Our management team

DIA's executive leadership team by branch

Suzanne Doig - Director, Office of the Chief Executive (Acting)

Suzanne Doig

Dr Suzanne Doig is Director, Office of the Chief Executive (Acting). She supports the Chief Executive to lead the Department and undertake his leadership responsibilities across the public sector. That includes supporting the performance of the Department as a member of the executive leadership team and facilitating effective relationships across the Department and with other stakeholders and agencies. The Director also provides strategic advice to the Chief Executive, may lead special projects, and acts as the Chief Executive’s delegate when required.

Suzanne brings an in-depth knowledge of local and central government to the role, developed over a long career in the public service and as Chief Executive Officer of the Local Government Commission. Before joining Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, she was General Manager of Strategy and Policy at Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority from 2014 to 2016, working across central and local government on post-2016 arrangements to support regeneration. Before that she held various management and intellectual leadership roles at the Ministry for the Environment, working on major initiatives such as water reform. Early in her career, Suzanne also worked in local government in New Zealand and overseas. She holds a PhD in New Zealand history.

Helen Wyn - Deputy Chief Executive Central/Local Government Partnerships

Helen Wyn

Helen joined the Department of Internal Affairs in 2015 as Deputy Chief Executive Policy, Regulatory and Ethnic Affairs and since 2017 has spearheaded a new position as the DCE for Central / Local Government Partnerships. Prior to that, Helen has held a range of senior leadership roles in the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health.

Helen is a graduate of Wellington’s Victoria University with an Honours degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Public Management. Helen also attended Oxford University in Britain, where she completed a Strategic Leadership Programme in 2003. Helen has two adult children, a pet dog and is a passionate gardener.

As Deputy Chief Executive Central/Local Government Partnerships, Helen has the following people reporting to her:

Name	Title
Michael Lovett	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships
Warren Ulusele	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships
Allan Prangnell	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships
Justine Smith	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships
Richard Ward	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships
Paul Barker	Partnership Director, Central/Local Government Partnerships

Karl Le Quesne – Deputy Chief Executive Strategy and Governance, Deputy Chief Executive Stewardship and Organisational Sustainability

Karl Le Quesne

Karl is Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the Strategy and Governance branch. Karl joined the Department in June 2017 as Director, Office of the Chief Executive, having previously held the role of Acting Deputy Secretary Early Learning and Student Achievement at the Ministry of Education. He’s held a range of jobs in the Ministry over 17 years. He has worked closely with a number of Ministers, Cabinet Committees, and senior leaders across the Education system, and has also spent time at Corrections and the Ministry of Justice.

As Acting Deputy Chief Executive Karl has a critical role to play in setting the department’s strategic agenda and plan, stewarding the department’s performance story, providing assurance and keeping the department risk conscious but moving forward. Karl’s responsibilities include: Organisational Strategy and Planning; Enterprise Portfolio Management; Governance, Risk and Assurance; Legal Services; Stewardship and Organisational Sustainability and Machinery of Government Positioning.

As Acting Deputy Chief Executive Strategy and Governance, Karl has the following people reporting to him:

Name	Title
Pepi Batsos	Acting Director, Strategy and Planning
Andrea Speir	Chief Legal Advisor
Nick Athea	Chief Portfolio Officer
Cathrine Austin	Manager Governance Risk and Assurance
Olwyn Crutchley	Manager Branch Development and Support

Tim Occleshaw - Deputy Chief Executive Service and System Transformation,
Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer

Tim Occleshaw

Tim Occleshaw is Deputy Chief Executive, Service and System Transformation and Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer. He has a critical role to play in managing a wide-ranging transformation in how citizens experience all government services online – and how this transformation can be applied across the Department. In the all-of-government area his responsibilities include ICT strategy and planning, ICT system-wide assurance, service innovation, information management, privacy and commercial strategy and delivery. He also leads the Department’s ICT strategy, planning and delivery.

Tim joined the Department in December 2012. Before this, he was with Inland Revenue as Deputy Commissioner, Information, Design and Systems, responsible for information strategy, service and solution design, enterprise architecture and IT operations and services, including modernisation and transformation of IR’s information systems. Prior to that, Tim was Chief Information Officer at the Ministry of Social Development – both jobs for four years.

In July 2008 he won the New Zealand CIO of the Year award.

Tim has spent more than 25 years working in the financial services sector in Australia and New Zealand, in a variety of business and IT management roles including heading IT for ANZ New Zealand.

As Deputy Chief Executive Service and System Transformation, Tim has the following people reporting to him:

Name	Title
Graeme Osborne	General Manager System Transformation
Claire Linskill	Acting General Manager System Assurance
Ken Spagnolo	Acting Director Relationship Management
Chris Webb	General Manager, Commercial Strategy and Delivery
Helen Jamison	General Manager, Strategic Relationships and Advice
Christine Bennett	General Manager Government Information Services
Karl McDiarmid	General Manager Service Innovation
Russell Cooke	Government Chief Privacy Officer
Alan Bell	Transition Director

Peter Murray - Deputy Chief Executive Information and Knowledge Services

Peter Murray

Peter has been the Deputy Chief Executive Information Knowledge Services (IKS) since mid-2014. The IKS branch encompasses the National Library of New Zealand - Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa Archives New Zealand – Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga and He Tohu, developed in partnership with Maori, a new permanent exhibition of the three documents that define New Zealand as a nation.

He is a Trustee for the Te Puna Foundation, a charitable entity aligned to the purposes of the National Library of New Zealand.

Peter was previously also responsible for the Government Chief Privacy Officer and Government Information Services. These two all of government functions have been realigned within the Department effective 31 July 2017. Previously Peter was Deputy Chief Executive, Shared Services Branch. He started in this role in early 2011

Prior to joining the Department in 2011, Peter was the Deputy Chief Executive, Organisation Services for the Ministry of Fisheries where he joined in 1999.

Before joining Fisheries, Peter was Chief Financial Officer (including responsibility for IT and HR) for Wellington Area Health Board, and then Capital & Coast Health Limited. He worked prior to that in financial and management roles for IBM Australia and IBM New Zealand, P&O New Zealand and Deloitte.

Peter is a Wellingtonian, and his professional training is as a Chartered Accountant. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington and an Executive Masters in Public Administration (2007), from the Australia and New Zealand School of Government, through Victoria University of Wellington.

As Deputy Chief Executive Information and Knowledge Services, Peter has the following people reporting to him:

Name	Title
Epi Lima	Executive Assistant
Bill Macnaught	National Librarian, General Manager of National Library of New Zealand
Richard Foy	Chief Archivist, General Manager of Archives New Zealand
Hugh Karena	Director Māori Relationships and Strategy
Jude Huygens	Principal Advisor
Laureen Jones	He Tohu Transition Manager
Morag Ingram	General Manager Ministerial and Secretariat Support
Rob Stevens	Principal Advisor, Property Projects

Marilyn Little - Deputy Chief Executive Policy, Regulation and Communities

Marilyn Little

Marilyn joined the Department in 2006. She was appointed Deputy Chief Executive of Policy, Regulation and Communities in October 2017. Marilyn has held a number of roles in the Department, including Chief Archivist/General Manager of Archives NZ for three and a half years. She was previously General Manager of the Policy Group, and Director Local Government and Community Policy. Prior to her work with Internal Affairs, Marilyn held senior roles in the Office of the Auditor-General and the Department of Labour.

Marilyn has completed the Leadership Development Centre’s Advanced Leadership Programme, and holds a Master of Public Policy and a BA Honours in History.

As Deputy Chief Executive Policy, Regulation and Communities, Marilyn has the following people reporting to her:

Name	Title
Raj Krishnan	General Manager Policy
Maarten Quivooy	General Manager Regulatory Services
Anita Balakrishnan	Director Office of Ethnic Communities
Donald Riezebos	Acting Chief Executive Local Government Commission
Jane Pierard	Director Inquiries
James (Jim) Brown	Acting Manager Branch Development and Support

Maria Robertson - Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery and Operations

Maria Robertson

Maria Robertson has held the role of Deputy Chief Executive, Service Delivery and Operations, since February 2013.

She leads a team of 900 staff in the passports, citizenship, births, deaths and marriages, community operations, charities and igovt areas.

Before this, Maria was the DCE for Service Delivery at Building and Housing where she was the deputy Chief Executive Organisational Development and Strategy.

Prior to that, Maria was the General Manager Advanced Dynamics (NZ) Ltd and Manager Performance Improvement Woodproducts at Carter Holt Harvey. She has also held senior roles in Telecom Comalco and Rio Tinto.

As Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery and Operations, Maria has the following people reporting to her:

Name	Title
Jeff Montgomery	General Manager Services and Access, and Registrar General for Births, Deaths and Marriages
Russell Burnard	General Manager Operations
Briget Ridden	Manager Branch Development and Support
Robyn Nicholas	General Manager Community Operations
Natasha Weight	General Manager Charities Services
David Philp	General Manager Te Pou Manawa
Ray Ropata	Director Pou Ārahi
Darren Godden	Programme Manager Te Ara Manaaki

Chris East - Deputy Chief Executive Shared Services Branch

Chris East

Chris East is Deputy Chief Executive, Shared Services Branch. He joined the Department in 2008, and was appointed to the role in 2018. Chris has held a number of positions within the Department, including Chief Information Officer and General Manager of Technology Services and Solutions. Prior to joining the Department, Chris worked in a range of ICT roles largely within the private sector, both in New Zealand and overseas.

Born and educated in Wellington with a Diploma in Business Computing, Chris is certified in Advanced Strategic Leadership (2016) and in 2015 completed the Melbourne School of Business Leading for Strategic Success programme.

As Deputy Chief Executive Shared Services Branch, Chris has the following people reporting to him:

Name	Title
Kim Chambers	General Manager Communications
Lesa Kalapu	General Manager Human Resources
Murray Davey	Acting General Manager Technology Services and Solutions, and CIO
Arun Patel	Acting Chief Financial Officer
Debra Love	Acting Manager Branch Development and Support
Harley Spence	General Manager Property
Emily Redmond	Director Change and Workplace
Carmel Ali	General Manager Information and Safety, and CSO

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation

Our management team

DIA's executive leadership team by branch

Suzanne Doig

Helen Wyn

Karl Le Quesne

Tim Occleshaw

Peter Murray

Marilyn Little

Maria Robertson

Chris East