About us.

John is passionate about lifting the status of marketing in New Zealand business. "NZ Business would benefit having more professional marketers on boards as we are trained to look forward in a strategic manner, focus on the customer and creatively problem solve. To do this we need to introduce new standards for marketers in NZ and entice more young marketers to be involved in our marketing family. At NZ Marketing Association, our focus is to help Marketers be Brilliant!” This approach has paid off with innovative new programs being launched at MA, professional certifications for marketers, new conferences and events being offered which have resulted in a negative membership churn turning into a positive within 2 years, customer advocacy going from 36 to 72 with the key audience of CMO’s being 84, a record surplus in 2021 and MA scoring the highest ever rating for a NZ organisation with 75% describing MA as a passionate organisation.

John started his career in FMCG and breweries and then moved in advertising and brand development agencies. For the last fifteen years he has been heavily involved in education meeting market needs by creating and implementing new products. He also has extensive experience in managing organisations.

He is an innovative management and marketing specialist with a knack for identifying and leveraging business opportunities. Expert at building strategic partnerships and manage major change. A creative business development professional, who has constantly demonstrated an ability to develop and implement successful marketing campaigns that make a significant impact on the bottom line

He has always had the philosophy of if you don't ask you won't ever know and always give things a go!

Keith is the MA’s consultant who advises members and MA staff on legislative and regulatory stuff. Actually, he helps out on almost any marketing question. He is a passionate advocate for data-driven marketing and honest, transparent marketing. Except for Wednesday -  Wednesday is golf day.

Kirsty has been with us for over ten years and an is an expert in all things MA. With her exceptional management skills, she oversees and coordinates the Product teams as well as managing the wider functions of the company. After work, Kirsty enjoys some family time with her partner and two gorgeous daughters.

Debbie has a passion for communication, networking, uncovering opportunities and sharing success stories. Debbie has been working with our MA members for over 6 years and enjoys finding out what their current needs and challenges are to see how we can best support them as their marketing industry body. After hours you will find Debbie spending time in the sunshine at the beach with her Chihuahua, Chichi and her Pom-Chi, Aurora.

Lone is the brain behind the content of our events, sourcing speakers and choosing topics. She has extensive knowledge in the Events and L&D industry and uses this to mentor her newer colleagues. Post work, you can find Lone lost in a good book (or two!) and spending time with her beautiful family.

Danielle is passionate about strategic marketing and believes that in order to be successful, you must truly understand your customers – their challenges, their wants, and their needs. She loves project managing and launching exciting initiatives, and of course, delivering value to her customers and internal stakeholders. Her role at the Marketing Association is to manage the marketing for the MA, including the brand, content, social media, campaigns, and creating a strategic marketing plan which aligns with the business strategy. 

In her spare time, you will find Danielle herding her active 4-year-old son and 1 year old daughter, spending time with her husband, friends and family. She also enjoys a nice getaway and trying new things. And rugby, she won’t miss an All Blacks game!

Debbie has a passion for communication, networking, uncovering opportunities and sharing success stories. Debbie has been working with our MA members for over 6 years and enjoys finding out what their current needs and challenges are to see how we can best support them as their marketing industry body. After hours you will find Debbie spending time in the sunshine at the beach with her Pom-Chi, Aurora.

Tricia works with Debbie to enhance MA’s membership and sponsorship experience.

With oodles of experience in the marketing industry and developing excellent relationships, Tricia is very much a ‘people person’ who will strive to deliver excellent value and outcomes to our members.

Outside of work, you’ll find Tricia relaxing with family, shopping or walking on the beautiful beaches in the bays with friends or her fur baby, Floyd.

Danielle is passionate about strategic marketing and believes that in order to be successful, you must truly understand your customers – their challenges, their wants, and their needs. She loves project managing and launching exciting initiatives, and of course, delivering value to her customers and internal stakeholders. Her role at the Marketing Association is to manage the marketing for the MA, including the brand, content, social media, campaigns, and creating a strategic marketing plan which aligns with the business strategy. 

In her spare time, you will find Danielle herding her active 3-year-old son and spending time with her husband, friends and family. She also enjoys a nice getaway and trying new things. And rugby, she won’t miss an All Blacks game!

Asritha is an enthusiastic marketing professional with extensive experience in the retail and property domains. She has passion for digital technology, data analysis, and Martech strategies. She consistently expands her knowledge by embracing new tools and technologies. At the Marketing Association, Asritha serves as an advocate for the digital and data facets of marketing, while also providing support to the marketing manager in the execution of marketing strategies and initiatives seamlessly.

