About us

Tim Wilson is an award-winning journalist who has worked in print, radio and television. He comes to Maxim Institute from TVNZ, for which he was the network’s first US Correspondent, a business development manager, and a producer on Seven Sharp. Recently he also hosted the nationally-rated number one show Sunday Night Talk on NewstalkZB. Tim has written three novels, one of which, Their Faces Were Shining, was long-listed for the Booker Prize. His work has also appeared in Metro, North & South, Newsweek.com, and The Guardian. He is married to Rachel; they have three sons: Roman, Felix and Wilfred.

As Director, Joanne drives our work programme and oversees our human resources needs. Alongside her Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Business, Joanne brings a wealth of experience from previous roles in large scale event management and the education sector.

Kieran Madden is Maxim Institute’s Research Manager, leading and guiding our research programme. With a Master’s in Public Policy from the Crawford School of Economics and Government at ANU, Kieran has considered a broad range of social policy issues, primarily focused on understanding and developing effective policies to reduce poverty in New Zealand. Most recently, Kieran has been exploring the potential for character skills—things like perseverance, motivation, and self-control—to navigate the future of work in New Zealand. Kieran is also currently delving into the problem of loneliness and social isolation, a growing concern in these uncertain times.

Hailing from the Waikato, Danielle joined the Maxim Institute research team in 2016 after completing a MSc in Political Science from Leiden University in the Netherlands. Danielle has produced research on overcoming the barriers to employment for people with disabilities, the role of Government and society in protecting the freedoms of our society, as well as leading our research on the End of Life Choice Act, and the Abortion Legislation Bill. Currently working on end of life care, Danielle is considering how we best ensure that there is sufficient access and funding for all New Zealanders and their families to the best possible care and support at the end of life.

Julian is primarily a labour economist with a Masters in Social Science and a history of strategic labour market policy work in minimum wages, migration and regional development. Julian has produced a wide range of research for the Maxim Institute covering Regional Development, Migration and Active Labour Market Policies (ALMP). His regional development work included drawing attention to decline and transition policy for regions as they increasingly face demographic and economic change. His migration work highlighted New Zealand’s over-reliance on temporary work visas — contrasting this with welcoming policy and Manākitanga. His meta-analysis of what AMLP’s work in a recession, directly fed into discussions with officials over options to respond well to the COVID-19 pandemic. Julian is currently examining modern forms of work and how these increasingly non-standard/platform/precarious work practices interface with the tax and welfare support systems. The suspicion is not very well.

Joining the Maxim Institute research team in 2021, Alapasita holds a Bachelor of Physical Education (Hons) and a Master in Public Health from the University of Otago.  Her work includes leading research on factors that shape the academic success of Pacific students, as well as community research on Pacific youth, debt and family violence prevention. Currently working on research around poverty and predatory lending, Alapasita is examining the implications of new credit law changes on third-tier lenders to vulnerable groups at risk of predatory lending.

Siobhan has recently joined Maxim Institute as the Operations and Events Coordinator. She has a background in teaching and education, including alternative approaches to holistic learning. Siobhan has a long history of organising events in the community sector.

Heading up Maxim Institute’s communications, Jeremy enjoys connecting our work with a wide range of audiences, from media, to MPs, to members of the public. Alongside a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Canterbury, he brings years of experience in communications and community work.

Judy has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and International Business and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology, from Victoria University of Wellington.

Campbell has over twenty years’ experience in business and leadership. Currently the owner and Managing Director of Spiraweld, an Auckland manufacturing company his previous roles include managing directorships of several New Zealand retail and importing businesses. With long experience in finance roles for non-profit organisations, Campbell is also involved with a number of community groups in a voluntary capacity.

Lindsay is a communications specialist, with experience in government relations, public policy, strategic communications and stakeholder management. As an independent consultant she works for councils, development agencies and start-ups proving strategic advice and stakeholder management. She is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand with an LLB from Otago University. Her previous roles include working in public policy in Washington DC, and six years in government relations for the Bank of New Zealand.

Roseanne is a chartered accountant, with strong HR and management experience. She served as Chair of the Board of Trustees at a low decile school for over ten years, and saw the difference an excellent education can make in people’s lives. Roseanne works in her family business in the construction sector, serves in various volunteer roles, and offers many years of governance experience in the not-for-profit sector.

Roshan is National Principal and CEO of Laidlaw College, and has a background in non-profit leadership. An historian with degrees from Canterbury and Oxford, his doctoral research focused on social reform and philanthropy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Roshan has a longstanding involvement in Maxim Institute, beginning with a summer internship in 2002-03.

Kate is an experienced commercial litigator and Crown prosecutor providing a range of advocacy and advisory services. She completed a summer internship at Maxim Institute in 2008-2009. She also sits on the Board of another not-for-profit.

Scott has wide experience in leadership roles in financial markets regulation, and across local and central government. He has managed a review of retirement income policies and previously managed government relations for a major bank. Scott began his career working in Parliament as a researcher along with providing policy and communication advice. In 2001, Scott was one of Maxim’s founding staff members.