Leadership change at the New Zealand China Council

A quick update to our New Zealand China Council stakeholders and website subscribers that our executive director Alistair Crozier is stepping down from his role to take up a new position elsewhere, effective from the end of September.

In a small organisation like ours, the executive director plays a key role as secretariat to the Council and its 25 members, and as manager of a diverse range of projects and initiatives designed to support a balanced and resilient relationship between New Zealand and China.  In the last four years these have included:

• Twice-yearly Council meetings with New Zealand political leaders and ministers, senior officials and local and international experts;
• Annual Council visits to China, and bilateral high-level visit participation;
• Sectoral awareness-raising visits to China ( future food, wind energy and AI);
• NZ media visits to China;
• Visits by informed China-based experts to New Zealand (“China voices on China”);
• ‘Track 2’ dialogues between our Council and a range of Chinese institutional partners;
• A broad range of published research reports on bilateral issues;
• Regular podcasts, opinion pieces and media engagement;
• Engagement with young professionals interested in bilateral issues, including seats for two ‘NextGen’ members on our Council,

And a lot more besides!  We thank Alistair for his central involvement in the Council’s work through a challenging and fast-moving 4.5 years, and wish him all the best for his future endeavours.

We are now on the lookout for a new executive director, able to join our office in Auckland and continue supporting our Council members and leading our main work programmes.  The leader we seek will have:

• Experience operating in management roles in government or business in both New Zealand and China;
• Knowledge of New Zealand foreign policy and understanding of wider regional and international geopolitical and geostrategic issues, as well as trade and investment policy and other areas of bilateral engagement;
• Proven ability to manage a high-performing organisation or team, including knowledge of HR, financial and project management;
• Experience in public advocacy and media skills;
• High levels of integrity and trust.

This is an Auckland-based role working out of our Council office in Grafton.

Anyone with these attributes who is interested in the role is welcome to contact info@nzchinacouncil.org.nz before 28 August 2026 for more information.