Abby is originally from Dunedin, where she undertook her studies at the University of Otago, and she currently works at the University of Canterbury. There she is a Kaiārahi Māori in the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor and works to support Māori development and bicultural competence and confidence through strategic institutional change.

Her commitment to cultural integrity and equity has encouraged her to become an active member of the Rāpaki Branch of the Māori Women’s Welfare League. She speaks te reo and possesses an understanding of te Ao Māori as well as tikangaMāori and State law, and continues to undertake research projects concerning Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of their rights.

Abby holds a Doctor of Philosophy, a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in Māori Studies and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Otago. She is also a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.

Peter is an accountant and has been a partner in PwC since July 2014. Prior to this, he was a Director of the company, and previously worked in finance roles at Williams Hotel Group and Reachmedia NZ Limited.

Peter is a member of the New Zealand Australia Institute of Chartered Accountants and the College of Chartered Accountants. He has also supported the governance functions of the Canterbury Development Corporation Amplifier Program and Cynter Investments Limited.

Board member since: November 2019

Marian Johnson is Chief Awesome Officer at Ministry of Awesome. She is an experienced senior executive with 20 years experience developing and executing marketing and business growth strategies for software and edutech startups in NZ as well as with entertainment multinationals Universal Studios and Discovery Networks in the US and Europe. She is passionate about the startup and innovation ecosystem in Canterbury and Canterbury's future as a city of exploration and opportunity.

Board member since: December 2021

Penny is the General Manager of Customer and Corporate Relations at MainPower New Zealand. An experienced senior executive, Penny is passionate about using her skillset to support and enable communities to achieve positive inter-generational change. Specialising in customer and client experience, she is driven to seek opportunities for improvement whilst also drawing from her expertise in communications and marketing. Penny is a member of the Institute of Directors and the New Zealand Technology Marketers Executive Council.

Lisa is originally from Oamaru, but moved to the North Island in 1999 to complete a Management Degree, majoring in Human Resources from Massey University. Since graduating, Lisa has vast experience in human resource management having worked in a variety of businesses at a senior leadership level for over 20 years. What Lisa loves most about her work is the people, contributing to their growth, and then having the privilege of watching them develop and fulfil their own personal and career goals.

Lisa loves Aviva’s mission of violence prevention and is passionate about using her skills and experience to make a difference. She values Aviva’s commitment to social change and new ideas.

Lisa has three adult children, three grandchildren, two small dogs and in her spare time, enjoys the great walks of Canterbury.

Ekant is a Professor of Marketing and the Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | The University of Canterbury. His work looks at understanding how people, cultures, markets, and relationships can all play a role in driving pro-social change and community wellbeing. Through his work he has partnered with various organisations both in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally, such as the World Health Organisation, UN, Ministry of Education, CCC, Aviva, Te Whatu Ora, and the Māia Health Foundation. His work has been published in numerous international journals and enabled him to use his platform to strive for wellbeing and equity in all spaces. Ekant is a multi-award winning teacher and researcher; a loving husband and father; an average photographer, and a poor, but passionate, singer.

A New Zealand born Samoan, Matt is an internationally acclaimed barber and hair artist, communicator, husband, and father of three children known for ‘giving great cuts’ and ‘inspiring great men.’ He is a survivor of family violence and childhood sexual abuse and shares his story with the men who frequent his busy Christchurch and Palmerston North barbershops, My Fathers Barbers, as a way to foster vulnerability, healing, and connection. He has facilitated a barbering program inside Christchurch Men’s Prison, Te Puna Wai O Tuhinapo, a Christchurch youth justice facility and continues to work alongside Corrections NZ.

