Susan Doughty (Chair)
Head of Global Reward and Insights, Zespri
A former partner at Ernst & Young Limited and Director – Talent & Engagement with Fonterra, Susan has used her influence and expertise to raise awareness of equity issues and promoting positive change within New Zealand. Along with a corporate career spanning 30 years, she has been the director and co-owner of two entrepreneurial businesses. Susan is the past President of both the YWCA Aotearoa and Auckland YWCA, and led the design and launch of the YWCA Equal Pay Awards in 2013. She is a sought-after speaker and commentator on equal pay and diversity issues. Susan also worked alongside EY Tahi and Global Women to develop the business case for TupuToa, an internship programme creating pathways for Māori and Pasifika students into careers in the corporate and professional sectors.
Ranjna Patel (Deputy Chair)
Founder of Tamaki Health and Founder of Ghandi Nivas
Ranjna has spent four decades growing Tamaki Health from a family business to 50 clinics with more than 1000 staff. She is the Founder of Gandhi Nivas. As well as Ministerial appointments to NACEW, the Lottery AK Distribution Committee, and the Ethnic Communities Development Fund, she is also a Trustee of Middlemore Foundation, the Mental Health Foundation, NZ Police Commissioners Ethnic Forum, Executive Trustee of Total Healthcare Otara and a member of the Global Women and Co. of Women boards. Gandhi Nivas is an early intervention programme for family harm and has seen amazing non-recidivism results. It provides 24/7 counselling and accommodation and has three homes in Auckland. Five years of Massey research demonstrated 60 per cent of men did not re-offend again and an Impact Lab Good Measure report showed that for every dollar invested, there was a return of $12.80.
John Christie
Manager of Enterprise Dunedin
John is a senior management executive with previous director, CEO and project manager experience at several high-profile New Zealand organisations. In his role as Manager of Enterprise Dunedin he is a member of Dunedin City Council’s executive leadership team. His previous governance experience includes roles with Otago Polytechnic, South Canterbury District Health Board Audit Committee, Warbirds Over Wanaka, Taieri-Strath Taieri PHO and New Zealand Chambers of Commerce.
Megan McNay
National Corporate Social Outcomes & Reputation Manager, Downer New Zealand
Megan has been part of the Downer team for 10 years; starting as National Bid Manager for the Transport business unit and then moving to a Marketing and Communications Manager role before leading her current Corporate Social Outcomes and Reputation team for Downer in Aotearoa. Before Downer, Megan worked in bid and client management roles for Gen-i (now Spark Digital).
Her current role at Downer combines her passions – communications and the development of people and communities. Being a leader at Downer is a career highlight as she’s motivated by the amazing people who come to work every day wanting to do their absolute best. Her current ambition for Downer is to embrace diversity and inclusion even more than what they are doing now. Her values are aligned with the organisation, whereby having a richness of people from different walks of life and accepting those differences only makes our workplaces all the better.
Born and bred in Ōtautahi, she has lived in Whanganui-a-tara and London before eventually settling back home in Ōtautahi with her whānau (married to Gordon with tamāhine māhanga Katie and Tessa). Megan’s iwi is Ngāi Tahu, hapu is Ngati Hāteatea, and her marae is Uenuku - based in Moeraki in Otago.
Tracey Taylor
Chief Executive Officer, Yellow New Zealand
Tracey brings a background of 12-plus years in multi-channel operations, business management and sales/marketing agencies, both internationally and here in Aotearoa. Leading with aroha and a cohesive, people-first approach woven into commercial strategy, Tracey has been a catalyst for the tremendous foundational shift in forging equity and intentional diversity throughout business.
As a mentor for the Graeme Dingle Foundation, 3 Kapu Kawhe™ Mentorship Programme, previous wharenui host to TupuToa, and passionate supporter of The Aunties, Star Jam and Gandhi Nivas, Tracey’s heart lies in serving her community which she continues to grow.
Lending her voice to both private and public sectors, Tracey shares her own journey and advocates for diversity, inclusion, equity and love spearheading a business strategy. That if those things lead, the rest will follow.
Public Sector
Alex Chadwick
Deputy Commissioner Workforce, Employment Relations and Equity, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Services Commission
Alex is a strategic and results-focused Public Service leader, committed to improving outcomes for New Zealanders, especially women and girls. With a background as an employment lawyer, Alex has significant experience leading and implementing employment relations and workforce strategy in the public and private sectors.
In her current role as Deputy Commissioner, Workforce, Employment Relations and Equity at Te Kawa Mataaho| Public Service Commission, Alex is responsible for driving improvements in fair reward and recognition and other areas that contribute to the Public Service being an exemplar employer. Alex previously managed the Government’s Gender Pay Taskforce and continues to lead the Government’s work programme to close gender and ethnic pay gaps across the Public Service. Under Alex’s leadership, the Public Service gender pay gap has dropped by 30% to the lowest level since measurement began and ethnic pay gaps have also reduced across the board.
Alex sits on the Public Sector Pay Equity Governance Group – a group established by Ministers to provide advice and assurance to agencies and the Government on the progression of Public Sector pay equity claims under New Zealand’s Equal Pay legislation.
Alex currently serves as a Trustee of Diversity Works New Zealand and on the YWCA Gender Tick Advisory Board.
Renee Graham
Chief Executive of the Social Wellbeing Agency
Renee was appointed as Te Tumu Whakahaere, Chief Executive of the Social Wellbeing Agency in June 2021. She has a track record of delivering strategic policy agendas and has a strong social policy background and experience across a range of domains, including education and employment.
Prior to this role, she was the Secretary for Women and Chief Executive of the Ministry for Women, a position she held since June 2017. She has previously held senior policy roles at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social Development.
As Secretary for Women, Renee’s achievements included the development and introduction of an online tool Bringing Gender In – to help policymakers explore and understand the gender impacts of their policies, the development and implementation of an action plan to eliminate the Gender Pay Gap in the public sector, and work to increase the representation of women senior leadership and governance roles across the public and private sectors.
She is also Chairs the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Partnership on Women in the Economy (PPWE) and the Social Services Accreditation Board.
Renee is of Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Raukawa descent.
