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.

Andy has almost 20 years’ experience in journalism, fundraising and communications. His focus is on value shifting for global well-being. He holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing and a Permaculture Design Certificate. Andy has been a founding writer for Good magazine and Element magazine with the New Zealand Herald. He has also been a lead writer for Idealog. Andy has worked all over the globe for some of the world’s leading environmental NGOs. Clients have included WWF, Greenpeace and Oxfam.

Ayla’s role as Network Engagement Manager means she is constantly inspired by the amazing work of our Investors for Impact. She is passionate about sustainability and the sense of community and purpose it brings. Ayla has a Bachelor of Business majoring in Sustainable Enterprise, and a Bachelor of Design majoring in Communication. In her spare time Ayla loves to do anything arty and spend time outdoors pottering in the garden.

Beckie leads on network engagement: connecting businesses with people and ideas to shift Aotearoa New Zealand to a regenerative, low-carbon, circular economy. She's an experienced sustainability consultant with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and has worked in the UK, Australia, India and Tanzania. Outside of work she loves to paint, practice yoga and explore new places.

Becky is part of our Engagement team. She comes from a teaching background with a Bachelors in Education and has more recently begun a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals. She is interested in raising the stature of environmental education in Aotearoa New Zealand and enjoys working with a range of audiences. Becky spends the majority of her time in the moana whether it is diving, surfing or enjoying marine life. 

Dani has joined SBN to continue her mahi nurturing collaborative relationships in the youth leadership and environmental education space. Her role is to support rangatahi and their whānau to develop the skills to thrive in nature-based careers. She is passionate about grounding in Te Ao Māori and indigenous pathways of knowing. Dani has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Geography, Politics and Sociology and is now focusing on mauri tau/mindfulness education and alignment with kaupapa Māori principles. She enjoys yoga, walking in the ngahere, and dancing in the kitchen. 

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.

Holly is part of our Engagement team. She has a background in the events industry and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Event Management. She is passionate about creating memorable experiences through our learning and networking events. She is also focused on reducing the environmental impacts of our events. Holly enjoys dancing, sewing and spending time at the beach.

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. 

Jaz is part of our Circular Economy team and is focused on accelerating Aotearoa New Zealand’s transition to a circular economy. She recently completed a Masters of Sustainable Development Goals, specialising in business and sustainability.

In her spare time, Jaz enjoys hiking, fishing and spending time with her dogs.

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 leads the Climate Action programme at SBN, supporting smaller businesses across Aotearoa to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and be part of a low-emissions future. 

Kimberley has previously worked in sustainability within a corporate context and completed a PhD researching materials for solar panels. Kimberley loves learning and is passionate about tackling climate change and leaving a positive impact on our planet. Outside work, Kimberley enjoys running, reading fantasy and science fiction, and getting immersed in the bush on tramping trips.

Lauren heads up our Engagement Team. She's focussed on supporting a team of wonderful wāhine to deliver engagement and training activities for our Network and beyond, across things like the Sustainable Business Awards, Learn programme, and SBN Event calendar. 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.

Maeghan is our Digital Marketer, in charge of expanding our network and impact through digital channels. Her professional experience has been in Marketing agencies. While completing a Bachelor of Management Studies majoring in Marketing and Digital Business from the University of Waikato, Maeghan found a passion for sustainability in business that aligns with SBN's work in creating systems change. She is currently working on her Masters in Sustainable Development Goals at Massey University. In her spare time, you will find her hiking, camping, or at the beach.

Matthew supports Covid-affected Kiwis to find employment and careers in environmental restoration. He works closely with a number of SBN’s restoration project partners to increase their recruitment and operational capabilities whilst simultaneously building relationships with large funders to upscale operations and increase employment opportunities. Matt has a Bachelors’ degree in Biodiversity Management and spent years working in the field managing revegetation projects. He also spent time working in local government managing conservation programmes, including community education. Matt has a permaculture design certificate and spends his spare time ensuring he remains connected to nature in the garden.

Montana is part of our Engagement team. She has a passion for educating people on sustainable methods and alternatives that allow businesses to thrive in an environmentally-friendly manner. She is underway with her Masters in Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on Business and Sustainability. In her spare time, Montana enjoys trialling recipes in the kitchen, pottering in the garden, and spending time with her family on nature walks.

Patricia is our brand and design strategist, in charge of inspiring people to fall in love with our work. She’s an insightful designer specialising in brand strategy, emotional design and storytelling. Her professional experience includes identity systems, visual communication, corporate design and marketing in the creative industries, the NZ government and private sector. Patricia holds a Master of Design (AUT University), a Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies (Media Design School) and a Bachelor of Graphic Design. Patricia loves design innovation inspired by sustainability.

