I set up my own business, Empower AS, in November 2014 to allow me to provide a range of procurement, advisory and project management services to a variety of clients. Before starting Empower AS, I was a motivated, experienced and pragmatic commercial lawyer with a depth and range of experience focused on leading and managing the legal and commercial aspects of significant procurement programmes for large and sophisticated organisations.I have been responsible for shaping the way NZ Government agencies purchase social services – an approximately $2 billion industry (excluding District Health Board (DHB) spend) – to focus on ensuring the significant investment Government agencies make in this area actually achieves better outcomes for the community members that use those services.

Providing commercial and procurement advice to other New Zealand government agencies with strategically important business transformation projects - including new investment in significant IT & ICT systems.

Led and project managed the delivery of a multi-dimensional change project to improve New Zealand government contracting practices with non-government organisations (NGOs).Examples of much of this work and the collateral the team I led created can be seen at http://www.business.govt.nz/procurement/procurement-reform/streamlined-contracting-with-ngos.

Lead advisor providing practical legal and strategic advice to the New Zealand Procurement Reform Programme, including negotiating and drafting approximately 90 All-of-Government contracts across a range of sectors.