Meet the team

About my role

I lead the Financing, Infrastructure & Urban Development directorate which includes responsibility for the NZEC team. Our directorate provides advice to Ministers on a wide range of areas which cover housing, infrastructure and balance sheet issues. We also update Ministers on the performance of our exporters, and the financial support we provide them.

Prior experience

I previously joined the NZEC team in 2006 (when there were just three staff and one product) and supported the implementation, marketing and utilisation of NZEC's products. In total, I have spent 16 years with the NZEC team, including my time in the Head of Export Credit role. Before this I spent 12 years in law (including as a RNZAF legal officer, international events and marketing, and contract management). I have lived, studied and worked in Mexico, Thailand, Canada, UK and Ireland, and backpacked widely around Africa and Asia. I hold a LLB and a Masters in International Business from Otago University.

Three things about me:

1. Would choose mountains over beaches for a summer holiday.
2. Have a Mexican wife and 2 boys who talk Spanish when they don't want Dad to know things.
3. Been grabbed and kissed by a wild mountain gorilla in a Rwandan jungle.

About my role

I am the Head of the New Zealand Export Credit team, which is New Zealand’s Export Credit Agency located within the Treasury. I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the Export Credit team, with a focus on its performance, strategy and partnerships with business, banks and other agencies. I have been with the Export Credit team for over 9 years, and prior to my current role, I led the client facing side of the team, working with exporters to address the risks and concerns that keep them awake at night.

Prior experience

Prior to joining the Export Credit team, I spent the previous 10 years in banking working for banks in New Zealand and London, with a focus on project and export finance transactions.

Three things about me:

1. I have an in-depth knowledge of the local breweries in London, Auckland and here in Wellington.
2. I am making the most of Wellington's infamously strong winds by learning to kite-surf.
3. Have embraced the steep learning curve that comes with being a new Dad.

About my role

Based In Auckland, I am the Head of the New Zealand Export Credit Origination team. Our role is to help exporters to grow their business and manage repayment risk. I am responsible for supporting the Origination team in achieving these aims as well as looking after exporters in the Auckland region and ensuring effective working relationships with our partner Government agencies as well as Banks and trade Insurance companies.

Prior experience

Over 30 years in various banking roles across client relationship management and credit risk with several NZ banks.

Three things about me:

1. I enjoy doing just about anything outdoors, especially mountain biking and paddling
2. Good food and drink does make the world go round
3. Spending time with friends and family is a great way to understand what is important in life

About my role

My role is to help our New Zealand exporters grow their business. Our range of Trade Credit Insurance and Financial Guarantees can help you secure new sales or fund export sales. I look after Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Wellington (shared), Canterbury, Otago, Southland.

Prior experience

Many years spent in Banking and Financial Services in the UK, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, most recently 6.5 years as a Commercial Manager in Wellington.

Three things about me:

1. I enjoy nothing better than riding my mountain bike around the hills of Wellington. Sometimes I don't fall off.
2. I'm often found on weekends cutting and chopping wood. Sometimes I even use it for the fire.
3. I enjoy fun and practical jokes. My colleagues need to have a sense of humour.

About my role

My role is to support NZ exporters as they identify opportunities to grow their business.  Our range of Trade Credit Insurance and Financial Guarantee products may assist with  securing new business opportunities. I am responsible for the following regions, Northland, North Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Wanganui, Wellington (shared).

Prior experience

Prior to joining the team I spent 11 years working with the ANZ in Queensland, Australia, with a primary focus on business development within the Third Party Relationship and Retail Banking teams.

Three things about me:

1. Love the great outdoors
2. The highlight of my weekend is often spent watching my kids play sport
3. Would one day love to trek to the base camp of Mount Everest

About my role

My role is to help grow the innovation and internationalisation of our New Zealand exporters. Our range of Trade Credit Insurance and Financial Guarantee solutions aim to assist our exporters in securing new business opportunities. I look after the upper half of Te Ika-a-Māui /the North Island, including Northland, Auckland (shared), Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Te Tairāwhiti.

Prior experience

I joined Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury in March 2021 to look after the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme within NZ Export Credit. Prior to joining Te Tai Ōhanga, I spent roughly 9 years working for ANZ in Australia, predominantly specialising in Operations and Recoveries management.

Three things about me:

1. I have walked 100km in ~30 hours for the Oxfam Trailwalker and 1,000km in ~30 days on the Camino de Santiago francés.
2. I am a keen baker and fortunately, coming from a big Polish/Irish family, I have a lot of opportunity to put my baking and cake decorating skills to use.
3. I love the outdoors and you’ll often find me by the ocean come rain, wind or shine.

About my role

As the Head of Underwriting, I assess and review credit papers recommending a decision to approve or decline a guarantee application to the Head of Export Credit and the Director of Financing, Infrastructure and Urban Development. My work involves communication with the exporter, buyer, or the bank and analysis of actual and forecast financial accounts.

