In this role I supported the Deputy Director-General Corporate Services by providing strategic advice and intellectual leadership on a wide range of topics. Corporate Services was the centre of excellence for Finance and Procurement, Property, HR, Health and Safety, Security and Privacy and ICT for a workforce of more than 3,000 MPI staff. I was a trusted advisor to the Corporate Services Leadership Team and the MPI Senior Leadership Team, helping to identify opportunities, issues and activities our branch and the wider Ministry needed to respond and deliver on.

This was a varied policy role identifying future opportunities for New Zealand's agriculture and food sectors and ensuring growth and innovation were supported by legislative and regulatory settings and market access arrangements. It required close collaboration with the agricultural, food and beverage sectors including start ups, small New Zealand businesses, global companies and industry representative bodies. I also led a regulatory reform project looking at how a national organic standard could be adopted in New Zealand.

I provided leadership in the design and execution of Treaty of Waitangi negotiations policy and was responsible collaborating with other Government departments on their Treaty settlement policies. I prepared advice on matters including negotiations strategies, opportunities for engagement between Treaty sector agencies and the agency's property portfolio. My existing knowledge of Treaty settlements also led me to provide extensive guidance to negotiations staff and officials working in the Treaty sector. Key aspects of this role were:- designing and developing new policy, approaches and systems;- seeking opportunities to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders;- evaluating the risks and opportunities associated with new policies;- developing a sound internal and external communications strategy for new policies;- enhancing and leading engagement with other Government agencies;- providing coaching and guidance to staff.

This was a fixed-term position in a newly-established Programme Office in Child Youth and Family (now Oranga Tamariki), providing support to four project teams tackling challenging issues in the social sector. My responsibilities including fulfilling all reporting requirements, providing accurate and timely information timely information on the status of nine projects to the Executive Committee and introducing risk management strategies to each work stream. Key aspects of this role were:- introducing project structure and a regular cycle of project plan maintenance;- establishing registers for deliverables and monitoring upcoming activities;- project change requests;- maintenance of risks and issues registers;- risk management strategy.

Global Film Solutions is an award winning provider of production services including innovative risk management solutions. With in-house expertise in logistics, facilitation, risk management and due diligence, and a global network of multi-skilled security, safety and medical consultants, it designs bespoke solutions for productions, at any stage, anywhere in the world. Clients included major international television networks, studios, agencies and production companies. I was involved in risk and project management roles in over 70 film and television productions, some very high profile, in New Zealand and internationally.Key responsibilities in this role were: - identifying and assessing risk (legal, reputational, security, safety and medical); - undertaking thorough research and analysis; - preparing recommendations for the mitigation, eradication or isolation of risk; - presenting solutions-orientated advice to clients; - 'plain english' reporting of complex matters; - nurturing client relationships; - understanding the industry and its relationship with global events; - supporting crisis response and management; - contributing to product development and business growth; - project managing work-flow.

The Office of Treaty Settlements (now Te Arawhiti) advised the New Zealand Government on Treaty of Waitangi issues, including strategies for settling historical grievances with indigenous Māori groups. It assisted Māori claimant groups to enter negotiations, negotiated directly with Māori on behalf of the Crown, and supports the implementation of Treaty Settlements.I worked as part of a small negotiations team to achieve a $100 million settlement, and key aspects of my role included: - negotiating directly with Māori groups; - understanding and interpreting Crown policy; - negotiating meaningful Treaty Settlements within Crown parameters; - assessing the interests and entitlements of various stakeholders in the settlement process; - liaising with other Government agencies and key stakeholders; - preparing briefing papers, Cabinet papers and speeches for Cabinet Ministers; - project management of multiple negotiations work-streams; - instructing supporting specialists e.g. legal deed drafters; - event planning and co-ordination.