Collaborating with other Government agencies such as the Department of Conservation (DOC) and commercial tourism partners including Air New Zealand to disseminate consumer and visitor insights to the onshore industry, subsequently putting forward strategic recommendations to guide strategy and marketing communications to improve the international visitor experience and how New Zealanders experience tourism (i.e. the union of visitors that want to travel to New Zealand and New Zealanders that live in Aotearoa). Working with a range of research agency partners - qualitative and quantitative. ✔ I led an extensive strategic research project on behalf of the Tourism Future Taskforce group to bring the consumer voice to the advancement and reimagining of tourism post the global pandemic with view to understanding future aspirations across the four capitals; Socially, environmentally, economically and culturally engaging directly at CEO level within the organisation and partnering organisations ✔ In Dec. 2019 I presented 'Future Global Travel Trends' up and down New Zealand at the Tourism New Zealand roadshows, running workshops with industry members and partaking in panel interviews. Feedback following one of the roadshows: “My favourite speaker of the day was Zena Ali: Personable, authentic and witty”.

An on-going project of significant complexity; high profile within the organisation, involving extensive collaboration of numerous stakeholders to affect major social change within New Zealand, positively influencing consumer behavioural change whilst balancing commercial expectations, consumer behaviour and a good, better, best staged approach towards a circular economy.Foodstuffs, national, cross-functional lead for a complex organisational change; the transition out of single-use plastic bags across the Foodstuffs retail group (PAK’nSAVE, New World & Four Square); Attaining business alignment from both regional CEO’s to store owner operators; working closely with the sustainability team, procurement and importantly, from a consumer perspective, ensuring New Zealanders, customers and store staff alike were prepared for the transition in a collaborative, informed and positive way.

Defining a consumer-centric meal solutions offering across New Zealand’s largest supermarket brands – PAK’nSAVE an New World: Foodies Kitchen was established to undertake strategic review of the meal solutions segment and determine consumer relevance, operational and commercial viability for the Foodstuffs business and New Zealanders as part of a supermarket offering. Understanding global context was important but more so was identifying the size of the opportunity within the current market, i.e. the ready to eat / heat / cook sector within New Zealand. Working in conjunction with the Icehouse as a start-up business model within a corporate was a unique opportunity. This role became disestablished in August 2017. The redefined end-product from this project remains on supermarket shelves today.

A senior leadership role, reporting to the GM of Marketing and a member of the Foodstuffs New Zealand senior leadership team for the New Zealand owned and operated PAK’nSAVE supermarket brand.Responsibility for the promotional calendar and full channel marketing mix; Above the line, through the line and below the line. Significant stakeholder management given the cooperative and regional nature of the organisation. Responsible for the advertising of the iconic, much loved PAK’nSAVE Stickman. Heavy user of insights to drive and guide strategic direction e.g., Establishing the baby and pet week promotion based on household spend data. Extensive supplier and partner-agency relationship building.

Ownership for driving and implementing activation plans for the grocery category portfolio of brands including New Zealand’s iconic Edmonds brand. Leading projects agreed within the activation plan with the channel teams to enable excellence in execution by the relevant sales teams, delivering sustainable growth. Responsibility for sharing shopper insights with the brand marketing team to ensure robust and holistic strategic development.

Responsibility for the No. 1 brand within the mainstream loaf category - Nature’s Fresh bread ($40m). Line management responsibility for one direct report - Assistant Brand Manager. Range and portfolio commercial management, NPD launch with ATL advertising (TV). Full marketing mix. Key achievement/s: Launched Nature's Fresh Simply Fibre into the New Zealand market with distribution achieved across leading grocery retailers; FoodStuffs and Progressive (Countdown stores) - $1.2m launch investment incl. development of ATL creative and a fully integrated digital campaign to drive consumer awareness.

Working across a portfolio of iconic brands within the home baking sector, delivering multiple projects at a time of double digit market growth within the category. Iconic British brands incl.: McDougalls, Hovis (flour), Cadbury and Disney complete solution baking mixes and Atora. Launched the 35th edition historic McDougalls recipe book in 2011.Subsequently working on Mr. Kipling, the UK's No.1 Cake brand (£169m value) at a time of significant brand investment and ambitious growth targets based on brand rejuvenation. Responsible for the quality improvement initiative from consumer benchmarking research, working closely with NPD on recipe redevelopment within set financial parameters through to on-pack consumer communication.

Responsible for 25% of the volume of Heinz infant feeding business. Day-to-day management of canned Baby Food & Fruity Custard Pot brands combined with development and implementation of marketing strategies/NPD initiatives.

Through-the-line retail marketing communications role involving the development and implementation of marketing plans for own brand and supplier line launches within the Home and Travel departments.

Working cross-functionally to launch the first ever Tesco toy department. Implemented a heavy-weight marketing plan in line with the overall business strategy to drive a "one shop", and an impactful “toy store within store” model during the key Christmas trading period in partnership with Disney licensing.

Integral member of the marketing team when awarded British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) 2004 Toy Company of the Year. Responsible for 27 skus & launching the £12m LeapFrog Baby brand in the UK. Achieved No.3 position within the Infant Toy market within 6 months of launch.