After completing my undergrad degree in Psychology and Sociology, I did a Masters degree in Sociology. I completed research on the criminal justice system at the Ministry of Justice on Home Detention and challenging patterns on juries. I then moved to a senior Policy role at the Community Employment Group of the Department of Labour. There I worked with Pacific and Māori communities, evaluating job creation initiatives and completing policy advice. From there I implemented the research team at the then New Zealand Immigration Service, completing a range of fundamental research on migrant settlement outcomes, and the economic impacts of migration. I shifted into the Policy Manager role, and led the immigration policy team, working closely with a range of Ministers, developing and implementing policy, and undertaking a first principals review of the Immigration legislation (since enacted as the Immigration Act 2009). I also acted for a year as the GM of workforce policy for New Zealand.I was appointed to an operational General Manager position establishing and leading the Settlement, Protection and Attraction Division. There I worked to establish a new refugee centre in Auckland, strategies to enhance refugee and migrant settlement, and developing supportive communities. I was seconded as the General Manager lead on a transformation programme (Vision 2015) where I worked alongside the Programme Director to implement new ICT and business process for Immigration New Zealand.I took up the role of General Manager of Service Design and Performance for Immigration New Zealand in November 2014. I was subsequently appointed to lead the Enablement Branch, responsible for Immigration ICT, Health, policy implementation, Case appeals, and managing the programme portfolio of change projects. In 2023 I left to explore writing as a career and am currently working on a novel and a non-fiction book.I am currently a senior Gateway reviewer and on advisory boards around my passion for clean water.