Community.

Introducing Sobia: An impactful Marketeer with a dash of academic-nerdiness (and mega coffee snob).

Sobia brings over 12 years of experience in the tech, education, and services industries, making her a seasoned marketing pro. Previously B2B Marketing Manager at Trade Me, where she blended her passion for Product Marketing and Revenue Growth Marketing (aka RevOps) to drive results.

12+ years to 15+ years as a Global Product Marketing Manager.

With a digital marketing mindset ingrained in her very being, Sobia lives and breathes go-to-market strategies and initiatives measurable growth. She's a proud nerd who dives deep into consumer behaviour literature and data to back up her marketing approaches with valuable insights for messaging.

Sobia's academic prowess extends beyond her marketing acumen. She's presented her research papers in Portugal and Germany, and earned her the esteemed Best Paper Award at a top-notch Macro-marketing conference.

Sobia's ultimate mission is to make a positive impact on people's lives. She achieves this by volunteering, empowering others, and currently serving as the Chair of the B2B Marketing Association's Special Interest Group.

Sonja is an experienced marketing professional with over 16 years’ experience in both B2B and B2C marketing.

Currently heading up the marketing team at OfficeMax, Sonja is responsible for brand, research/customer experience, sales enablement and account-based marketing to New Zealand’s largest databases of business accounts (spanning every industry from healthcare to industrial, as well as education).

Sonja is passionate about making sales teams look good – fostering strong relationships between marketing and sales to ensure that customers have a fantastic experience throughout their entire purchasing journey. Sonja and her team have had the privilege of being the first marketers in New Zealand to partner with Seismic, the global leader in B2B marketing and sales enablement software. A career highlight was presenting at Seismic’s Asia Pacific customer conference on how to partner with sales to achieve mutual success.

An avid believer that B2B doesn’t have to be boring, Sonja has delivered a number of transformative projects to wow customers - including conceptualising and constructing three experiential showrooms. These have been described as a ‘Te Papa-like’ experience by customers due to their novel combination of 3D-signage, touchscreen technology and product interactions - and her work was nominated alongside Microsoft in the ‘Experience-Maker’ category of the global Seismic Shift awards.

Jonathan Wrait comes with a rich history in business. First starting at the age of 18, he started a successful school tutoring business before being named as the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year.

Over the next 13 years, Wrait worked both as a marketing manager and headed up his own agency, Red Gorilla.

He has worked with clients in a wide range of industries including retail, property, food & beverage, technology, engineering, corporate training and telecommunications.

“I love working with businesses that are technical or complex - understanding what they do and distilling this down to a simple, effective message that resonates with their target audience.”

PJ Morris is a creative, innovative and insightful marketing professional, who is passionate about understanding customer need to drive business outcomes and growth through all aspects of the marketing mix.

Leading change and taking stakeholders on a journey to deliver results and business growth energises me. Described as pragmatic and results focussed, my greatest strength is in building strong teams and influencing behaviour to create environments where people can grow and excel.

Having worked across both B2B and B2C brands in my career, I have a passion for B2B, and utilising technology to enable our customers growth. Currently heading up Marketing & Insights for Fletcher Building Concrete Division, across three different businesses in the construction sector to shape our market position and grow the division including portfolio strategy, brand, product development, customer communications and customer experience.

Rebecca is a freelance B2B demand generation specialist working with engineering, manufacturing and technology clients.

She is known for her practical approach to making B2B marketing work effectively in diverse client situations. She upskills in-house marketers by advocating for them with the C-suite and collaborating to deliver measurable outcomes which help to get them noticed for promotion.

Three times in her career, she's been at the forefront of leading edge marketing innovation. Professional Services marketing in the 1990s, the rise of customer relationship management in the 2000s and social media since 2005. Rebecca is an entrepreneur whose side-hustle is a sport education business for rowing. She happily uses this as the experimental sand-box for new marketing techniques. Rebecca also mentors marketers seeking career advancement through the OneUp OneDown programme.

Holding a bachelors and honours degree from Canterbury University in marketing, Gavin joined the Concentrate team with a background in a marketing agency and in house marketing.

His career started out as a digital marketing freelancer working with app startups while studying at university. From there, he has predominantly worked within the digital marketing realm within a number of industries ranging from construction and agriculture recruitment to immigration and e-commerce.

Gavin was born and raised in Thailand and moved to New Zealand in 2008. Besides work, you will find Gavin either doing Surf Life Saving in the summer or snowboarding in the winter. 

Dale heads up the marketing team at BlueOcean – The B2B Agency, where his 12+ years across both sales and marketing bring strategies fuelled by customer insight, and the tactical nous to deliver on them.

Getting sales and marketing on the same page is a passion point for Dale; helping marketers to create an environment where their ideas are respected, and their impact experienced.

