TIA Team

What do you do at TIA?
My role leads membership services, advocacy, policy and sustainability for TIA and is integral to ensuring we are delivering impact for our members and the industry.

What's your career background?
I have a background in marketing and market research along with developing the value propositions and service experience for different market segments. I then expanded my career to include corporate communications and stakeholder engagement. I’ve worked for significant New Zealand brands including Wellington Airport, Telecom, NZ Post and Outward Bound.

What do you do for fun?
My family would say that I spend a considerable amount of time on the water. I was one of the first people to do wingfoiling in the country and I also surf foil and windsurf. I also like skiing and mountain biking – pretty much anything outdoors that NZ has to offer.

What’s one thing every visitor to New Zealand should do?
This is a tough one but I’ll go with the place I love to holiday the most which is Wainui Beach in Tairawhiti Gisborne and then most recently we were on the West Coast of the South Island near Punakaiki which has both an amazing coastline and the Paparoa National Park.  

What do you do at TIA?
My role looks after a range of communications functions for TIA including media, social media, eDMs and the website. This involves building strong relationships with media outlets and journalists, and keeping ahead of the latest trends and developments in the tourism and wider communications space.

What's your career background?
I have a background in media, marketing and communications across a range of sectors, from not-for-profits and member organisations to sporting, events and government. This includes senior roles in The Salvation Army, SPCA, Wellington Free Ambulance and the Wellington Phoenix Football Club, and more recently Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) and Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ); the latter giving me some strong insights on the role of council and elected members in the tourism space.

What do you do for fun?
I love to travel, seeing the world and experiencing different cultures and history, as well as exploring the many incredible places that New Zealand has to offer. I’m known to frequent far too many music concerts and sporting events, and often like to relax with a good audiobook (particularly autobiographies), boardgames and TV shows; police procedurals are a guilty pleasure.

What is your NZ hidden gem?
Tuckers Beach is a hidden Queenstown gem which some friends introduced me to many years ago. Located along the banks of the Shotover River, it’s a beautiful rocky space to enjoy a picnic and bask in nature – and if you’re in just the right spot, you can watch a jet boat perform an iconic 360 degree spin (and get drenched in the process!).

What do you do at TIA?
I provide HR and recruitment support to the TIA team.

What's your career background?
I studied HR at Victoria University and have a generalist HR advisory background working across all things people and culture! I started out working in the Public Sector in Wellington before heading on my O.E where I worked for a utility company in the UK. Since my return home to Aotearoa, I’ve worked with smaller organisations in the transport and sports industries. I am passionate about workplace culture, continuous improvement and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

What do you do for fun?
I love to get out for a walk most days and listen to a good podcast or audiobook, I also enjoy yoga and have recently learned to sew. My other loves include travelling and good food so you will often catch me planning/dreaming about my next trip or trying out a new restaurant or recipe!

Do you have any pets or fur babies?
I have two rescue cats – Luna and Poppy! They are super snuggly and affectionate and I love watching what they get up to. They aren’t related but had the same foster family a year apart and act like real sisters!

What do you do at TIA?  
I am Chief Advisor, Strategy and Policy at TIA. I really enjoy contributing to TIA’s work to cut a strong future for the tourism industry. Highlights for me include the progressive updating of the industry strategy framework and the Tourism Sustainability Commitment which is going from strength to strength as the need for tourism to be operating sustainably gets ever-stronger.      

What's your career background? 
Much of my career has been in the government policy space, with a long spell on tourism policy. Putting this experience to good use from an industry perspective is another part of my role that I certainly enjoy.   

What do you do for fun?  
Wining and dining, a good competitive hand of cards or backgammon, and getting out on the south coast for a good long wheel in the wild Wellington wind.  

What do you do at TIA?

I’m currently covering for Laura as a Member Advocate while she’s on maternity leave. This involves working with and supporting our members on immigration, workforce and education-related matters, as well as other interesting issues and challenges as they arise. I’ve really enjoyed hosting some of our recent webinars on a range of topics!

What's your career background?

A mash-up of a few things, including internal and external recruitment, marketing agency account management, and business development in Auckland and Wellington. Highlights include, working on the very first “Catch a Million” cricket promotion in 2013 and working for Kapura (aka Wellington Hospitality Group) after moving here in 2019.