Matt started his business with a simple set up in a garden shed in Aranui, Christchurch; and as his talent and client list steadily grew, he gained an engaged following on social media, which he now uses to share messages of inspiration and overcoming. Matt’s barbering skills and dedication to reviving the craft of barbering have seen him teach and demonstrate all over the world. He’s cut everyone from All Blacks to the Wu Tang Clan; but his true calling, he believes, lies in his work to redefine society’s view of masculinity and to help end the cycle of domestic violence affecting whānau all over New Zealand. In 2018, Matt partnered with the Ministry of Social Development as an ambassador for their ‘It's not OK Campaign’ to increase awareness about the role of barbers in creating safe spaces that allow men to talk. He sees the barbershop as a ‘cornerstone of the community’ and barber chairs a safe place for men to change not only their looks, but their lives. Matt is a proud ambassador and supporter for the work of Aviva. In collaboration with us, Matt hosts a men’s anti-violence support group from his barbershop.

Matt co-founded She Is Not Your Rehab with his wife Sarah and launched the concept in his 2019 TEDx talk. He says the movement is simply an invitation for men to acknowledge their own childhood trauma and to take responsibility for their healing so that they can transform their pain instead of transmitting it on those around them.

A New Zealand Māori (Ngāpuhi) wāhine, Sarah is a celebrant, writer and the communications manager of My Fathers Barbers and She Is Not Your Rehab. She is passionate about their mandate of ‘creating violence free communities’ and has worked alongside Matt since his brand began. Her focus has been to build the engagement with their following and clientele and bring their community along on the journey of the social projects they are committed to as a family business.

Previously, Sarah was a newspaper and magazine columnist, the National Events Manager for TEAR Fund, a NZ aid and development organisation and co-founded A Reason To S.M.I.L.E; a non-for-profit organisation that supported single mothers with free community events and provided a mentoring support programme for teen parents.

The couple are happiest together when with their children and whānau, being creatively inspired and travelling. They look forward to launching their first book and continuing to encourage men collectively to heal.

Gwenda joined Aviva in July 2017 as Operations Manager, leading the large team of practitioners supporting those affected by family violence and sexual violence within our communities, covering the North Canterbury, Selwyn, Mid Canterbury and Christchurch region. Following the resignation of the CEO at the time, Aviva’s Board accepted the challenge of a new leadership model, and Gwenda stepped into her co leadership role as General Manager-Operations.

Gwenda is incredibly passionate about ensuring that staff and clients are well cared for and actively works at equipping the agency to provide great supports for those who we journey alongside, and equally importantly ensures that a safe, trusting and empowering environment is provided for her team. Gwenda has extensive experience over 20 years managing social services, overseeing a wide and varied range of programmes. Her frontline social work experience included supporting children, through to adults, families and individuals who were in some way struggling with managing their resources within their communities and included supporting people pre-release from prison and worked intensively with these folk as they reintegrated into community life.

Gwenda, her husband and children spent a year serving as missionaries in the beautiful Kingdom of Tonga. Gwenda has a Bachelor of Social Work in Bi-Cultural Practice from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. She has had the immense privilege over the last 15 years of learning of her own Māori whakapapa after connecting with her biological father. Gwenda’s iwi are Te Aupōuri and Ngā Puhi. These experiences have ignited an extreme sensitivity, passion and determination to ensure people of all cultures and social status are given absolute opportunities to journey towards wellbeing and to be free from injustice and discrimination. Gwenda recently completed the University of Canterbury’s MBA Leading Collaborative Partnerships programme which offered some intense insight into the challenges and yet incredible benefits of collaborative opportunities.

Nicki joined Aviva in February 2017, coming from the corporate world of business and finance.

As a co-leader of Aviva, Nicki is passionate about making a difference through her business knowledge and leadership. She strives to create a high trust work environment, where there is a focus on supporting and understanding staff from a life and wellbeing perspective. She believes doing so will set up the best foundation to enable Aviva to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

Nicki brings over 20 years’ experience in general business management and leadership including finance and accounting, team management, human resources, strategy, and business planning.

Outside of work, she loves spending time with her family (partner, three children, three dogs, two cats and two horses) at their rural home in North Canterbury.