Todd Cleaver 

Executive Director

Todd is an experienced manager, leader and strategist with a long and storied career spanning diplomacy, international humanitarian law and development assistance across the Balkans, the Pacific and South East Asia. Shaped by a life that balances global experience and grounded community connections, Todd is happy to switch between developing organisational strategies during the week, to helping one of his sons, a building apprentice, on weekend projects.  

He enjoys challenges and has appreciated the variety of his career, from heading humanitarian operations in Bosnia, to representing New Zealand’s position in negotiations with military governments, to helping organisations tell a stronger performance story. 

Todd grew up on a farm and retains a passion for rising early and spending time outdoors, as well as in the kitchen preparing meals for family and friends. He enjoys reading about history and cutting-edge technology – trying to understand the past and the future.

Sam London

Standards and Humanitarian Manager 

Sam brings a wealth of practical experience, having both lived in, and worked across various roles, in small island developing states. He’s worked with low-carbon shipping services, sailing essential cargo to some of the remotest and underserved regions of the Central Pacific, affording him key insights into the practical realities and challenges of crucial 'last mile' humanitarian and development service delivery.

During a three-year tenure in Fiji, his dedication to sustainable development and a recognition of the crucial role traditional knowledge plays in achieving this, motivated him to construct a traditional Fijian voyaging canoe. During this period, he also collaborated with medical charities as a relief skipper delivering primary health services to remote and isolated communities.

Recently, Sam combined his practical expertise with formal education, earning a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics, and an interdisciplinary Master’s of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Victoria University of Wellington. His master's thesis focused on modeling behavioral responses to energy-efficient technologies and how these can have adverse effects on meeting climate targets.

Chris Rae

Business Development and Programme Manager

Chris has a strong background in international development, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. Most recently, he led the development of VSA’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030. He has also worked at MFAT, Stats NZ, and UNICEF Aotearoa, where he helped launch global initiatives like the "Workout for Water" fundraiser and a multi-million-dollar WASH project in Ethiopia.

Originally from Anfield, Liverpool, Chris whakapapas to Scotland and still carries a proud Scouse accent. He lives in Petone with his partner Tanya and his daughters Frankie and Zoe. A Beatles fanatic, he considers living by Te Awa Kairangi an absolute privilege. He recently completed a Master of International Relations, honing his expertise in global politics and referendums in ethno-nationalist states.

Chris is passionate about building strong relationships and driving positive change in the international development sector.

Lucy Owen

Events, Engagement and Administration Coordinator

Lucy is currently enrolled at Te Herenga Waka and is aiming to complete her Bachelors degree in International Relations, Development Studies and Management at the end of this year. Lucy will be assisting with event planning, administration and training, including the CID Conference 2023. 

Her studies have allowed her to apply theoretical ideas to relevant global, domestic and international issues. She is passionate about ensuring that everyone is equipped with the rights tools to act appropriately on a range of issues, in order to promote effective and long-term change. Lucy is committed to tackling a range of issues in Aotearoa New Zealand and the world to make a positive difference.

Kate Russell ONZM, FFINZ 

Board Chair

Executive Director, Hagar New Zealand

Kate Russell ONZM, FFINZ has a thirty year history in the NGO sector and has led several high profile NZ Charities, spending time on the Boards of several others. A career Fundraiser and Community Development expert, Kate has spent time on several government advisory boards and as a business mentor through Business Mentors NZ.

Recognised in the 2016 New Year’s Honours with an ONZM for services to governance and health, Kate is also a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute of NZ and Australia.

Heather Hayden 

Treasurer

Trustee, UNICEF Aotearoa NZ

Heather Hayden brings extensive governance and executive experience, having served as CEO of Save the Children NZ and Refugee Services Aotearoa, and as Chair of multiple NGOs. Currently a trustee of UNICEF Aotearoa and Chair of Amnesty International’s global Nominations Committee, she offers deep insight into fundraising, advocacy, and strategic leadership.

Elizabeth Fitton-Higgins

Habitat for Humanity New Zealand

Dr. Elizabeth Fitton-Higgins is the International Programmes Director for Habitat for Humanity New Zealand. She has over 20 years’ experience working across the public sector, NGOs and consulting. Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is implementing a 5 year Negotiated Partnerships programme, funded by MFAT, working across Fiji, Samoa and Tonga on improving access to resilient housing and shelter. Prior to her Habitat role, Elizabeth was a Director of the Mangrove Collective, a humanitarian and development consultancy focusing on the Asia Pacific region. 

Sahara Anae

ADRA New Zealand

Sahara is an International Programme Manager at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) of New Zealand, where she has worked 8 years.