Having grown up with parents in precision engineering, Dale has always had a soft spot for technical industries and complex manufacturing, though also loves healthcare and the primary sector.  

Paige is a global B2B marketer in the nutrition, food & beverage industry spanning brands including Anchor, Primo, NZMP & Fonterra.
Currently a Global Marketing Manager for Fonterra, Paige’s primary focus is enabling the success of Fonterra’s global protein and speciality ingredients portfolio
by developing and executing marketing strategy and working closely with regional sales and innovation teams across 7 continents.

Paige is passionate about B2B marketing as a broad and exciting discipline, present in almost all stages of business operation – from insights, research, new product development,
advertising, media, change management and sales. She believes a successful marketer keeps the customer at the core and values consumer insights, enthusiasm, technology, creativity and constant learning.

Professionally Paige is passionate about driving value for the New Zealand economy, supporting rural communities and spreading our quality nutrition around the world.
Personally she is energised by meeting the next generation of marketers and sharing the breadth of opportunities available in a B2B marketing career.

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!

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.

Carolyn has over 20 years’ experience as a marketer in both agency and client roles, in London and in New Zealand, working for local and global brands.

She is currently Head of Brand at Trustpower. During her eight years at Trustpower the company has transformed from a dated, regional electricity company into the leading provider of bundled services in New Zealand.

She is passionate about using data and insights to develop marketing and brand strategy, and translating those strategies into effective and creative campaigns.

“I love being part of the CX Special Interest Group. It’s a way I can contribute to the important work that the MA does for the industry in New Zealand but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to spend time with an amazing group of like-minded marketers and to learn from each other.”

Marina has over 15 years experience in client and agency roles across Australia, the UK and Aotearoa.
Her first agency role was on the Coca Cola account, where the standard for what excellence looks like was set.
That team made divinity achievable at pace and demonstrated the importance of clear guidelines in progressing an effective creative process.

Since then, she has worked across the Education, Finance, Import and start up realms, continuing the good fight for the Human first approach at every step.

In late 2021 Marina went to Harvard Business School to study Behavioural Economics  getting insights on the topic from the best in the world.

She is forever championing Human Centricity and never compromising curiosity tangents, because ‘you just never know where they will lead'.

Ever since my early days working on the Coca-Cola portfolio of brands, the importance of customer insight was lodged into my brain and has held the throne in my approach ever since.
Being a part of the CX SIG allows me to champion what I am most passionate about and that is putting the Human at the centre of everything

Sarah is our new kid on the block with regards to CX, with a robust career in consumer marketing from both agency side and client side. With over 15 years experience with brands in the UK, North America and now NZ, she has taken a vested interest in how customer experience plays out in the B2C space. She holds in high regard brands who truly compel customers not only by the product they sell but by the experience by which they do so. ‘The ability to add value to a customer and to gain loyalty by really considering, understanding and supporting our customers and their journey is so powerful.’

Sarah has been working to integrate true CX management into the organisation. As a relative newbie to the CX space and to our SIG Sarah is in a unique position to support how we look at CX from a ‘just getting started’ perspective.

Kevin is a B2B technology marketing specialist with nearly two decades of experience working across startup and corporate companies in New Zealand and the United States.

 

His background includes both agency and in-house roles, starting in public relations before branching out into the wider marketing discipline. This enables him to ground his approach to CX with the end user in mind and in creating connections with customers and users.

 

He is the newest member of MA’s Brand and Customer Special Interest Group and looks forward to bringing a focus on these vital areas to the wider Marketing Association community.

Cassandra is the General Manager Marketing at Ingram Micro New Zealand, driving marketing strategy and innovation for Ingram Micro and Agency Ingram Micro.

With more than two decades of B2B marketing experience, Cassandra is a seasoned and results-oriented marketing leader with a solid track record of delivering outstanding investment returns on integrated multichannel campaigns. With significant demonstrable experience in promoting creativity and developing structured processes to drive increased productivity within marketing teams, Cassandra is an engaging team leader with an uninterrupted record of success.

Cassandra has a unique ability to blend business sense with IT expertise, leading to impactful marketing solutions.

She has been part of the judging panel for the NZ Marketing Awards from 2020 to 2023.

Cassandra holds an honors degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering and a post-graduate diploma in Technopreneurship & Innovation from the Nanyang Technological University Singapore.

Greg is a long time member of the marketing community having spent close to 20 years in Digital Advertising working across a number of agencies, for clients local and global. His experience in comms & marketing has evolved to human centric design and customer experience, where he now consults in this capacity for NZ tech giant, Datacom. This has opened up opportunities to work across a diverse range of industry sectors from our Parliamentary Services, to Farmers across rural NZ, to agents & customers across every continent.