What do you do for fun?

I’m a dad to three young kids (including twins!) who keep me very entertained. I love getting outdoors whenever possible, following and watching a range of sports. I also enjoy music which includes a bit of noodling on the guitar.

What's your NZ hidden gem?

We did an overnight stay with Kapiti Island Nature Tours in 2024, and amongst some very stiff competition, it was one of the coolest tourism experiences I've had so far. Not sure it qualifies as 'hidden' but definitely a gem!

What do you do at TIA?
I’m a sustainability advocate – working to make tourism in NZ more sustainable. As well as considering environmental factors and reducing the carbon footprint of the sector, I also factor in the needs of our local communities, the visitors themselves and economic sustainability too.

What's your career background?
Most recently I was the destination manager for Te Tauihu (Nelson Tasman). I’ve also worked in regional wine marketing and for over a decade I ran my own business which was focussed on teaching a range of languages to children throughout New Zealand and Australia.

What do you do for fun?
I love to explore our national parks on foot, kayaks or bikes. Nelson Lakes National Park is my favourite for its wonderful (but often under-appreciated) mountains, freezing lakes and awesome mountain bike trails.

Do you have any pets or fur babies?
I have an elderly cat and a sweet young pup who I try to talk to in te reo. She gets “E kai” right every time, “E noho” and “E hikoi” are pretty good but “Hāere mai” needs a bit more training.

What do you do at TIA? 
I support the engagement and partnerships team in the planning and delivery of TIA events, webinars and communications, and play a key role in fostering relationships with our valued partners and sponsors.

What’s your career background? 
Following my graduation from Victoria University of Wellington with degrees in Marketing and Tourism Management, I found myself drawn to the world of events while facilitating functions at Te Papa and a boutique hotel. Bringing people together in this way continues to be my favourite part of this role!

What do you do for fun?
I absolutely love going on bush walks around New Zealand. Otherwise I’m a sucker for wine & cheese, thrifting, board games and admittedly, reality tv. 

What's one thing you're doing in pursuit of sustainability?
I’ve digitised my entire wardrobe using an app called Indyx, helping me avoid impulse clothing purchases and embrace a more mindful approach to restyling what I already own.

What do you do at TIA?

I help plan and deliver events at TIA, with primary focus on TRENZ which is New Zealand's largest annual business to business travel trade event. My role involves coordinating event logistics, supporting our stakeholders and ensuring a seamless experience for everyone involved.

What's your career background?

Before moving to New Zealand 10 years ago, I worked in hospitality and event operations. Prior to joining TIA, I spent several years as an Event Sales Manager at a Wellington Hotel, focusing on event sales, venue coordination and leading a small team.

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy spending time with my family which involves running around after my young son at the local parks. You'll often find me with a coffee or enjoying a family brunch.

What's your favourite place in New Zealand?

It's hard to pick just one, but I love heading over the hill to Martinborough to cycle around the vineyards and enjoy the fantastic food. I also have a soft spot for Queenstown, there's always something to do and the surrounding towns like Arrowtown are great to explore. 

What do you do at TIA?

As the Communications Coordinator, I play a key role in delivering TIA’s digital communications and managing our social platforms. I love sharing what makes Aotearoa such a special place to visit and showcasing the incredible work happening across our tourism industry.

What’s your career background?

I recently graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a degree in Psychology and Marketing. Before TIA I worked as an admin and marketing assistant for a KiwiSaver scheme. I’ve always had a creative side and passion for tourism, which I now get to bring together in my role at TIA.

What do you do for fun?

I’m always on the lookout for a new adventure whether it’s a spontaneous road trip, a coastal walk, or discovering hidden gems around New Zealand. I’m a huge concert fan (Coldplay tops the list, a few tears were definitely shed!). I also love sports, I’ve played netball for most of my life and you’ll always find me cheering on the All Blacks.

What’s one thing every visitor to New Zealand should do/see/experience?

Hit the road and explore the country, there’s no better way to experience our beautiful landscapes, quirky towns and hidden gems. Although, one of my favourite spots is the Marlborough Sounds. I love taking the ferry across and spotting dolphins along the way, it’s such a magical part of Aotearoa.