Our structure

Sponsor and champions

Naomi Ferguson, GWN Sponsor, Commissioner and Chief Executive, Inland Revenue

Naomi Ferguson and Peter Mersi are Chief Executive co-leads for Papa Pounamu, a steering group of twelve public sector CEs who are driving a collaborative programme of diversity and inclusion across the public service.

GWN also receives valuable support from CEs and senior leaders as a leadership group and individually through their agencies.

Steering Committee

Ruth Shinoda, Chair, Education Review Office – Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga

Anne Marie Taggart, Deputy Chair, New Zealand Customs Service – Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa

Alison Lewes, Ministry of Justice – Tāhū o te Ture

Leisa Adsett, State Services Commission – Te Kawa Mataaho

Luisa Avia, Ministry of Health –  Manatū Hauora

Kellie Coombes, State Services Commission – Te Kawa Mataaho

Monique Esplin, Crown Law – Te Tari Ture o te Karauna

Meena Pratap, Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai

Stacey Richardson, Ministry of Justice – Tāhū o te Ture

GWN team

GWN's small team works to support women's networks in the wider public sector. The GWN Programme Office team provides secretariat support to the Steering Committee and delivers a programme of activities to support the vision.

The GWN team consists of three full-time staff located in Wellington, and part time coordinators for Auckland GWN and Southern GWN:

Rebecca Schasching, Acting Programme Director

Kerri Du Pont, Senior Communications Advisor

Elisha Marsden, GWN Administrator

Heather Milne, Southern GWN Coordinator

Virginia Fordham, Auckland GWN Coordinator