Our People
Our head office in Wellington is supplemented by a smaller office in Auckland. Made up of about 20 core staff, Asia:NZ is governed by a Chairman and Board of Trustees. We also have a network of Honorary Advisers, which consists of prominent public figures based throughout Asia.
Wellington Office
Dr Richard Grant, Executive Director
Richard joined the Foundation as Executive Director in January 2008. Before taking up his current position he had postings as New Zealand Ambassador to Germany, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador to France, and High Commissioner to Singapore. He has a doctorate from the University of Clermont-Ferrand in France. In 1999 he was a Visiting Scholar at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and in 2004 a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford University.
Adele Mason, Deputy Executive Director
Adele joined Asia:NZ in a management role and later became Deputy Executive Director. Previously, she worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, taking up diplomatic postings in Moscow, Brussels, New York and Singapore (with accreditation responsibilities to Sri Lanka and the Maldives). Adele has also lived and worked in Hong Kong. At Asia:NZ she manages the corporate and governance responsibilities, and takes a coordinating role across programmes.
Jennifer King, Director Culture
Jennifer oversees Asia:NZ’s culture programme, including the Chinese Lantern Festival in Auckland and Christchurch, and the Diwali Festival of Lights in Auckland and Wellington. Prior to joining Asia:NZ, Jennifer worked as a journalist in Hong Kong, China and Australia. She has an M.A. (Hons) from the University of Canterbury.
John Saunders, Director Communications
John joined Asia:NZ in 2004 as Director Communications and manages the marketing communications responsibilities. Prior to taking up this role, John worked in broadcasting and marketing communications management in both private and public sectors in England and New Zealand.
Vanessa Lee, Director Education
Vanessa joined Asia:NZ in April 2008 as Director Education, responsible for the Young Leaders Network and the Education portfolio. Vanessa has a B.A. (Hons) in Education, an M.A. in Education and a Diploma in TEFL. She has taught in primary, secondary and tertiary institutes in Britain, Bhutan, Brunei and Singapore. Vanessa’s previous post was Deputy Director of English Language Services for the British Council in Singapore.
Dr Andrew Butcher, Director Policy and Research
Andrew has a B.A. in history, a first class honours degree in Criminology, both from Victoria University of Wellington, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Massey University at Albany. He has previously worked at Inland Revenue and Massey University. He is the author of over thirty articles and book chapters, and is a Fellow of the Asian Studies Institute at Victoria University of Wellington.
Charles Mabbett, Media Adviser
Charles is a former print and broadcast journalist who has worked at the New Zealand Press Association, Australian Associated Press and Radio New Zealand. Charles was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and is of Chinese and European heritage. His family settled in New Zealand in 1976. Since 2004, he has managed Asia:NZ's media programme.
Janine Chin, Schools Coordinator
Janine works to promote studies of Asia in New Zealand schools. She is a former teacher, who has taught in a number of schools in Wellington and Auckland. She has also worked as an English teacher in Japan. Janine has travelled to many parts of Asia. Prior to working at Asia:NZ, she worked as a trainer in a government department.
Melanie Crawford, Young Leaders Network Coordinator
Melanie’s interest in Asia was established after several years working and travelling around the region. She joined Asia:NZ in 2005 as a project coordinator, working on a variety of projects and events. In October 2007, she took on the role of Young Leaders Network Coordinator. She has a B.A. in politics, theatre and film from Victoria University of Wellington.
Antonia Kokalova-Gray, Web Content Manager
Antonia obtained an M.A. (Hons) from the Sorbonne in Paris, before continuing her studies in London at Royal Holloway, University of London and Birkbeck College. She worked for the BBC World Service in London. Antonia has a background in media, research, communications and international relations, and is currently learning Japanese. Antonia is currently on leave from Asia:NZ.
Monica Turner, Project Officer Culture
Monica’s interest in Asia was established after travelling to India in 2002. Since then she has spent several years living and travelling in Asia. Her professional background is in event management and she holds a B.A. from Victoria University of Wellington. Monica joined Asia:NZ in 2007 in her current role, in which she has enjoyed working on a wide variety of projects and events. Monica is currently on leave from Asia:NZ.
Sunita Soma, Accountant
Sunita joined Asia:NZ in 2007 in the role of accountant. She balances part-time work with full-time motherhood. Sunita has a B.A. in Commerce from Victoria University, and has previously worked in Australia and England across both the private and public sectors.
Paula McLaughlin, Executive Assistant
Paula provides assistance to the Executive Director and the Chairman. She has been with Asia:NZ since 2003. She was appointed Chair of the Professional Assistants to Chief Executive organisation in September 2009. As an AFS exchange student, Paula spent a year living in Malaysia – an experience that made a significant impact on her life.
Deborah Dredge, Administration Assistant
Deborah joined Asia:NZ in 2003 as receptionist/accounts administrator after previously working as practice manager for a medical centre. Deborah is responsible for our accounts payable and receivable, and the day-to-day running of the Wellington office. She enjoys assisting our overseas performers during festival times and meeting the diverse range of visitors that we host.
Heather Judson, Project Officer Policy and Research
Heather joined Asia:NZ after obtaining a B.A. in English Literature and Media Studies from Victoria University. During her time as a tertiary student, Heather took papers in French and Italian, and continues her interest in languages by learning Chinese.
Auckland Office
Fiona Haiko, Auckland Office Manager
Fiona joined Asia:NZ after returning to New Zealand from Japan where she worked and studied for over seven years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese and a Master of Arts in International Relations. Previously, Fiona worked as Executive Assistant to the CEO of a branch of Ernst & Young in Tokyo, and more recently as a Research/Consular Officer at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo.
James Penn, Director Business
James joined Asia:NZ in 2008 as Director Business in Auckland. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from the University of Otago and a graduate diploma in International Business from the University of Auckland. He has worked in Auckland for the Japan External Trade Organisation as trade and investment promotion manager, and at the Consulate-General of Japan as public relations officer.
