What it means to be a Champion

With a commitment to transparency, Champions lead conversations on effective methods to boost programme and policy adoption that promote diversity. Although each Champion operates independently, they understand the importance of collaboration, regularly coming together to exchange insights, tackle obstacles, and celebrate collective success. In this way, Champions drive meaningful change and inspire others to join their efforts.

Champions demonstrate a strong commitment to driving positive change on a broader level that aligns with the goals of the Champions for Change community.

The distinctive features that contribute to the effectiveness of Champions for Change as one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leadership strategies for driving transformation are:

01

Collective and Collaborative Network​

A strong and interconnected community that fosters collaboration, sharing of best practices, and collective action towards a shared purpose.

02

Sustained Internal Momentum

Clear commitments and dedicated resources that drive progress and sustain long term change.

03

Collective Advocacy

A unified voice that leverages strategic partnerships to amplify impact and drive meaningful change within the broader community.

Join the Champion Community

To become a Champion, you must be the CEO or Chair of an Aotearoa New Zealand organisation, and a partner with Global Women.

If you would like to learn more about joining the community of Champions, please contact Global Women Head of Partnerships, Pippa Grey:

Our Promise

Alison Andrew

Honorary Champion
“…we are committed to increasing female representation.”

Andrew Holmes

CEO, PwC New Zealand
“I’m proud of our journey to create a culture where everyone feels they belong and can bring their whole self to work, through our focus on inclusion, belonging, diversity and equity.”

Andrew Poole

CEO, MinterEllisonRuddWatts
“…the real measure of an organisation is its culture.”

Antonia Watson

CEO, ANZ
“… we will maintain our momentum towards a workforce more representative of modern Aotearoa NZ.”

Ben McLaren

Chief Executive Officer, Russell McVeagh
“At Russell McVeagh, inclusive leadership is fundamental to strong culture and performance. Partnering with Champions for Change supports our focus on practical action, shared learning and accountability as leaders, so we can build workplaces where people feel respected, supported and able to do their best work.”

Carrie Hurihanganui

Chief Executive, Auckland Airport
“…creating a sense of place where everyone can thrive.”

Catherine McGrath

CE, Westpac New Zealand
“…better futures for our customers, communities and society.”

Dan Huggins

CEO, Bank of New Zealand
“We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace, that is representative of New Zealand’s rich cultural, ethnic and gender diversity…to ensure we’re reflecting the communities we are proud to serve.”

Daniel Witten-Hannah

CE, Fisher & Paykel Appliances
“…committed to leading positive change in gender and cultural diversity”

David Walsh

CEO, New Zealand Post
“Better integration and deeper embedding right across the employee lifecycle so this becomes who we are”

Fiona McTavish

CEO, Bay of Plenty Regional Council
“…significantly reduced our gender pay gap over the past four years.”

James Kilty

Chief Executive, Transpower
“Everyone, everywhere, all at once”

Jason Paris

CEO, One New Zealand
“…fostering a culture where everyone has the freedom to be themselves.”

Jason Shoebridge

CE, New Zealand Institute of Economic Research
“Issues of inclusion, diversity and equity have economic impacts on New Zealand.”

Jolie Hodson

Chief Executive Officer, Spark New Zealand
“Ko te whāinga kia hāpai te ahurea ahurei o Aotearoa whānui ki te ao, kia ngita – we are determined to uplift our unique culture of wider Aotearoa New Zealand to the world and secure it.”

Malcolm Johns

CEO, Genesis Energy
“…building a diverse workforce, embracing equity and being intentional about inclusion.”

Mark Cochrane

CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand (Publicis Groupe)
“…diversity and equality are absolutely fundamental to our success as a business.”

Mark Peterson

CEO, NZX Limited
“We aim to lead by example.”

Matt Prichard

Executive Chair, KPMG New Zealand
“Tackling the hard stuff.”

Mike Fuge

CE, Contact Energy
“…inclusive workplace where diversity in all forms is valued.”

Mike Horne

CE, Deloitte New Zealand
“Our commitment to inclusion and diversity across our business is unwavering.”

Miles Hurrell

CEO, Fonterra
“You, Me, Us Together – Tātou, Tātou means everyone can be themselves and at their best”

Nick Stanhope

Chief Executive Officer, AIA New Zealand
“…innovative through diversity of thinking and perspectives and creating a workplace where our people thrive.”

Nikhil Ravishankar

CEO, Air New Zealand

Peter Chrisp

Chief Executive, Te Taurapa Tūhono | New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
“…commitment to diversity makes our global team stronger…”

Peter Reidy

Chief Executive, KiwiRail
“…creating a place where all our people can grow and feel they belong.”

Peter Vial

Country Head, Chartered Accounts Australia and New Zealand
“Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging is integral to our purpose, both as an employer and as a membership body. It shapes our culture, informs our leadership, and strengthens our ability to help build a diverse, capable and future-focused accounting profession.

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging is integral to our purpose, both as an employer and as a membership body. It shapes our culture, informs our leadership, and strengthens our ability to help build a diverse, capable and future-focused accounting profession.

CA ANZ believes an inclusive environment is fundamental to strong outcomes for both our team and the accounting profession. Inclusion involves ensuring equity of opportunity, voice and experience, so all individuals can participate, progress and succeed. This includes taking action to advance gender equity, support balanced representation, address pay gaps and increase Māori and First Nations representation in the accounting profession.

CA ANZ’s commitment is reflected in sustained, practical action and clear accountability for progress. We invest in flexible working, capability building, wellbeing, and inclusive leadership. We champion work practices that recognise caregiving, support career breaks and return-to-work pathways and enable our people to contribute at every career stage. Employee networks and cultural capability programs foster understanding, connection and a genuine sense of belonging.

We recognise the importance of reflecting the communities we serve across Aotearoa, Australia and globally. In Aotearoa this includes deepening engagement with Māori and supporting broader participation in the profession. We are strengthening our use of data to identify inequities and track progress.

Inclusion and diversity are essential to a trusted, relevant and resilient accounting profession that delivers meaningful outcomes for members, communities and the public.”

Phil Gibson

CEO, IAG New Zealand Limited

Roger Gray

CEO, Port of Auckland
“We are committed to creating careers not just jobs by giving people a range of opportunities to grow and develop.”

Simon Tong

CE, Craigs Investment Partners
“We are committed to our company values which promote a workplace where employees are equal, feel a sense of belonging and valued in the role they play.”

Sophie Moloney

CEO, Sky Network Television
“…creating a safe and inclusive environment.”

Steve Jurkovich

Chief Executive, Kiwibank
“Our Purpose at Kiwibank is Kiwi making Kiwi be better off. This guides us to create fairer outcomes for our customers and our people, delivering stronger performance, lasting financial wellbeing and long‑term benefit for New Zealand.”
– Steve Jurkovich, Kiwibank Chief Executive”

Susan Jones

New Zealand Country Managing Partner, EY New Zealand
“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini”
My strength is not that of mine alone, but that of the collective.

Diversity, equity, and inclusiveness are core to who we are, how we work and how we live our values. “

Vittoria Shortt

Chief Executive, ASB
“…to foster and encourage a culture of inclusion and diversity.”