Our People
Hon Nikki Kaye, Co-Founder and Trustee
Hon Nikki Kaye is a former NZ Member of Parliament for Auckland Central, which she held for four terms. Nikki is a former National cabinet minister for around five years holding multiple portfolios, including serving as Minister of ACC, Civil Defence, Youth, Food Safety, and Education. Nikki is a former Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party. Nikki is currently a Director of AUT Ventures and works as an independent consultant working on Education Technology initiatives in New Zealand and in the United States and other countries. Nikki is an external advisor for Bain & Company. Nikki is an investor and advisor in a small renewable energy company called Aotea Energy.
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Nikki has also recently co-founded with Dr. Nigel Bradly the Blue Nature Aotearoa trust with educators, technology, and marine science specialists. The trust is working with schools to deliver blue nature social impact projects with a new home at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The trust has an overall long-term mission to help restore ecosystems and create new biomass in oceans and coastal waterways through education, supporting and scaling new social enterprises, new industries, and blue technology solutions. Nikki is also a patron of the McGuinness Institute and a member of the Asia Pacific Leadership Network (APLN).
Dr Nigel Bradly, Co-Founder
A marine policy, blue economy, and impact investment specialist with 29 years of global experience in both the public and private sectors. Nigel has practical experience across strategy, policy, economics, program management, science, stakeholder engagement, and regional, national, and international government. He has globally recognized experience in the Blue Economy; currently leading projects in the marine sector across New Zealand, and internationally.
In addition to majority ownership of blue economy consultancy EnviroStrat, Nigel is 50% owner and Director of Aquaculture Direct Ltd; New Zealand’s largest specialist aquaculture consultancy. EnviroStrat is also an active project developer and investor in the blue economy through Greenwave Aotearoa, a regenerative ocean farming business developing a high-value seaweed sector in New Zealand, and Kinanomics, which removes kina from underwater barrens, enhances them in a land-based aquaculture system, and enables kelp forest recovery at significant scale.
Claire Amos, Trustee
Claire is the Principal at Albany Senior High School in Auckland, New Zealand. She was also one of the three foundation Deputy Principals at Hobsonville Point Secondary School. Claire has worked for a variety of schools and educational organisations in her twenty-five-year teaching career. This has included working at a number of new and established secondary schools as well as working on various national education projects. Claire was a founding member of the Education Council of Aotearoa and is currently a board member of NetSafeNZ. Claire is also a member of Global Women NZ and co-founder of DisruptEDNZ.
Claire is passionate about her family, education, design, and tattoos, living by the mantra - “you can never be overdressed or overeducated”.
Kristen is a Special Counsel at Russell McVeagh in the Environment, Planning and Natural Resources team. Prior to returning to Russell McVeagh Kristen worked in London for 10 years. Kristen's work involves advising clients on all aspects of the Resource Management Act 1991 and related legislation, including the Local Government Act 1974, Local Government Act 2002, Building Act 2004, Conservation Act 1987, COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, and Public Works Act 1981.
Kristen has held a lifelong interest in the environment and is slowly working her way through the walks of New Zealand. Her favourite place in New Zealand is Waipatiki Beach in Hawkes Bay and she is very excited about the potential for Blue Nature projects.
Kristen Gunnell, Trustee
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Hamish Forsyth, Trustee
Hamish Forsyth is CEO and founder of OneLeap, a Harvard Business Review-featured strategic innovation and leadership consultancy that helps large (mainly FTSE100 and Fortune 500) companies grow by adapting strategies used by successful entrepreneurs. OneLeap draws on a global community of 1000+ successful entrepreneurs.Hamish has a particular interest in reinventing business models to address rapid change and uncertainty.
He has guest lectured on innovation and strategy at Harvard and Cambridge universities and speaks globally. He has also worked extensively developing and advising on next-gen initiatives for leading global wealth managers and UHNW families.Previously, he was appointed as a senior adviser in the UK Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, with secondments to the National Economic and National Security Councils. Early in his career, he was a lawyer, New Zealand diplomat and trade negotiator.Currently based in New Zealand, Hamish works mainly internationally. His spiritual home is the Tutukaka Coast, where he was born.
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