FIRST FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Amanda is a University of Canterbury graduate, gaining a BA double major in Business and Japanese before a Post Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.
Brooke Oliver has a Bachelor of Health Science and is passionate about improving equity in our community. At First Foundation, she's pleased to directly support a team that provides opportunities for real change.
Duaa Belgecem is a proud First Foundation alumna and recent graduate of The University of Auckland, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Communications.
Gerald's track record of leading strategy, digital innovation and sustainability for large organisations aligns him perfectly with First Foundation's vision for the future. We are excited to introduce Gerald Mackenzie, to the board of Trustees.
With his 25-year global career spanning multiple industries, Gerald is a business leader with a passion for helping businesses and communities thrive in a sustainable way. We are incredibly fortunate to have him join our family of change-makers.
Having worked across the globe in Fiji, Hawaii, Australia, UK and Aotearoa in a diverse range of roles, Kirk likes to remind his children his "past abounds with intrigue and adventure".
Her Mum was a teacher who believed that education is the great equalizer and Loretta's ticket to the world, so she made the huge sacrifice to send her daughter to New Zealand to attend school. Loretta remembers her mum's parting words to her words: "You're my shooting star, I'm sending you off into the world to make a difference." It's that sacrifice that has given Loretta her drive to achieve.
Receiving scholarships to attend university means that Lorretta recognises herself in First Foundation scholars and believes that success has a great deal more to do with the individual than the decile of the school they attend. A huge part of success requires a good support network around them - something the programme provides. Representation matters to Loretta and she sees that First Foundation forges pathways for diversity in the workforce that is creating a generational shift.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Partner at Chapman Tripp
Michael's advice to any business thinking about partnering with First Foundation: come along to an awards ceremony, where you'll see first-hand that you'll get far more out of it than you can ever imagine.
Rich was introduced to First Foundation while a manager at Spark, where he had the chance to mentor and provide work experience to scholars. He loves seeing young people grow into strong leaders with the ability to give back to their communities.
Sarah knows first-hand the value that partnerships can offer to businesses, having developed a relationship with First Foundation through her roles at Chapman Tripp and Warren & Mahoney.
We are thrilled to announce that our founder, Steve Carden, is re-joining our board after an illustrious 20-year journey across diverse sectors and industries.