Andrew Crowhurst is a member of InMoment’s Asia-Pacific Leadership team and its Country Manager for New Zealand.

Andrew works with clients on the design and evolution of their programs, ensuring they are leveraging optimal improvements from the insights they are gathering.

Before joining InMoment, Andrew was the Head of Customer Experience Innovation and Strategy at Vodafone New Zealand, where he had accountability for designing the VOC program and leading the implementation of its NPS roadmap and platform.

He is a certified Net Promoter practitioner and is Mckinsey trained in LEAN business transformation, with decades of customer-centric experience, from Sales and Marketing Management to Business Transformation and Change, together with CX Management.

Mat has been in marketing for over 30 years including running his own agency for 20+ years. During that time he saw a huge shift of focus on CX in the customer journey. He now focuses on how technology can better connect companies and customers to improve CX.

He is now the founder of Customer Radar, a software platform that specialises in CX and reputation management. He and his company are on a mission to help companies grow one happy customer at a time and sees technology as a way to bring innovation to businesses of all sizes.

He loves to learn through sharing knowledge and experiences and is looking forward to engaging with the marketing community to learn and grow together. 

Peter is an experienced technology leader with a diverse range of skills in both technology and business. His analytical skills and technology-agnostic approach have been developed through my work in a variety of industries and organisations of different sizes.

He has always been passionate about technology and its potential to transform businesses and society. He enjoys working with diverse teams and stakeholders to identify and solve business challenges. His versatility allows him to take a leaner approach, drive innovation and ensure long-term solutions.

An economist and marketer, Simon has spent the last fifteen years in senior leadership positions in agencies and consultancies in both Australia and New Zealand.

He has expertise in brand, design, advertising and digital transformation. This experience has instilled in Simon an unshakable belief in the power of technology and creativity to transform business performance.

He thrives on building strong relationships within teams, and with customers and partners, to solve vexing problems for businesses using the juxtaposition of data and creativity.

Sharon's career has spanned Telecommunications, Energy and Financial Service Sectors, with a particular focus on Data and Insights, Marketing and Customer Experience.

Most recently, Sharon has led the evolution of ANZ Bank's Data Governance capability and culture in NZ to protect and support customers, staff and the organisation as the bank sets about executing on its future strategy. This has included the development of data management and governance disciplines, as well as approaches to privacy and ethics, that ensure high levels of consumer and regulator trust in readiness for an open data economy.

Darron is passionate about leveraging his knowledge of the Data Landscape, marketing technology, AdTech and delivery of actionable insight to identify new customer & market opportunities.

Nick is an exceptional award winning senior marketer with over 20 years integrated experience.

Andrew is passionate about using data to help clients solve their business problems. Highly skilled in all facets of Quantitative research, advanced analytics, market sizing and financial analysis. Extensive experience in Financial Services, FMCG, Utilities, Telecommunications, Social research and Government projects.

Andrew is exceptional in providing clients with the confidence to act based on a sound understanding of the opportunities and issues they face, including the financial implications and ROI of any actions.

With 15 years in advertising, Suraj has specialized in AdTech and MarTech, driving growth through innovative, data-driven solutions.

Suraj's career includes key roles at GroupM and Omnicom across Markets, where he developed teams, products, and strategies to enhance media outcomes.

As Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Together, he leads tech and AI initiatives, ensuring clients maximize data value while maintaining privacy compliance. Recognized by Campaign Asia's 40Under40, Suraj is dedicated to advancing business through technology and creativity.

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.

Asritha recently moved to New Zealand after spending 8 years in Melbourne, Australia. With a master’s degree in marketing, she will focus on supporting MA’s data and digital strategies and creating exceptional experiences for MA members.

Asritha is an avid reader and loves spending time with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

Nicki is passionate about achieving business growth through innovative and effective marketing. While focused on building brand equity and developing clear marketing communications, Nicki's emphasis is on building empowered marketing teams that deliver the best marketing activity through agile marketing practices.

Richard is the CEO and founder of Pure SEO, New Zealand’s most awarded search agency. Richard moved to New Zealand in 2009 with his British wife Emily, they now have 2 Kiwi kids, Ethan (10) and Amber (7). Richard was a finalist in the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a columnist for M2 Magazine, M2W Magazine and New Zealand Business magazine.

Richard teaches Digital Marketing and search marketing for University of Auckland (MBA programme), Unitec and The Marketing Association of New Zealand. In 2019 Richard wrote the book ‘How to Get to The Top of Google Search, a Practical Guide’ (Penguin Random House).

Richard is an active investor and mentor to a number of high tech businesses and has sat on the board of Entrepreneurs Organisation (New Zealand) and The Well Foundation.

Brad’s vast digital marketing experience spans three countries and some of the world’s leading businesses.

