Our People
Code Club Aotearoa Staff and Board of Trustees and Directors
Code Club Aotearoa Staff and Board of Trustees and Directors
Michael is an experienced Agile Test Engineer who works with software teams focused on moving towards a high-performance culture. Michael is the co-founder of Code Club Aotearoa, a grassroots response to the huge skills gap faced by the Aotearoa New Zealand IT industry. Michael’s interest in teaching kids to code was sparked by a three-year period living in the Brazilian Amazon where access to education, computers and the internet was restricted to a privileged few.
Emily is a recent graduate from Ara Institute of Technology who is working as the Social Media Coordinator for Code Club and The Electric Garden. Her background is in both visual and information design – she loves using her skills to help DFA’s mission to raise digital literacy in Aotearoa. Emily is based in Christchurch.
Tilly is a soon-to-be Massey University graduate with a Bachelor of Communication. She is a passionate storyteller, excited to spread the word about Digital Futures Aotearoa's mahi. Her role mostly involves writing blog posts, case studies, and copywriting. Tilly is based in Wellington.
Rachel’s our finance whizz. From invoicing right through to end-of-year accounts, management reporting and everything in between, Rach can do it all. She’s Xero and Xero Payroll certified! Rachel is based in Nelson
Kate has recently joined the Code Club Aotearoa team as a Volunteer Coordinator based in Christchurch. Her background is in education management and she is thrilled to be on board with Code Club to support exciting opportunities within education and technology.
Sarah has also recently joined the Code Club Aotearoa team as a Volunteer Coordinator based in Wellington. Her background is in tertiary teaching, writing and editing, and as an IT manager in government. She is excited to be part of an organisation that wants to make a difference in kids' lives.
Victoria is well known in the Aotearoa New Zealand IT business community, as Managing Director of Wellington-based companies OptimalBI, Optimal People and Optimal Labs, director of Noted, FlatpakNZ, LOUD! In Public, the Draper Cormack Group, and was named IT Professional of the Year at ITx in 2016. Victoria also chairs the Digital Skills Forum and co-chairs NZRise.
Professor Tim Bell is one of the brains behind the successful Computer Science Unplugged education programme which has developed an international following among mathematics and computer science educators since it was launched in the early 1990s. Tim received the 2011 University of Canterbury’s Innovation Medal, one of the University’s highest honours, and has been awarded the 2018 SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education.
Simon is the Managing Director of Research First and also leads the Strategy Consulting arm of the business. Prior to joining Research First, Simon had senior management roles in a number of international blue-chip companies. His particular expertise is in helping organisations navigate complex and uncertain environments.
Kris leads leads the corporate, technology and startup advisory team at Parry Field Lawyers, and regularly advises on business structuring, acquisitions, intellectual property ownership and licensing, software agreements, services agreements and joint venture agreements, as well as solvency issues affecting business operations. Kris acts for a number of not for profits, charities, social enterprises, and has expertise in the framework that governs state integrated schools in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sam is Manager at Deloitte Private, New Zealand. His accountancy experiences include reporting on business performance and SaaS metrics; advising on and implementing cloud based finance and management information systems; providing accounting and taxation services; using excel to create high quality customised financial models; and providing business advice on day-to-day policies and processes through to the preparation of strategic business plans.
Matt has a background in technology education, most recently as Programme Manager at the Music and Audio Institute of NZ in Christchurch. Matt is currently studying towards a Masters of Business Administration, works as Senior Programme Coordinator for the 2018 Census at StatisticsNZ, and project manages Code Club Aotearoa’s High Tech Vege Garden project.
Rigby is an autonomous, humanoid robot. He has a background in self-configuration and modularizing architecture. Rigby keeps up everyone's morale, performs complex mathmatical calculations, and waters the plants. Whenever Rigby has a great idea – and they're all great – a lightbulb pops above his head.
