Ā mātou tāngata Our people

Mō Mātou | About

Leadership team


Chief Operating Officer

Nick Thomson

Nick leads the Finance, People & Culture, Technology, and Business Support functions at Te Ara Ahunga Ora. He also supports the Retirement Commissioner to ensure the organisation operates efficiently and effectively with high quality strategic, operational, and finance leadership. Prior to taking on the COO position, Nick was the Director of Financial Capability and the Director of Learning at Te Ara Ahunga Ora. He is an experienced senior executive who has held a variety of senior leadership positions in education and operations.

 


Director – Policy & Research

Dr Suzy Morrissey

Suzy leads a team that supports the Retirement Commissioner to shape our policy and research work and activities. She oversees our research programme, the statutory three-yearly Review of Retirement Income Policies and the statutory role to monitor the effects of the Retirement Villages Act, the Regulations and Code of Practice. Suzy is a Chartered Accountant and spent eight years working for global accounting firms in Australia and New Zealand. She was made a Fellow Chartered Accountant in 2018. Since 2012 she has worked in the public sector and brings experience from Treasury and MBIE to her role at Te Ara Ahunga Ora. Her PhD in Taxation examined policy and gender.


Kaihautū | Director - Māori & Learning

Erin Thompson (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngaati Tiipa)

Erin leads the Māori and Learning teams which supports implementation of the rautaki Māori, organisation-wide cultural capability and drives stronger outcomes for Māori across our focus areas and programmes, particularly schools and kura.

Previously the Kaikōkiri for the Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools programme, Erin comes from a teaching background. She is a strong advocate for kaupapa Māori, te reo Māori, and mātauranga Māori, and has a wealth of experience in iwi and community planning and development, and iwi governance.

  


Director – Stakeholder & Communications

Anika Forsman
Anika leads the team responsible for the communications and stakeholder engagement activity for Te Ara Ahunga Ora, including the management and delivery of key government partnerships. Prior to joining Te Ara Ahunga Ora, Anika spent six years working for Auckland Unlimited, most recently leading the communications and marketing requirements for the Auckland Council group and Crown partners for the 36th America’s Cup. Her previous roles included working in communications at Fonterra and as a journalist in Queenstown and Auckland.


 

Director – Marketing

Vanessa Morris

Vanessa leads the Marketing team and is responsible for the Sorted master brand and sub brands, as well as the consumer experience. Vanessa has spent the last 20 years building brands people love and trust, as well as engagement programmes that leverage data and insights to drive behaviour across social, digital and 1:1 channels.

 

Policy & Research


Policy Lead
Dr Michelle Reyers

Policy Specialist
Dr Jordan King

Retirement Villages Specialist
Tristan Fluerty

Research Lead
Dr Jo Gamble

Finance Research Specialist
Ben King

 

 

Māori and Learning


Māori Lead
Donna Robinson

Kaitakawaenga/Māori Specialist
Marina Kawe-Peautolu (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu)

Kaikōkiri/Māori Specialist – Kura
Kimiorangi Thompson (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Rangiwewehi)

Learning and Māori Administrator
Lexia Hansen

Learning Lead
Yasmin Frazer

Learning Specialist
Su Min Ahn

Learning Specialist 
Claire Bailey

Learning Specialist 
TBC

 

 

Marketing


Product & Marketing Lead
Penny Lockwood

Marketing Specialist
Natasha Lavulavu

Digital Marketing Specialist
Katie Houlihan

Graphic Designer
Mike Crozier

Digital Platforms Lead
Jason Gambitsis

CRM & Analytics Specialist
Dikshi Bhutani

Digital Channels Specialist
Laura Lock

Marketing Administrator
Devon Connolly

Stakeholder & Communications


Stakeholder Lead
Rachel Beckett

Stakeholder Specialist
Natalie Palmer

Stakeholder Specialist
Ana Tu'inukuafe

 

Personal Finance Lead
Tom Hartmann

Communications Lead
Elizabeth O'Halloran

Communications Specialist
Georgette Hart

Corporate Services


Finance Lead
Gemma Fulton

People Lead
Rosa Armstrong

Business Lead
Nick Beard

Assistant Accountant 
Shristi Singh

Performance Accountability Specialist
Rebecca Jenner

Business Administrator
Ciaran Lymer