He was Head of Sales and Marketing at Fishpond Australia and New Zealand, Digital Manager at St John New Zealand, Marketing Manager at myguideireland.com, and Account Manager at Google. Brad has spent many years working on the client side, developing digital strategies and managing teams to implement those strategies. He understands the challenges and priorities from an online marketer’s perspective ­- the high targets, tight budgets and the education required to gain internal buy­ing to digital strategies. Brad has an MBA in Marketing and Business Strategy.

Mel thrives on helping businesses prosper with an instinctive ability to understand an organisation from a strategic viewpoint.

With nearly 20 years experience as a senior marketer in Sydney and Auckland with heavyweight clients in retail, property, banking, food & beverage, aviation and fashion — Mel loves to wear many hats!

With over a decades advertising, digital & leadership experience gained across a wide range of industries including retail, ecommerce, financial services, automotive, telecommunications, FMCG and media entertainment, Alex is passionate about future proofing business models through innovating the customer experience.

As a prominent figure in New Zealand's digital and social media marketing landscape, Zania is dedicated to transforming the online presence of businesses across industries to build thriving brands. She proudly serves on the Marketing Association Digital SIG committee, leads her digital and social media consultancy, Zaniaguy.com, and hosts the popular business podcast "Marketing Masters - The Art and Science of Modern Marketing." In her consultancy, she leverages AI-powered tools to help businesses succeed faster and more efficiently.

Zania has specialised in digital marketing her entire career, including 4.5 transformative years leading New World's digital and social marketing. She not only met KPIs but soared past them, cultivating a buzzing foodie community across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and propelling their social conversations from 400 to 40,000 a month. Beyond driving social engagement, she contributed to all campaigns by building seamless customer experiences across all digital touchpoints and was a key contributor to driving sales.

Her journey has allowed her to work with industry leaders and loved brands like Bluebells Cakery, Colliers, New World, Vodafone NZ (now One NZ), Les Mills International, and The Salvation Army among others. Zania’s career also spans a decade in the UK, where she honed her digital skills with prestigious companies such as Phaidon Press International and The Engine Group crafting and executing digital marketing and social media strategies that delivered results.

A passionate and creative problem-solver, she thrives on collaborating with clients and teams to drive business growth and foster enduring brand loyalty.

Andrey is an accomplished data-driven customer centric digital marketer with focus on marketing automation, direct marketing, social media, search, analytics, mobile applications, inbound marketing, AI, blockchain, project management. 

With B2C and B2B marketing experience across manufacturing, high-tech, chemical, financial industries, Andrey helps brands use award winning creative and innovative solutions to establish strong connection with their customers.

Along with interest in marketing, Andrey have strong interest in emerging technologies, blockchain, AI and the ways they can optimise customer experience. 

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.

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.

After several years working in the hospitality & travel sector for organisations including Air New Zealand and Sheratons Hotels, Annabel dipped my toe in the waters of the “for purpose” world with a new philanthropic role for the University of Auckland.

Since then, Annabel has held senior roles in a number of causes, most recently with Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, and has also acted as a strategic fundraising consultant.

“Marketing is critical to the success of the for purpose sector and I strongly believe that this Special Interest Group is vitally important for us to not only share the challenges and opportunities with our peers but also with the rest of our marketing colleagues”

Alan has been with Marketing Impact for over 30 years.  He spends his time equally in each of Marketing Impact’s offices in Wellington and Auckland – and he says he now lives in 2 of the best cities in the world.

He is both a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing – which he has found really useful.  Most days actually.

Marketing Impact has many charity clients and produces the communications for the Bowel Screening programme.  But for some reason it was this latter engagement that the now obvious pull of For Purpose work struck him… saving or improving lives is a VERY cool way to spend one’s day.

Ever since this revelation (which everyone in the FP world has known forever) he has enjoyed coming into work even more – and which has in turn lead him volunteering for service on this SIG.

Justine has a background in Marketing working for some strong iconic brands across several industries.  Proud of her time at Coastguard NZ, with a focus on 'For Purpose' her current role is the Change Manager for the PaknSave banner at Foodstuffs North Island.

Justine is a Design Thinking practitioner delivering customer centric value and being a champion for applying effective narrative to great causes and charities.

“The SIG opportunity has been invaluable. It has allowed me to connect with individuals who are currently delivering inspiring work within their respective areas. There is an exciting energy which comes from a diverse group of people like this. Everyone sparks new ideas and continues to identify new ways of delivering value. Collectively we have witnessed how everything is evolving and there are now so many new ways of maximising marketing opportunities for Special Interest Groups.”

