Vanessa is a Director of Admin & Business Solutions and has an extensive amount of Governance experience as a Chair, and as an Independent Director. Vanessa is a member of the Institute of Directors and was elected to the Queenstown Lakes District Council as a Councillor in 2007 before serving as Mayor from 2010-2016.

Vanessa has a Master of Business Administration and was awarded an ONZM in the New Year’s Honours 2017 for services to Local Government. She has founded a number of charities including the Branches Charitable Trust, the Remarkable Cancer Gym Trust and the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box Trust. She is currently the Chair of the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box, Remarkable Cancer Gym, Pivotal Point and Louise Nicholas Charitable Trusts. In addition, she is Patron of the Branches Charitable Trust, Chair of Shaping our Future Inc, and Presiding Member of the Otago Southland Lottery Community Grants Committee. Vanessa is also on the Executive Committee of the Whakatipu Wilding Pine Control Group and is a member of the Otago Local Advisory Committee for Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Vanessa is very honoured to be part of the Louise Nicholas Trust helping support survivors and their families and bring about change in our communities.