsors on behalf of The Director of Strategic Partnerships as her direct report.
Drafted organisation-wide policy (Menopause Policy). Maintained client and employee contact details and role description databases. Wrote and updated job descriptions, researching similar roles and collaborating with relevant teams to ensure accuracy to role requirements. Created presentation of key stakeholders for delivery by C.F.O. Wrote a survey to capture information about visitors to the Tavistock website. Website maintenance and creation of bulk communications (mail merges).
Supported rangatahi with Autism, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and other neurodiverse needs. Applied trauma-informed approaches in a low-decile school setting. Built trusted relationships to prevent behavioural escalations and promote learning.