During her leisure hours, Asritha enjoys exploring novel destinations, visiting cafes, and savouring diverse cuisines with her husband and their two-year-old daughter. She also loves reading books, binge watching Netflix, and gossiping with her beloved sister.

Emma is a graduate of AUT with a degree in Marketing. She previously served as an Event & Sponsorship Assistant within the events team before transitioning to her current role as a Digital Marketing Coordinator in the Marketing Team.

Originally from Hong Kong, Emma has been studying abroad since she was 11 years old. She has a background in hospitality and tourism. Her experience has made her a “Hodophile” who loves travelling and exploring new cultures because it challenges her perspective towards the world.

Marilena is the MA’s Senior Events Manager and style icon. She employs meticulous planning, expert budgeting and creative problem solving to ensure all our events go off without a hitch so you have a great experience. Beyond delivering original and memorable events and awards nights, Marilena’s hobbies include interior design, travelling and quality TV.

Lone is the brain behind the content of our events, from sourcing speakers and sponsors to choosing our topics, Lone is there every step of the way.

She has extensive knowledge in the Events and L&D industry and uses this to mentor her newer colleagues.

Post work, you can find Lone lost in a good book (or two!) and spending time with her beautiful family.

Roxy has been with the MA for over 4 years now and has become an integral part of the events team! As an Event Manager, Roxy organises and manages some of our biggest conferences throughout the year, as well as a number of popular event series such as the well-known Brainy Breakfast. Roxy’s attention to detail is second-to-none, and she only ever delivers the highest quality events for our marketing community.

Roxy is passionate about her job and gets satisfaction from her role when she sees our marketing community gain rich insights and learn from our events and conferences. She loves seeing it all come together on the day and enjoys the challenges, excitement and anticipation of her role.

Always one to have packages delivered to the workplace – Roxy is an avid online shopper and a lover of coffee. She can also be found watching Netflix and gaming in her spare time.

Mila joined the MA in early 2024 as our Events & Sponsorship Assistant. She supports our event managers and sponsorship manager to deliver the MA’s world-class events, conferences, and awards. She is passionate about looking after our customers and sponsors, and loves designing a good creative in Canva. 

 

After hours, Mila loves spending time with her family and friends - driving about the city listening to music or enjoying a good reality TV show. You can also always catch her joining in on the Friday office lunches, or helping win the daily quiz.

Those amazing events you attend? Emily is the brains behind the production! From detailed floorplans to spray-painting props, to AV and staging and video shots! Emily loves what she does as it makes the world a more fabulous place. Outside of work, Emily can be found making memories with her two beautiful children, going on adventures, drinking champagne and watching reality-TV.

Parker is one of our passionate and enthusiastic Learning & Development Manager. Look to her for any customised corporate workshops, online workshops, or any new MA projects. Originally from Los Angeles, Parker has a background in digital marketing, communications and events. In her free time, catch her at a local pub quiz, or strolling through the Auckland Domain with her dog, Schroeder.

Nanna is a recent graduate from the University of Copenhagen and is now our Learning and Development Product Specialist. Originally from Denmark, Nanna has a background in food science, but in the last year of her studies she turned her focus onto marketing. She enjoys networking, learning new things and providing excellent customer service.

In her free time, she enjoys reading a good book, cooking or exploring the great outdoors. Nanna is an avid knitter, always working on a new project for her loved ones.

 

Jo is a seasoned business professional with strong financial, governance and marketing acumen, extensive industry and public service experience. Her strengths lie in her ability to clarify business drivers and opportunities, define executable strategy and work with a range of stakeholders to deliver significant value.

Working as a strategic marketer, Jo has a diversity of governance experience in both the public and private sectors, across small and large organisations.

She is passionate about delivering value to the MA members and championing the marketing discipline at the top table as a key success driver for NZ organisations.

John is passionate about lifting the status of marketing in New Zealand business." NZ Business would benefit having more professional marketers on boards as we are trained to look forward in a strategic manner and creatively problem solve. To do this we need to introduce new standards for marketers in NZ and entice more young marketers to be involved in our marketing family. As an organisation, our focus is members first, last and always and we want to innovate with new programs and products."

Ant is a longstanding member of the Marketing Association Board (15 years), who has consistently been rated as one of the highest performing board members in our annual peer review.

Ant has volunteered to serve a further term on the Board, to provide a vital link between past and present, at a time when the organisation is reshaping itself to meet the needs of the future professional marketer. With a new CEO, several new faces in senior management, a new Chairman, and a relatively young board, Ant provides a solid understanding of what has gone before, complemented by his natural strengths in strategic thinking, communications and general governance. With 4 Grand Prix's and numerous Gold awards for marketing effectiveness, Ant also provides a strong voice for the creative and new media community, SME's, business owners and all practitioners of direct, digital and data-driven marketing

I am a senior marketer with approx. 20+ years' experience, spread across various agency and client roles and industry sectors. My current role is as Head of Marketing, Consumer for ANZ Bank. This gives me a strong insight into the issues and emerging themes facing the wider marketing industry.