Moumita Das Roy is a cross-industry marketer with experience in Nonprofit, Media, Advertising, and Telecom. Her core expertise lies in Brand & Product Management and Digital Marketing. She is also a tertiary educator and a workplace trainer. She speaks English, Hindi, Bengali und ein bißchen Deutsch. She is a passionate traveller, and has been to all seven continents, immersing herself in cultures around the world.

"This is a volunteering governance role where I can combine my skills from the world of corporate marketing with for-purpose. I have the opportunity to bring together an amazing network of people, who work in the not-for-profit space, and support them with Marketing Association’s resources and watch closely the incredible work they do.”

Andrea has more than 20 years’ experience in marketing, communications and the not-for-profit sector.  

Before joining Melanoma New Zealand as its Chief Executive in 2019, Andrea spent more than nine years at the Starship Foundation (a social-profit organisation raising funds for the national children’s hospital) where she headed up the Marketing, Communications, Events and Corporate Partnerships functions.

A former journalist and public relations professional, she has also worked closely both with and in the media her entire career, with her most recent role being Editor of the National Business Review magazine.

“It is exciting to see the extraordinary impact and outcomes that both corporates and not for profit organisations can achieve when they partner effectively.  I really value being part of this Special Interest Group, and being involved in a forum that shares a wide range of perspectives, experiences and ideas to challenge and inspire our work.”

 

Rowan is an accomplished senior marketer with over 15 years’ experience who is currently leading the charge on marketing at New Zealand Red Cross as Marketing Manager. She comes from a broad marketing background working within organisations such as Lotto New Zealand, Tourism New Zealand, ChristchurchNZ and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. 

With an extensive experience in brand identity and campaign development she has always had a strong focus on digital. In 2022 she was working in a consultancy firm that specialised in Marketing Automation and supported New Zealand businesses implement technology that effectively utilised their data to achieve personalisation at scale.

““I’m really excited to be part of the For Purpose Special Interest Group and look forward to contributing with thoughts and ideas to help inspire our For Purpose community of marketers”   

 

Fiona has more than 25 years’ experience in the finance, banking, not-for-profit, entertainment, retail, leisure and travel industries.
Currently contracting at Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Fiona is developing their fundraising strategy and project managing income-generating initiatives.
She has previously been facilitator for the MA’s Certificate of Direct Marketing and also a regular judge at the TVNZ Marketing Awards
Passionate about philanthropy, she is delighted to be part of the For Purpose SIG and contribute with thought leadership based on her experience and background.

Andrew joined the Marketing Association as a Student Ambassador for the For Purpose Special Interest Group in October 2024. He brings over eight years of professional experience in content strategy, copywriting, and branding, having worked with the likes of Disney, Discovery, and Tata. Andrew is passionate about leveraging marketing to help create positive social impact.

He is currently a Master of Marketing student at Auckland University of Technology, where he continues to develop his expertise in strategic communications. When he's not immersed in the world of marketing, Andrew enjoys running, trekking, and sampling  Auckland’s legendary pies. 

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.

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.

Darryn has close to 18 years’ experience within the Wellington marketing industry.

Starting his career at Wellington Rugby as their Commercial Executive and then Membership Manager, he moved across to ANZ in 2008.

Since joining ANZ, he's led the Acquisition, Wealth and Insurance portfolios before accepting the role as ANZ Brand lead. Most recently he's been appointed as Portfolio Lead - Personalisation at ANZ.

When Darryn is not at work, he's either running in the hills around Wellington or running around after two young boys at home in Greytown.

Rebecca is an experienced Brand Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry.

 A strong sales professional skilled in brand strategy and management, photography and content production, Government communications, above-the-line and through-the-line advertising, marketing, apparel, and creative writing.

After studying marketing at the University of Waikato, Joanne followed her fathers’ footsteps into the marketing world, where she’s enjoyed the last 25 years. 

 

Joanne has spent her career working across FMCG, healthcare, software and financial services in NZ, Canada and the UK for companies including Colgate-Palmolive, Virgin, GlaxoSmithKline, Hatch and ACC. 
 
In her down time Joanne loves travelling with family, catching up with friends and trying delicious recipes from FoodTok. 

Craig works in the Marketing team at Fire and Emergency New Zealand and loves using creativity and storytelling to craft high impact campaigns that speak to people.

When it comes to communication, Craig believes that there is always a story and there is always a better way to tell it.

Since joining Fire and Emergency NZ, he has helped to champion fresh, creative strategies on several campaigns including Lithium-ion batteries, Career Firefighter recruitment, and recognising Proud Employers of volunteers.  

Ellen is a marketing and communications professional based in Wellington. 

Graduating from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Communication, Ellen began her career working in the Communications team at Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

At present, Ellen works as a Marketing and Communications Advisor at Wellington Region Emergency Management Office, creating content and campaigns to support Wellingtonians in getting the right information before, during and after a disaster.

