Suzannah Jessep

• Responsible for planning, budgeting, design and delivery of Foundation's track 1.5-2 experts' engagement programme both onshore and offshore.
• Responsible for commissioning, writing, designing and delivering Foundation's annual Perceptions of Asia survey, and all other Foundation research and data.
• Responsible for directing and managing Foundation's education programme, including providing guidance and direction to Education Project Officer and Senior Sports Adviser.
• Role includes extensive senior stakeholder engagement onshore and offshore, and regular interface with Asia New Zealand Foundation Board.
• Includes organisation-wide project management, such as the year-long, multi-region Seriously Asia Revisited project over 2022.
• Alongside Acting Executive Director, role has included a rolling review of the education programme, and redesign of delivery and outputs.
• Scaled-up delivery of school study grants to Japan, including securing next tranche of funding for 2023/24.
• Draft and drive board papers and other executive advice.

• Diplomat representing New Zealand's interests in South Asia.
• Part of High Commission management team, including regularly serving as Acting High Commissioner with full responsibility for the mission and over fifty NZ Government agency staff including NZTE, INZ, MPI and ENZ.
• Responsible for recruiting, training and managing locally employed policy staff, and leading political, defence, security and regional analysis and reporting across four countries.
• Extensive public representational work across India and Sri Lanka, including delivering speeches and events; media interviews; Prime Ministerial and Ministerial visits; challenging government-to-government engagement; and trade promotion and outreach.
• Part of crisis management team, responding to New Zealanders in distress.
• Started new mentoring programme for slum kids across diplomatic missions in New Delhi.
• Formed new network of female deputy heads of mission, with over 30 senior representatives.
• Cultivated strong relationships across host countries, providing New Zealand access and insights.

• Political and security policy lead, Australia Division
• Managed Ukraine desk during Russia's invasion of Crimea, including providing advice to the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister on travel sanctions, and working with the private sector to safely withdraw companies from the region.
• Responsible for policy development and advice in these roles, including submissions and cabinet papers.

Deputy head of mission, representing New Zealand in Vanuatu. Responsible for political, economic, security and regional reporting alongside the High Commissioner.

Led day-to-day developments in the newly established Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) seasonal labour scheme including providing advice to Immigration New Zealand, the World Bank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Periodically served as Acting Head of Mission, including during two very serious and sensitive consular cases.

Led project that reviewed and provided advice to the Ministry of Defence and New Zealand Defence Force on their deployments to Vanuatu.

• Policy officer in Pacific Division, covering policy advice for the French Pacific Territories and the NZ-Cook Islands relationship.
• Co-led preparations for the multi-country Pacific Mission, led by the Foreign Minister, in 2006.
• Joined the New Zealand Defence Staff College visit to New Caledonia.
• Led maritime/Southern Ocean policy advice in the Antarctic Policy Unit, Environment Division
• Elected Deputy Chair of the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources finance committee, Hobart.

Assisted the producer with the preparation and delivery of major film shoots (primarily photography campaigns but also documentary film) for international brands like Porsche, Audi and Visa. Responsible for coordinating crew movements and arrangements; client support; logistics; and serving as on-set support to the producer.