I have a strong background in digital and direct marketing, as well as in-depth knowledge of brand and media. My board experience includes numerous corporate governance forums and as a school board trustee. I have actively contributed to the MA over the years through stints as a Special Interest Committee member, a lecturer and a frequent judge. I look forward to now contributing at a Board level.

I am passionate about the marketing community and in developing the next generation of well-rounded marketers. I believe there is a role for the MA to further its advocacy for marketing as a discipline, within corporate environments and across the broader commercial sector.

I am a senior executive with 20 years' global experience leading brand, marketing, customer experience and digital transformation strategies. I am passionate about the impact technology is having on customer experience and creating cultures that allow people and innovation to thrive. I pride myself on driving business results through creativity which has been recognised with 150+ NZ and global awards including winning NZ's Marketer of the year in 2021.

My career kicked off in Melbourne in 2000 in the Australia Post graduate programme. Moving to London in 2004, I spent three years in advertising agencies which provided the opportunity to lead the global re-brand of Aviva across 28 markets including Norwich Union, the UK’s largest insurer. This was quoted as the 'arguably slickest rebranding exercise in corporate history' by the Times in 2009.

I joined ASB in 2011 to lead the brand, driving growth of all products and segments, customer communications, managing the sponsorship portfolio and digital uplift programmes.

In May 2022 I moved back to my home region of Southland to join SBS Bank as Chief Customer Officer.

As a commercial and strategic marketer, I have over 15 years of experience using customer insights to develop and execute brand and integrated marketing programmes, focusing on digital channels.

I have successfully developed and delivered strategies and initiatives that transform the marketing approach and customer experience. I have achieved this by leveraging customer insights and marketing data to improve brand consideration and conversion while still improving ROAS.

At the heart of my success is my focus on team development and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. I am proud of my leadership contribution to increasing NPS, especially during periods of change.

Hello, my name is Charlie, and I am the marketing coordinator at Coventry Group New Zealand (CGL). CGL is a leading distributor of innovative industrial solutions across Australia and New Zealand. With nearly two years of experience in marketing, I have a keen passion for the digital marketing landscape. My daily responsibilities include a wide range of marketing activities, from overseeing website enhancements to organizing events and social media campaigns. 
 
My marketing journey started in Wellington where I Studied for four years completing my Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Marketing. 

Outside of work, I enjoy running and am hoping to complete my first Auckland half marathon in October. I also love reading and spending time with family and friends.  

Ian has more than 25 years of professional experience, Ian started his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand auditing financial statements, and since then has held Executive positions in finance in New Zealand and abroad, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lear Corporation, Johnson Controls, Fonterra, Bank of New Zealand, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Fletcher Building, and the University of Auckland.

After completing his accounting degree (Pg Dip Auditing) and his MBA, Ian later specialised in venture finance and business sustainability management with Oxbridge.

Ian is a Fellow member and registered mentor of CPA Australia, a mentor of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ) and a Chartered Member of Institute of Directors New Zealand.

Ian is Chair of Audit and Risk committees for Athletics New Zealand, Family Planning New Zealand and Aktive, and member of the Board and Audit & Risk committee of New Zealand Rugby League.

A highly collaborative and values driven leader who is recognised as an inclusive, relationship led executive, I am passionate about driving great performance through great culture. 

Highly commercial with a strong strategic approach combined with innovative and creative thinking, I have a built a track record of building brands and delivering customer growth and engagement over the last 20 years across New Zealand, Australia and the UK in a range of complex industries. 

Consistently regarded as a constructive optimist, creative problem solver and natural relationship builder I lead through care, curiosity and ambition. I thrive in a complex, relationship-based environment with broad stakeholder systems that is outcome focussed and driven by a service-based orientation to the customer.

Laura is the CEO and Design Director of RUN Aotearoa, a unique Māori and wāhine-led creative agency she founded in 2008.

She is an accomplished entrepreneur who has founded and led several innovative companies and creative ventures. Her career began as a graphic designer, and she launched her first company at the age of 19.

Laura's expertise lies in her ability to marry creative innovation with commercial objectives, resulting in award-winning brands and campaigns that not only captivate meaningful engagement but also deliver tangible outcomes for clients.

Committed to cultural connection and uplifting Indigenous voices, Laura embodies the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, advocating for diversity and transformative change within the creative community and beyond.