Ellen brings a fresh and interesting perspective to emergency communications, and is open to connections and kōrero about how we better inform and educate our communities about risk.

A skilled strategic marketing professional with over twenty years’ experience developing and implementing marketing strategies for many New Zealand and international market leading businesses. Tim is the Director of Gecko Marketing, operating since 2013 - Gecko marketing provides out-sourced strategic marketing services to small and medium sized businesses. Tim specialises in customer focused and measurable integrated marketing and brand strategies.

A past student of the marketing association digital marketing program and a Chartered Marketer, Tim holds a BBS and Masters in Marketing and has been a member of the Marketing Association Central Committee since 2012.

Supporting marketers for over 20 years in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, Denelle built her career in advertising traversing both publishing and agency sides. After a ‘sojourn’ to Recruitment in 2023, Denelle is back agency-side at  Somar Digital helping organisations with their visibility and engagement online.

 

Denelle really enjoyed completing her Mini MBA in Marketing and counts a career highlight as being the first Chair of Iwirau, TVNZ’s Inclusion rōpū.    She is delighted to represent the needs of Wellington’s Marketing and Communications community on the Marketing Association’s Central Committee.

 

 

Mike is a senior marketer with over 35 years, working for organisations such as Coca-Cola, Caltex, Foodstuffs and many more.

In 2011, Mike started @consult - an agency specialising in Marketing Strategy, Branding and Channel Tactics, providing seasoned resources to help develop strategy, execute marketing plans and business growth.

Earlier in his career Mike was the recipient of the Cornell University Executive Marketing scholarship. 2012 qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM). And in 2021 he become Professional Certified Strategic Marketer.

He rates Wellington as the best city in NZ and NZ the best country in the world. And is passionate about all things marketing and supporting business with marketing that is planned and purposeful.

“Being part of Committee is a great experience, it enables you to be part of the marketing community and its people, creates opportunities for learning and importantly lets me support the industry and new marketers by shaping events, learning and mentoring”

 

Caitlin is a student at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington studying a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Marketing and Management and minoring in Political Science. She also has a Diploma of Creative Marketing from Yoobee College of Innovation.

Through her community advocacy work, Caitlin has developed a passion for leveraging her marketing and design skills to communicate important ideas, inspire action on social issues, and support non-profit organisations.

Caitlin is always eager to connect with like-minded people and explore new opportunities. Feel free to reach out to her on LinkedIn.

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.

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.

Michael Durie is a life-long and passionate marketer with more than 40 years advertising, PR, sales and marketing management experience having worked across a broad range of corporate, and small-medium business enterprises in Australia and New Zealand.

Working under his consulting practice Durie Hill, he mentors and advises organisations on how to grow, through data driven insights and strategy using creative tactics to find, get, keep and grow their customers profitably.

Michael is Southern chair of the Marketing Association, a former chair of KEA NZ based in NSW, and for some years an ADMA marketing tutor and executive committee member. Between 2004-2015 Michael was senior sales manager and marketing consultant with Australia Post where he worked with many of the largest corporations in Australasia advocating the medium of mail.

He also has a special interest supporting the New Zealand start-up and entrepreneurial business community and in 2020 co-founded Christchurch based clean energy-tech firm, HIKO Unlimited.

Today Michael sits on numerous advisory and governance boards for both commercial and non-for-profit organisations and is a long-standing mentor with NZ Business Mentors which has opened doors to helping local businesses during challenging times under lockdown.

“As an advocate for the MA in the South Island, I value the support this connection provides me both professionally and through the social networks and people who attend our local events. We have amazing marketing talent here in our southern region and the MA is front and centre in providing us access to NZ & the world’s best marketing thinkers and practitioners.”

Clare is a senior marketer with 14 years experience across a variety of marketing roles in education with a solid skill base in the strategy and implementation of online and offline marketing.

She is passionate about ensuring that the marketing community on the South Island has access to training and information and sees the marketing association as a key driver for this and is currently undertaking her Professional Certified Strategic Marketer alongside studying full time through Lincoln University.

Clare is passionate about helping small companies achieve their marketing aims through the Marketing for Good and ASB Backing Business events.

Dr Ning (Chris) Chen is a senior lecturer in marketing at the Department of Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury.

Dr. Chen is an active university teacher covering various marketing subjects, and a proactive marketing researcher in identity and attachment theory in different context including place, branding, and sports.

He has been working with tourism and sport industry in NZ and around the globe, and joined MA Southern SIG since early 2020.

Deana has 3 years of experience in the Marketing field and has honed skills in managing and executing successful marketing campaigns from start to finish. She works with local and international clients within the tech sector.

Her expertise includes project management, executing campaigns, and reporting. Deana is skilled at collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure that projects are aligned with my client's goals and objectives. As a true people person, she enjoys communicating with people on a daily basis and has built really strong relationships within her position and outside of work through networking.

With over a decade's worth of marketing agency experience, Cameron understands how to effectively tell your story to your ideal audience.

Born in Christchurch, Cameron was raised in Dunedin where he earned a combined First Class Honours degree in History and Politics from the University of Otago. Returning to Christchurch after the earthquakes, Cameron completed his Bachelor in Broadcasting Communications (Journalism) from the New Zealand Broadcasting School, and after a brief stint in radio news, decided that marketing was a lot more fun.

For over seven years, Cameron ran his own marketing and PR consultancy, assisting SMEs across all industries and sectors, mainly around Christchurch and Canterbury. The part of the job he loved the most was meeting new people and understanding the intricacies and challenges within their jobs, so he could effectively share their stories with their audiences.

Cameron joined the team at TimeZoneOne as a Senior Content Manager in 2021. He worked closely with their NZ based clients, plus TimeZoneOne's Chicago-based team to develop marketing strategies and deliver on campaigns. At the same time, he's still doing what he loves: meeting new people, wrapping his head around the challenges facing different industries, and spinning a good yarn.

In the dynamic role of marketing, communications, and investor relations, Jo brings her marketing experience from Canada to New Zealand. 
 
Jo’s professional journey spans experiences in mass media marketing, graphic design, and has gained knowledge and insights in the construction industry in her previous role as a Project Coordinator at Calder Stewart. Recognizing the value of collaborative dynamics, Jo thrives in team environments to bring ideas to life and is dedicated to adopting innovative marketing strategies to deliver successful campaigns.
 
Beyond the professional world, she finds genuine enjoyment in networking and establishing new connections, and spending time outdoors ticking off New Zealand Great Walks.
 

 

 

 

 

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.

Roxy looks after the MA's event series and several conferences. She has incredible attention to detail and excellent time management skills.

Seeing event attendees gaining insights & enjoying the events she plans is what makes her so passionate about her work.

Always one to have packages delivered to the workplace – Roxy is an avid online shopper and loves nothing more than to watch Netflix and play games.

Quentin Weber lives and breathes online advertising, analytics and SEO so you don’t have to. Founder of specialist online ads agency Unbound, Quentin has spent more than a decade helping businesses succeed online.

Quentin is an experienced marketer with an eye for strategy. But in a complex and ever-changing marketing landscape, Quentin believes ‘you can’t be an expert in everything’. This was the catalyst behind Unbound, with Quentin spotting an opportunity for a specialist digital agency in Hamilton.

Quentin currently works with some of New Zealand’s leading brands including JB Hi-Fi, Gallagher and Winger. Delivering more than just ‘clicks’, Quentin’s strong business credentials enable him and his team to deliver results that impact the bottom line.

Stacey Kitchen is an accomplished marketing manager with a broad marketing background across start-ups, property & retail, and automotive.

From building brands and marketing functions from the ground up, to strategising with well-established brands to drive tangible results, Stacey lives and breathes marketing strategy and CX.

Stacey is the Marketing Manager of The Base, one of New Zealand's largest shopping centres, where she manages all things marketing, sales analysis and customer service. 

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.

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.

Glenn Dougal is the Director of Wave Agency and has over 25 years of international marketing, branding, and communications experience. Based in London and Tokyo for seven years, Glenn has worked with both large and small companies, advising them on marketing and communications campaigns. His work has ranged from launching Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Jennifer Lopez’s perfume ‘Glow by J.Lo’ to advising the British Tourist Authority post foot-and-mouth crisis.
 
Wave Agency is an award-winning, full-service brand communications agency based in Mount Maunganui. It advises businesses like Aon Insurance, Brother, NZ Certified Builders, EastPack, HortNZ, Port of Tauranga, Waipuna Hospice, and Zespri on their brand and communications activities.
 
Glenn is also a Director of the charity Legacy Funerals and the former Chair of the Tauranga Arts Festival Trust and Escape Readers and Writers Festival. He helped found Marketing Professional Bay of Plenty (MoPed) in 2012 and is the current Chair of this networking group.

Geoffrey Campbell is the founder of The Why Marketing and General Manager of Metalfix Solutions, based in Tauranga, New Zealand. With over 15 years of experience across the promotional products, corporate clothing, and marketing industries, Geoffrey brings a wealth of knowledge to the businesses he supports. His passion for helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thrive through strategic and hands-on marketing has been a key driver in his career.

Geoffrey’s love for the promotional products industry is rooted in his extensive experience in the manufacture and sales of wholesale corporate clothing, particularly in the security uniforms sector in South Africa. His career began with a focus on providing high-quality, functional uniforms for security personnel, a niche that allowed him to build strong client relationships and a deep appreciation for quality workmanship. His expertise in this area has grown into a broader offering of branded promotional merchandise, where he continues to help businesses make a lasting impact with sustainable, high-quality products.

