Our People

The founder of SBN, Rachel has played a critical role in advancing sustainable business for almost 20 years. She is a regular presenter, collaborator and driver of action within NZ business. She provides strategic sustainability advice to countless government agencies and businesses, ranging from large corporates to small enterprises. In 2018 she was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for years of service to sustainable business.

Christina connects people, organisations and ideas to create change for nature. She brings experience in sustainability consulting, community engagement and relationship-building - most recently as co-founder and kaitiaki of Whakatipu Mana Kai, delivering community wānanga on kai sovereignty.  Before that she was a Business Development and Strategy Specialist at thinkstep-anz. She has studied te reo Māori at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa for four years and volunteers with Ark in the Park, doing predator control in the Waitākere Ranges she calls home.

Outside work you'll find Christina getting into her māra, cooking from what she grows, or out running, tramping and surfing. She's also recently returned to her love of sewing, knitting and all things fibre textiles.

Christopher is our Network Engagement Manager. Prior to joining SBN, Christopher championed the environment for the last couple of decades with Greenpeace and SolarZero, working in fundraising, sales and customer care. A dual citizen of Canada and Luxembourg, Christopher’s international perspective gives him a deep appreciation of diversity in all its forms. In 2012, a sailing trip to the Arctic Circle solidified his determination to tackle the climate emergency.

Fiona is one of NZ’s most experienced communicators of sustainability, with 25 years’ experience. She was speech writer for the UK’s chief sustainability advisor for four years and Oxford University’s first PR advisor on the environment. In NZ she has worked on sustainability communications for organisations of all sizes and at different stages of their sustainability journey since 2000. She has Honours and Masters degrees from the University of Cambridge, specialising in Environment and Development.

James leads SBN’s work to accelerate the circular economy in New Zealand. He has extensive commercial experience, having worked in large corporates and owned his own business. His business sustainability journey started many years ago via the coffee industry where he was involved in Fair Trade. 

Jenny has worked as a company accountant in the commercial industry sector for more than 15 years. She has moved to SBN to work alongside good people and change her lifestyle. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading and playing badminton.

Kimberley (they/them) leads SBN’s nature team. Previously, they led SBN’s climate action programme. Kimberley has also worked in corporate sustainability and in academia, and they love learning and sharing knowledge. They’re excited to help more organisations see the benefits of taking action for nature, including how nature offers climate solutions.

Kimberley lives and works in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington. They are regularly delighted and inspired by the increasing biodiversity in the city, including abundant kākā. Outside work, Kimberley enjoys tramping, running, singing, reading fantasy and science fiction, and volunteering with community nature regeneration projects.

Lauren is focussed on supporting the SBN team to deliver engagement and training activities for our Network and beyond. She also leads our flagship events such as the Sustainable Business Awards. This mahi sits alongside supporting internal engagement where she can be her Camp Mum best, and promote an SBN culture that is inclusive, supportive, and thriving. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) to which she attributes her creative approach to anything she turns her hand to. She has forever been passionate about the environment, having spent most of her life in the hills of the Waitakere Ranges. These days you’ll find her roaming new hills in Tāhuna, or elbows deep in anything crafty.

Marie looks after operations, events and the Electrify Business project at SBN. She has an academic background in human rights and humanitarian law and a professional background working with NGOs, embassies and events. She is currently doing a Master of Management with a major in sustainability at Massey University. Her particular interests are the circular economy, energy, transport and waste. Outside work you’ll find her free diving and scuba diving.

Phil’s career in media and communications has involved him as a writer, photographer and video producer. Over the past decade he has been raising awareness of environmental issues and promoting their solutions at both local and global levels. Phil credits a rural upbringing for his connection to the land and ongoing dedication to sustainability.

Theresa is our in-house accountant and has worked for SBN and the not for profit sector for more than 15 years. Her favourite pastimes are gardening, cooking, reading and walking in the Waitakere Ranges.

Ursula is our Digital Marketing Manager. Before joining SBN, she spent the past decade helping purpose-led organisations grow their impact through digital marketing, brand strategy and communications, while also founding REMiND, a workplace wellbeing business. With a background in ecology and a passion for regeneration, Ursula believes powerful storytelling can inspire the systems change needed for people and nature to thrive.

