My lifelong career goal is to improve access to inclusive, relevant and employer responsive tertiary education as I believe it is an essential driver to improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of workers, their whānau and communities, and provide employers with the skilled workers they need to grow New Zealand's economy. I am committed to working closely with dynamic coalitions of government agencies, iwi and hapū, industry associations, employers, civil society organisations and workers to co-design, pilot and scale innovative, cost-effective education systems that upskill workers with the vocational skills needed by industries and employers to achieve equitable socioeconomic growth for all. For the last 25 years I have been working internationally, and since 2021 in New Zealand, as a senior education systems specialist. I have lived and worked in counties in Asia, South Pacific, Europe and Africa. I completed two postgraduate degrees in the United States and I have a PhD in public sector management and service delivery accountability from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.This year I established an independent, non-for-profit company with Byron Terris (a senior consultant from Iron Duke Partners in Wellington) called PERFORM-X Aotearoa. This organisation will: (i) independently monitor the performance of the government’s Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) initiative; (ii) establish a national, post-secondary work ready skills training and mentoring programme targeting low-skilled workers; and (iii) support productivity innovation success throughout NZ regions. PERFORM-X Aotearoa will be owned and co-financed by business and industry associations, Economic Development Agencies and employers.