In addition to his work in corporate clothing, Geoffrey has a background in event management, having spent five years working on large-scale corporate events in South Africa. He worked with high-profile clients such as Avon and a major alcoholic beverage distributor, gaining invaluable experience in brand promotion, event logistics, and customer engagement. This experience has shaped his holistic approach to marketing, blending brand visibility with customer connection to create lasting impressions.
At The Why Marketing, Geoffrey offers in-house marketing services tailored to each client’s unique needs. These services include strategic marketing planning, brand management, content creation, social media management, and email marketing. His approach as a Virtual Marketing Officer (VMO) allows him to work closely with clients as part of their team, ensuring marketing strategies are not only practical but also drive sustainable growth.

Beyond his professional roles, Geoffrey is deeply involved in the Tauranga community. As a Community Officer at Shared Workspaces on Chapel Street, he fosters connections between local entrepreneurs, helping to create a collaborative and supportive environment. He is also passionate about promoting local artists, bringing their work into corporate buildings to give them opportunities to display and sell their art to a wider audience, including potential clients who may not have encountered it otherwise. Geoffrey’s community involvement extends to various smaller projects, where he uses his marketing and connection-building expertise to support initiatives that benefit the local business and creative communities.

Grounded in his core values of honesty, empathy, and openness, Geoffrey is dedicated to making a positive impact, whether through marketing, business leadership, or community engagement. His passion for helping businesses succeed and his commitment to the local community continue to drive his work.

Gillian is an expert in product market validation, product market fit and how this affects sales growth. She helps organisations gain critical insights into what’s needed to ensure new product launches are successful and forecasts are met. 

Her global expertise and experience has led her to work across many product releases, global markets and industries. Specifically Aotearoa, Australia, UK, US, UAE and Asian markets. Snapshot ensure robust data collection and insights to help organisations minimise costly loop-backs & find what’s needed for success.

Holly works at Likeable Lab Agency in Tauranga and is their Head of Performance Marketing - working on all things paid media, data and strategy. Outside of work she enjoys running, finding good coffee and walking her chunky little bichon dog Herb.

Kia ora, I'm Jonathan Swan. Passionate about creating engagement that improves lives.

I'm a Marketing Communications Expert with 20 years of experience executing strategic plans across commercial, not for profit and educational organisations.

Currently leading digital community engagement at Tauranga City Council. Across CRM, Web and Social platforms.

Tainui - Ngāti Raukawa | Te Arawa - Tūhourangi

Larissa Allen brings 15 years’ experience as a marketing and event manager as well as over 20 years’ experience in the entertainment industry.

Larissa attended Waikato University, graduating with a Bachelor of Communications with a double major in Public Relations and Marketing. Over her career she has worked with many brands and companies and is no stranger to marketing for screen, with one of her first clients being Sony Pictures. 

Larissa was first bit with the ‘creative bug’ when she acted in her first theatre production at seven years old. Since then, award winning actor, producer and writer, Larissa, has worked in professional theatre, TV and Film. Some more recent projects being; Ka Whawhai Tonu, Petrified, Love ya Face and This Day Forward. 
Larissa has been privileged to work with and learn from some exceptional practitioners including; Peter Feeney, Lisa Chappel, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Vincent Ward, Jacqueline Nairn, Nikki Si'ulepa and Anya Saffir. 
A recipient winner of the Equity Atlantic Acting School Scholarship, Larissa graduated from the Summer Intensive Programme in New York City, August 2023.

Larissa values staying ahead of industry expectations and developments and places importance on education, taking part in regular Directing and Acting workshops as well as completing a Diploma in Screen Production. 

A recent breast cancer survivor, Larissa is proud to be juggling motherhood and business and is passionate about promoting female’s prospering in the screen industry. Larissa is excited to merge her skills with her passion, to develop unique New Zealand content that’s enjoyed by audiences all around the world.

In her spare time, Larissa has been an event manager and committee member for Marketing Professionals Bay of Plenty since 2014. 

For the last 15 years, Rosina has been the driving force behind Energise, a B-to-B brand and digital agency. As well as leading the Energise team, Rosina is the founder of SME School sharing her expertise in the power of marketing as well as a facilitator for the Marketing Association. She mentors young marketers and as part of Business Mentors NZ, ambitious business owners. She is also a contributor writer for many publications including the EMA magazine, a judge at the NZ Marketing Awards and a speaker at conferences and industry events. Recently she joined MOPED as a committee member and sponsor. In Rosina’s pre-energise life, she held a variety of senior marketing roles for companies including Sky City, Westfield, Telecom, AUT and Westpac.