After over a decade working in travel and tourism, where she was Area Manager of Expedia Group, Tori transitioned to a focus on sustainability. She had become increasingly concerned about global and local challenges and the slow pace to adopt better systems. Through her work with SBN, she is focused on helping businesses move from extractive to regenerative practices, prioritising positive social and environmental impact alongside profitability.

Andy has been a leading voice in sustainability communications in Aotearoa New Zealand for more than 15 years. He’s also a global fundraiser, philanthropic and major donor relationship manager.

He’s a multi-award-winning researcher and writer, and an expert in content creation across all major platforms. His work centres partnerships with professionals and academics. He’s also a highly experienced environmental facilitator and climate change expert with a friendly, inclusive and open approach.  

Jacqueline is a founding Partner of The Purpose Business. She is a passionate advocate for values and purpose driven business, and bringing the customer’s voice into an organisation to drive better decisions, performance and results. She has over two decades of experience working with leading New Zealand businesses and brands to improve the quality of their stakeholder engagement and reputation capital. Jacqueline is recognised as a thought leader in sustainable business and brand strategy. In her previous role leading New Zealand’s most respected market insights agency, she created The Colmar Brunton Better Business Report, a seven year longitudinal study into the growth of conscious consumerism in New Zealand.

Amber is an uri of Ngāruahine and māmā to a very opinionated toddler. In her spare time she is a Lecturer in Management at AUT. Her PhD entitled 'Whenua Tupuna, Whenua Hauora: Ancestral and Relational Landscapes' explores ways to enhance multi-dimensional wellbeing through recognising the landscapes in which business operates. Amber is also a founding member of K.I.N., on the executive committee of the University of Auckland Ngā Taniwha Māori Alumni network, and loves to play indoor netball (socially).

Barry Coates is founder and CEO of Mindful Money, a social enterprise shifting investment towards ethical investment and sustainability. Barry has been active in sustainability since the Earth Summit in 1992, working in NZ and internationally on fair trade, climate change and poverty. Barry has worked across business, government and charities. Since returning to NZ in 2003, he was head of Oxfam Aotearoa for a decade, initiated a sustainability programme at The University of Auckland and was briefly a Green Party list MP. Barry has a Master’s in Management from Yale University and was awarded Sustainability Champion in the 2016 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards. Barry has many years of governance experience, including on boards of member organisations. He is an enthusiastic supporter of SBN’s work.

Dawn is a highly experienced sustainability business leader. She has a passion for embedding sustainability into core business strategy, building purpose led brands and strong customer and employee value propositions.

Dawn has worked for 25 years as a sustainability professional in New Zealand and Denmark. This includes 12 years as Group Sustainability Manager at NZ Post, 8 years as Head of Procurement at Westpac and 10 years in social housing in the UK.

She is the editor and initiator of 'Change the World for $15' book in New Zealand. Dawn holds a Masters of Science in Responsibility and Business Practice from Bath University, UK and is an alumni of the Cambridge Institute of Sustainable Leadership Executive programme.

Peter is founder and a director of Ethical Investing NZ, a specialist financial advisory firm. He has over 30 years of experience in financial services in a variety of marketing, funds, adviser support and advising roles. Peter believes passionately in business as  a force for good.  

He was a founder-director of SBN, has launched two ethical investment funds and is a Certified Adviser member of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia.

In his spare time Peter is actively involved with the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi, a major Auckland conservation volunteer group, is a past chair and treasurer, and regularly guides and volunteers on the island. 

Sean has recently become the CEO of Smartfoods Ltd, producer of the Vogels and Something to Crow About cereal brands. He was formerly the CEO of Hubbard Foods.   Sean has been a Chartered Accountant, with over 20 years experience predominantly in food & beverage companies. While the latter part of his career has been as a CEO he has a strong accountancy background.  Most notably, his time as CFO of Hubbards gave him the opportunity to be instrumental in driving sustainability and community-based projects for the company.

Sean has been on the Board of SBN for 6 Years, and during that time has chaired the Audit and Risk committee.

Susan has deep experience across climate, sustainability and finance. She is co-owner of Electric Autobus, which has delivered 450 electric buses to New Zealand cities, giving her hands-on experience in how new technologies are developed, adopted and mainstreamed.

Previously, Susan was Director of Sustainability and Financial Inclusion at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand where she led work across climate change, Te Ao Māori and financial inclusion. She was also Director of Partnerships at the Deep South National Science Challenge and a Senior Adviser at the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. She holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics.