Auckland Regional Committee Leadership

Suzanne has worked both in the private and public sector for more than 25 years as a landscape architect, project manager, resource management consultant, certified hearings commissioner, a spatial, growth and infrastructure planner and an elected member. She has a master’s degree in environmental and local government law. In her spare time, she is a gardener, writer, traveller and a human rights advocate. She has worked with the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation in India and Habitat for Humanity in Nepal. In New Zealand, she supports new migrants and refugees through her work with Refugee Education for Adults and Families (REAF). Suzanne is a member of the NZ Society of Authors, Leadership New Zealand, and NZ branch of the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation.

Rangitunoa Black is a native speaker of the Ngai Tuhoe dialect of Te Urewera Rainforest. She is a writer, poet, composer, teacher, broadcaster academic and activist. She is dedicated and committed to helping create an authentic space and voice for young women that demonstrate exceptional talent as leaders. She is an experienced bilingual communicator, and has had the honour and pleasure of knowing and working alongside Maori and Indigenous Women across the globe underpinning the right to self determination and a right to claim their sovereign identity.

Ritu is a Chartered Accountant and an experienced finance professional. She is currently working with Electric Kiwi Ltd as Financial Reporting Manager. Her previous stints include business consulting with Ernst Young in New Zealand, India and in Investment Banking. Ritu is strongly passionate about education, youth development, women empowerment and poverty eradication. She is also on the Board of ECPAT serving as the treasurer and often volunteers her time providing mentoring.

Sharm Rajoo is an accountant by qualification and has been in the public service for the last 10 years. She is actively involved in advocating for gender equal citizenship for Malaysian women’s children born outside of Malaysia. She aspires to stand with women from all walks of life to achieve equal rights. She is also passionate about protecting the voting rights of the Malaysian Diaspora.

Tara’s philanthropic work and leadership has positioned her as a public advocate for women and girl child issues, clean energy/sustainability in business and environmental conservation, and animal welfare and rights. As a repeat delegate to the White House and United Nations, the essence of Tara’s professional life’s mission is to support women and youth and to empower our next generation of global leaders. Working with the support of the United Nations, Tara is a regular forum and session participant, serving on working groups and committees including the UN’s Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development’s (IANYD) Youth and Gender Equality and UN Women’s Business and Philanthropy Leaders’ Forum.

Laetitia Laubscher is a researcher, writer and communications consultant. Laetitia has strong ties to the United Nations, having worked as a communications consultant for the United Nations Development Programme in Chile. She holds a law degree from the University of Auckland, a film degree from Victoria University and a postgraduate certificate in Antarctic Studies from the University of Canterbury.