For almost 20 years of Sahara’s career, she had worked as a Water Engineer in the regional water sectors of Samoa (Operations Engineer, Samoa Water Authority), Auckland New Zealand (Planning Engineer, Watercare), and in Melbourne, Australia (Senior Engineer, City West Water). She continues to utilise her water engineer skills and her greatest achievement in her work; (she has lost count); is having been instrumental in supplying more than 2 million people with safe drinking water, and access to sanitation and hygiene facilities.

Sahara’s love and passion is elevating indigenous knowledge and practices as solutions to sustainable development and being an advocate in this space 

Heather Campbell 

CEO, Save the Children New Zealand 

Heather Campbell (she/her) has over two decades of experience leading both development and humanitarian portfolios. Most recently serving as Save the Children's Asia Deputy Regional Director, Heather has provided strategic leadership in delivering high-quality programmes, partnership, safety and security, and operational excellence across Save the Children’s $300 million Asia portfolio.

Prior to joining the Asia Regional team, Heather was Country Director for Save the Children in Nepal and
Bhutan, where she was a vocal advocate for localisation, climate change adaptation programming and advocacy, and child sensitive social protection. As Vice-Chair of the Association of International NGOs (AIN) in Nepal, Heather also was responsible for high-level multi-stakeholder engagement, climate change mitigation
advocacy, and streamlined collaboration with government bodies, elevating the efficiency
and impact of international NGOs.

Heather previously served as Country Director for Save the Children in Sierra Leone, and significantly elevated the country office’s profile, programme quality, and governance structure, while also doubling the funding portfolio, despite a shrinking and challenging donor environment. In Sierra Leone, Heather was the first Country Director to sit on the Presidential SGBV taskforce, collaborating closely with the First Lady on the groundbreaking
'Hands off our Girls' campaign, combatting sexual violence against girls. She was also a first mover on Green Climate Funding, starting the process that led to Sierra Leone being awarded one of the first GCF grants for SCI.

Heather has previously worked in leadership positions at the Aga Khan Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, ACTED, CUMO Microfinance, and UNITED Purpose, where she provided leadership in diverse and complex settings, including China, Kenya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, East Timor, and Malawi.

She started her career as a Woodrow Wilson Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins University and holds an MA in Humanitarian Assistance from Uppsala University, Sweden, and a BA in international studies from Johns Hopkins University, USA. Heather is an Africa Board Fellow (Center for Financial Inclusion), an ADI practitioner, Certified in B.E. Wiser – Behavior Economics, and a dedicated Coach for SCI. She loves hiking, enjoys reading sci-fi novels, and takes immense pride in her two boys.

Dr Jason Myers 

Executive Director, OXFAM Aotearoa 

Jason has been the Executive Director of Oxfam Aotearoa for 3 years. In this role, he has overall responsibility for the  delivery of Oxfam’s Strategic Plan. He also sits on the global leadership group for Oxfam International. He returned to Oxfam as no stranger, having been Director of Advocacy and Campaigns from 2014-2016.

Beyond international development, Jason’s career has spanned academia, public health, and human rights. He completed a Health Geography PhD at the University of Auckland before leading a palliative care research project at University College London as part of post-Doctoral study.

Combining his current role at Oxfam with previous appointments, Jason has over a decade of executive level leadership experience. As Chief Executive of the New Zealand AIDS Foundation (now Burnett Foundation Aotearoa), he led a transformational change in strategic approach that subsequently saw the lowest numbers of annual new HIV infections in recorded history. He rebranded the organisation prior to his departure, positioning it for the future. As Executive Director at Oxfam, he has led an ambitious change agenda and has built a committed and engaged team to take on the challenges and opportunities facing the INGO sector today. 

Beyond leadership, Jason has held representational and governance roles in New Zealand and across the Asia-Pacific.

Schannel van Dijken

Conservation International

Guided by curiosity and heritage, Schannel is a National Geographic Explorer, and a marine biologist working with Conservation International’s (CI) Asia-Pacific Program as Marine and Heritage Director. He has worked in 15+ countries across diverse environmental initiatives from Antarctica to Europe, Asia and Oceania. He has demonstrated leadership, sustainability, and environmental management experience honed in working at the intersection of traditional knowledge, science, education, tech, and environmental policy.

Trusted technical practitioner, Schannel is a passionate Pacific advocate, Polynesian voyager (double-hulled traditional voyaging canoe), divemaster, and field scientist. He has spent significant time on the open ocean exploring nature across many Islands between Aotearoa New Zealand, to Hawaii to Mexico, Cocos & Galapagos Islands.