Southern GWN welcomes two new committee members
SGWN is excited to announce two new members of the Southern GWN Committee.
Alexandra Neems
Alexandra is an experienced intelligence practitioner, entering the workforce in the New Zealand Intelligence Community following the completion of her Master’s in International Security and Intelligence. In 2020 she took up a great opportunity in Waka Kotahi to help establish their intelligence function, working with some brilliant minds to lay the foundations of a high functioning intelligence team in support of the agency’s shift towards becoming a risk-based intelligence-led regulator. As the Principal Intelligence Analyst, she works to lead their analytical function to understand and identify trends of non-compliance and unsafe behaviour across our land transport system so we can best target our resources to keep everyone safe while travelling around Aotearoa.
Throughout her career she has found great support in employee-led networks and has co-chaired the Women in the New Zealand Intelligence Community network and is currently the co-coordinator of the inter-agency working group, the Intelligence Practitioners Group. Alexandra finds the opportunity for personal development, connection, and support from these networks invaluable, and a real privilege to contribute to ensure these networks continue to be available to others.
Alexandra has leveraged the increased appetite for remote and flexible working and has recently re-located from Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington to Ōtepoti Dunedin, where, with her partner, she is getting deep into gardening, home renovation, and enjoying all that a new city brings.
Kathy Connolly
Kathy is a career statistician and passionate about data and the difference it can make to peoples lives through supporting good decision making. Apart from the traditional Kiwi OE for a few years and parental leave she has worked for Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ. My current role is as GM Statistical Change and Assurance.
Throughout her career she has benefited from some excellent role models and mentors – the most influential ones being women. Kathy has made it a priority to try and support women in their careers – in particular Māori and Pasifika wahine in more recent years. So, the opportunity to get involved with SGWN is an exciting extension of this for her.
Kathy lives in Ōtautahi in the lovely Redcliffs area with her partner, son and springer spaniel. She generally starts her day with a dog walk in the hills or on the beach – and reckons there’s no better way to start the day!
