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 which sets the diversity and inclusion work programme for the wider public service.
GWN also receives valuable support from CEs and senior leaders as a leadership group and individually through their agencies.
Steering Committee
Anita Edwards, Chair, Ministry of Justice – Tāhū o te Ture
Karyn Thompson, Deputy Chair, New Zealand Defence Force – Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa
Tofilau Iris Webster, Te Kawa Mataaho – Public Service Commission
Lu Avia, Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora
Melanie Smith, Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Monique Esplin, Crown Law – Te Tari Ture o te Karauna
Juliette Hayes, Education Review Office – Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga
Briar Wyatt, Ministry for the Environment – Manatū Mō Te Taiao
Sio Kihe La’a Talakai-Alatini, Ministry of Pacific People – Te Manatū mō iwi ō te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa
Dr Jacqui Matthews, Te Puni Kōkiri – Ministry of Māori Development
Dr Fathima Iftikar, Ministry for the Environment – Manatū Mō Te Taiao
Heather Guthrie, Ministry of Primary Industries – Manatū Ahu Matua
Dr Anna Milne-Tavendale, Manatū Wāhine – Ministry for Women
Laura Olsen, New Zealand Police – Nga Pirihimana o Aotearoa
Nicola Johns, New Zealand Police – Nga Pirihimana o Aotearoa
The GWN Steering Committee also includes the Chairs of the regional networks, Sarah Leo Anderson – Te Aka Wāhine o Tāmaki Auckland GWN and Jennifer Leahy – Te Aka Wāhine o Te Waipounamu Southern GWN.
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 four full-time staff located in Wellington, and part-time coordinators for Auckland GWN and Southern GWN:
Carin Sundstedt, Programme Director
Tai Hartley-Parsons, Senior Advisor
Virginia Fordham, Auckland GWN Coordinator
Tammy Andrew, Southern GWN Coordinator
Arpita Das, Advisor
Alana Fasavalu, Advisor