Creative Welly Episode #32 | Michelle Kitney & Rob Cousins

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Michelle Kitney, Chief Executive at Volunteering New Zealand

Michelle Kitney lead’s Volunteering New Zealand. Originally from Taranaki, she lives in Te whanganui a tara with her three boys and husband.

Volunteering New Zealand is the national umbrella organisation for volunteers and volunteering. It’s purpose is to empower volunteers to enrich Aotearoa New Zealand.

Michelle has a background in communications, marketing, social enterprise and not for profit experience. She has also worked in the public sector in New Zealand and the UK. She says she volunteered her way into her current job. Gaining relevant experience through a variety of volunteering roles.

She cooks and plays Floorball in her spare time.

Rob Cousins, Innovation Manager

Being honest, I’m a jack of all trades and master of none, who often seems to land on my feet, and somehow finds a way to make a difference with the people I meet. After a mediocre degree in Psychology, I worked in insurance and risk management in the UK, whilst pursuing hobbies that were both uninsurable and risky in many other parts of the world. Instead of a career, I’ve followed opportunities as they’ve arisen, and as I’ve pursued various different interests.

All of this has taught me that they key to most challenges is people, their experience, being curious and caring. Right now I am bringing this to how health and safety is understood, and how we might regulate that, from WorkSafeNZ. Shifting away from paperwork, compliance and rules. Moving towards caring about people, creating improvement, and giving people power over the things that affect them.

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Creative Welly Episode #7 | Pia Steiner & Thomas van Raamsdonk

Courageous conversations with bold humans (from the most creative little capital in the world).

Pia Steiner, Senior Advisor Organisational Development at Ministry of Justice

Before Jacinda made it cool, Pia had ‘Be kind’ tattooed on her arm – part inspiration, part reminder. As an Ambassador Melbourne-based workplace kindness initiative Yes Queen, and co-founder of Canary Collective, it’s Pia’s mission to ‘build better business’ – and a better society – by helping organisations make inclusion, behaviour change, and equity real.

Curious and restless, Pia has studied coding, education, fine art, graphic design, and psychology. She’s worked across a number of industries from tech start ups to electricity to banking to public service.

Thomas van Raamsdonk, Irritator and Inspirer. Building performance geek. GM for Pro Clima in Australia & New Zealand

Thomas’ vision is to create healthy, long lasting and energy efficient surroundings for all families, schools and businesses in Oceania. Having worked in Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, Thomas gained extensive knowledge on airtightness, thermal bridging and healthy homes. He is passionate about knowledge transfer and sharing knowledge with industry and research institutions on how building standards can be improved.

Thomas has been the General Manager of Pro Clima NZ Ltd and Pro Clima Australia Pty Ltd since 2006. Pro Clima is a leader in development and manufacturing of intelligent high performance sealing systems in construction.

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