Prior experience

I have been working with the team as an underwriting analyst for a total of nine years.  I have also worked at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand as a policy analyst and the Commerce Commission as a regulatory analyst.  Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2006, I worked at Citibank Manila and the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines. My work principally involved credit risk analysis and financial modelling.

Three things about me:

1. Enjoy shopping with my kids (not the husband).
2. Eating "yum char" for lunch on the weekend.
3. Watching Chinese action/love story movies.

About my role

In my present role as a Senior Underwriter, I am responsible for ensuring that quality, accurate and timely credit assessments are undertaken to enable fulfilment of NZEC’s purpose. It includes risk assessment at origination and credit management for the course of exposure to exporters and counterparties that NZEC supports.

Prior experience

Joined NZEC in May 2023 from banking sector. My prior professional career spanned 17 years with ANZ working across 7 of the Pacific countries plus a secondment at ANZ Auckland. Most of the roles I held were focussed on credit & relationship management, people leadership and business enhancements/creativity. Last role with ANZ was as Director, Research & Analysis – Institutional Banking based in Papua New Guinea. Highlight of my career pathway has been the experiences garnered over the years and the people connections that I have made. It has been thoroughly enriching to meet with so many professionals and to see [& learn] how one strives to master their craft.

Three things about me:

1. Passionate about mental health and wellbeing. Having seen people very close to me suffer, I advocate the importance of having a good balance in life and not taking anything too seriously. Personally, I practice yoga and meditation which has helped me to keep a positive outlook.
2. Weekends can get intense in my kitchen. These cooking marathons have an array of Pacific, Indian and fusion culinary creations.
3. Booklover. Any genre appeals. John Grisham is a favourite.

About my role

I am responsible for the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme (BFGS), an economic support measure set up to assist New Zealand businesses impacted by COVID-19, and the North Island Weather Event (NIWE) Loan Guarantee Scheme (the Scheme), an other economic support measure to support businesses that are highly impacted by the NIWE. The BFGS and the Scheme encourage lenders to lend where they otherwise may not by the Government taking up to 80% of the loan’s default risk.

Prior experience

Prior to joining NZ Export Credit, I spent the last eight years at Inland Revenue as a Specialist Investigator within Small Medium Enterprises and Significant Enterprises. Previously worked in the Financial Intelligence Unit within the New Zealand Police and in the Banking environment within New Zealand, mainly focused on the insolvency and restructuring of commercial enterprises.

Three things about me:

1. Even though I was born in Auckland I am a huge supporter of the Crusaders as I claim linkage through my Parents
2. I got my first dog, a lovely beagle named Layla, three years ago so you will find me most weekends doing a lovely costal walk with Layla and at times with her “doggy friends”.
3. I love music – whether playing an instrument, listening or at a concert. Any type of music genre is generally fine however electronic, hip-hop and punk are definitely off the play list

About my role

As the Senior Projects Advisor, I support the functioning of NZEC – by working with the team to increase the resilience and efficiency of our operational practices, which in turn will enable us to better support a wider range of exporters.

Prior experience

Before joining the team, I spent many years working in Auckland and Wellington across both private and public sectors, which included working within banking and insurance companies.

Three things about me:

1. I enjoy travelling, meeting new people, and exploring new places and cultures
2. Animals and aircraft are both passions of mine
3. I enjoy a good book – anything that keeps me interested

About my role

I support the team with NZEC's portfolio management and monitoring. Ensuring accurate and timely reporting from transactional and financial perspective.

Prior experience

I worked with the team as Team Assistant for 18 months. Prior to joining NZEC, I have worked for MBIE in two different roles, in the Immigration and the Tenancy Services directorates. Back in Brazil, my main experience was in commercial banking and financial services.

Three things about me:

1. I'm from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and moving to Christchurch in the middle of the winter was quite a shock. I feel much more adapted in Wellington.
2. I love exploring new places and don't have a particular travelling style. I equally loved the skyline of NYC, the ancient city of Macchu Picchu and the temples of Bali.
3. I love books and movies about mystery and crimes, but I can't handle needles and blood.

About my role

My role is to support the NZEC team by delivering administrative assistance, coordinating meetings and maintaining templates and files required by the team.

Prior experience

Prior to joining the team, I was contracted to the Australian Taxation Office where I managed a team providing support to taxpayers. We assisted business owners with their reporting obligations and worked with them during times of uncertainty to ensure financial obligations were also met.

Three things about me:

1. Outside of work I spend majority of my time exploring local forests, going to the gym and drinking more coffee than I should.
2. I have recently moved to Wellington from Melbourne, it's a great city but I haven't quite made my mind up about the steep hills and freezing southernly winds yet.
3. My Sundays are more often than not reserved for watching UFC events and meal prepping lunches for the week ahead.