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.

Poppy is part of SBN’s engagement team and oversees general office operations. She comes from a hospitality background. In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, music, arts and travelling.

Rosa is part of SBN's climate related work, focused around the Climate Action Toolbox. Having previously worked in SBN's nature and regenerative design programmes, Rosa brings a wealth of knowledge to the Climate team. Her experience is key to helping businesses make the connection between climate and nature. 

She has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business, with experience managing various wildlife conservation projects in Zimbabwe. Rosa loves all things outdoors and is an avid surfer, spending most weekends at the beach. 

Sam leads the Nature Regeneration System Change programme. She comes to SBN from over a decade in Government, working to implement large scale national programmes focusing on monitoring, strategy and investment for nature. Sam is actively involved with grassroots community conservation and sustainability organisations establishing opportunities for people to be connected to nature and learn what they can do to help. She has worked with businesses at a local and national scale to create opportunities to learn and connect around sustainability.

Steph is our Impact and Investment Lead for our Regenerating Nature Programme, drawing on her passion for connecting funders with nature-based solutions to help tackle climate change and halt biodiversity loss. Before joining SBN Steph was the Strategic Partnership Director at Sustainable Coastlines, and held numerous commercial and communication roles in media and record companies. She comes with over 25 years of experience in strategic partnerships, sustainability, business transformation, stakeholder engagement and communications, and has a Bachelor of Arts from Auckland University. She's a passionate skier and beginner surfer.

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.

Tori is focused on promoting a culture where people are supported, celebrated and innovative ideas are allowed to flourish.  After over a decade working in travel and tourism, where she was Area Manager of Expedia Group, she transitioned to a focus on sustainability. She had become increasingly concerned about global and local challenges and the slow pace to adopt better systems. In her role at SBN she oversees advisory work, network engagement and maximising impact. She is focused on helping businesses move from extractive to regenerative practices, prioritising positive social and environmental impact alongside profitability.

Adam is the Head of Sustainability at Auckland Transport, working to reduce those important roading greenhouse gas emissions. He is leading Auckland Transport’s transition to a low carbon and more sustainable future.  Adam is a Chartered Environmentalist with an MSc in Environmental Management from Hertfordshire University, in the UK. Adam’s sustainability knowledge has been built across a diverse range of organisations including Waste Management, City of London, PepsiCo and Unitec. He is the Chairperson of IEMA-NZ, an international sustainability organisation headquartered in the UK with over 20,000 members.

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. Over the last 5 years, Dawn has worked with the integrated thinking and reporting (International Integrated Reporting Council) framework as a critical tool for understanding all forms of value creation.

Dawn has worked for 11 years as a sustainability professional working in New Zealand and Denmark, 8 years as Head of Procurement at Westpac Banking Corporation, New Zealand and 10 years in social housing in the UK.

She is the editor and initiator of the 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.

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.

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.

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).

Kath Dewar is founder and Managing Director of GoodSense ethical marketing, a Certified B Corporation. Kath is a marketer with over 30 years’ experience and a business-owner since 2001. With her team and clients, Kath is shaping marketing into a profession that serves society and nature, as well as an organisation’s stakeholders. A Fellow of the UK-based Chartered Institute of Marketing and an award winning international marketer, Kath joined the Sustainable Business Network in Aotearoa NZ in 2003.  This began the journey to meld Kath’s personal values with her professional practice, leading to the creation of the GoodSense brand in 2010. Kath is an experienced strategist, facilitator and storyteller and served on the Executive of the Waitakere Range Protection Society for ten years.

He uri tēnei nō Te Waiohua, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Waikato-Tainui me Ngāti Hāmoa hoki, kō Sophia Olo-Whaanga ahau.

I am currently the Social Responsibility Manager at Dempsey Wood, previously I was an Environment and Sustainability Advisor. By background, I am an Environmental Scientist with a passion for safeguarding the environment and its resources for future generations. Within my current job, I work across the business through a sustainability lens, implementing initiatives and strategy that enable broader outcomes.

I am actively involved in building the capacity of my Iwi at Makaurau Marae in Ihumātao, advising and implementing initiatives for Te Taiao such as ecological restoration and guiding rangatahi in the space of water monitoring and pest eradication. I am extremely interested in the dynamics between social psychology and environmental dimensions, immersing myself in Te Ao Māori and exploring the outdoors.