Current board members
Vanisa Dhiru, President *
Rachel Williams, Vice President *
Amy Barnett, Secretary *
Jennifer Fischer, Treasurer *
Nikki Burns
Sue Hanrahan
Lily Reid *
Sian Smith
Victoria Stace
Elena Szentivanyi
Jane Fletcher
Kavita Raj *
* young women aged thirty (30) years or under at appointment
Board Profiles
Vanisa Dhiru JP BDes Hon, GDipCom
President
Vanisa is a New Zealand born Indian with a background in marketing, branding and visual communications. She has held social marketing roles at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the NZ Transport Agency (formerly Transit New Zealand), Meridian Energy and The Quit Group. She has helped developed brands for local NGOs and consulted on design and marketing campaigns produced in the Wellington region. Currently she is the Chief Executive for Volunteering New Zealand.
Vanisa has been a finalist for NZ Volunteer of the Year; NEXT magazine’s Woman of the Year, Wellingtonian of the Year and Young New Zealander of the Year 2010; for Her Business Wellington’s Most Inspirational Role Model 2009 and Outstanding Business Citizenship 2010; selected in 2005 as a finalist for the NZIM Eagle Technology Young Executive of the Year; and gained a place on the prestigious Future Leaders programme in 2005 run by the New Zealand Leadership Institute, Excelerator. She has been a Trustee for the Wellington Trade Aid Trust and Dress for Success Wellington.
Her design and business communications background is used widely in the YWCA, including for the delivery of communications to stakeholders.
Rachel Williams MA (Crim)
Vice President
Rachel, our past fundraiser, now is a volunteer on the Board. She works as an Analyst in Wellington and has a research and teaching background in issues relating to violence against women, women’s rights, human rights and feminist research methodologies.
Her knowledge and relationships she has maintained with funders and donors remains an asset to the YWCA.
Amy Barnett
Secretary
Amy is studying at Victoria University of Wellington where she is doing a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree. She has been an active member of the Wellington Youth Council in the past which focuses on the youth of Wellington, organising and running events for youth to encourage them be active within the Wellington region.
As one of the youngest members of our Board, she brings a young perspective to the Board on issues facing young women in Wellington today.
Jennifer Fischer BA, BCom Hons
Treasurer
Born in Tauranga, Jennifer was raised in the United States before returning to New Zealand to complete an Honours degree in Finance at the University of Canterbury. Moving to Wellington in 2009, she joined ANZ National Bank to take up a position as Assistant Manager in Commercial Lending.
As a new board member, she is looking forward to becoming more involved with the local community and supporting the initiatives of the YWCA.
Nikki Burns
Nikki works for Grow Wellington and is the Business Growth Programme Manager responsible for the Activate programme for emerging businesses. Nikki has a marketing, sales and business development background drawn from diverse organisations such as ski and tourism operations, advertising agencies, pharmaceutical sales and professional service firms. Most recently Nikki worked in bid management for KPMG in New Zealand.
She has worked in volunteer governance roles for the Wellington Volunteer Coastguard and Wellington Young Professionals.
Nikki has been a mentor for the YWCA Discover programme and shows empathy with the YWCA mission and purpose.
Sue Hanrahan
Sue has a background in professional development and a keen interest in cultural diversity. She was establishment manager for the Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research at Victoria University of Wellington, and until recently was employed by the Office of Ethnic Affairs as an Intercultural Advisor.
Prior to that Sue established the Wellington operation of ‘Books in Prison’ at Arohata Prison. Currently, Sue works as an independent contractor in cultural diversity. She has two teenage daughters.
Lily Reid
Our youngest yet no doubt most dynamic members of the board is Lily Reid, a past graduate of our YWCA Discover™ programme. Lily is a student at Victoria University and is also part of the Bitch Leadership Council, a youth advisory committee for Bitch Magazine, a non-profit feminist magazine produced in the United States.
At Wellington East Girls College, Lily was the leader for The Active Collective, facilitating and creating events about important global issues. She was also the 2009 recipient of the Lodge Whetu-Kairangi Prize for Community Contribution at her college.
Sian Smith LLB
A Senior Policy Analyst with the Department of Building and Housing, Sian has a legal background and has held roles with the New Zealand Fire Service, Ministry for the Environment and Oakley Moran.
She is a past chair of of the Women in Law Committee of Wellington District Law Society.
One of her core beliefs is “unity in diversity” – only through accepting and celebrating diversity that our society and culture can flourish.
Victoria Stace LLB Hons, LLM
Victoria is a commercial lawyer with more than 15 years of private practice experience. She was a partner for Chapman Tripp in Wellington where she currently holds a consultancy role. She has lectured in securities and investment law at Victoria University and has authored Securities Law in New Zealand, as well as contributing to and updating securities-related legal publications.
Victoria has served on various volunteer committees including ‘Friends of Roseneath School’, Marsden Rowing Club and the Children’s Foundation, a UNICEF Trust. She has mentored law students and has a particular interest in promoting financial literacy for young women.
She has two daughters, aged 16 and 12.
Elena Szentivanyi LLB, Grad Cert TM Law& Prac, NZIPA
Elena is one of the directors of Henry Hughes Limited Patent Attorneys.
She has been a past volunteer for Riding for the Disabled and Red Cross collector.
She works with a variety of people in her worklife, and is a regular Her Business Network attendee and brings governance experience from working on a body corporate committee.
An enrolled Barrister and Solicitor for the High Court, Elena brings professional ethics and networks to the YWCA.
Jane Fletcher BSc Econ
Jane Fletcher is originally from the North of England. She has a BSc Econ, majoring in languages and European Studies from Cardiff University.
She has had a career in sales and marketing with sports brands such as Karrimor and Reebok, progressed into the recruitment industry, then followed by becoming a qualified career consultant and worked the last 10 years in tertiary education. She lived and raised her family for five years in the Middle East and Malaysia and enjoys integrating with different cultures and people.
