Committee Members

The Old Girls’ Committee meet every month during term time to plan events, fundraisers, and other activities to support and engage the Old Girls’ community.

Committee Members are voted in at the Association’s Annual General Meeting in March. If you would like to discuss the Committee activities and get involved, contact the President of the Old Girls’ Committee presidentoga@stcuthberts.school.nz

Kirsten McKenzie (President): attended St Cuthbert’s between 1986 and 1992. After studying computer programming, she joined the New Zealand Customs Service. She spent a year working for UK Customs & Excise at Heathrow Airport in 1996 before returning to NZ Customs, and leading the National Detector Dog Unit. Kirsten is now a full-time author with six published novels behind her, and a seventh on the way. Her two daughters are current St Cuthbert’s students, and by joining the Old Girl’s Association Committee, Kirsten hopes to help give back to a community, which gave her so much. Find Kirsten here.

Georgina Gilbert Robertson (Immediate Past President): Georgina attended St Cuthbert’s from 1981 to 1986 and is a 3rd generation St Cuthbert’s family with 12 girls who have gone through the school. Her daughter Eva attended St Cuthbert’s. She holds a BSc from the University of Auckland and has a background in business development and marketing. Georgina has been on the Old Girls’ Committee since 2011 and was VP between 2015 and 2017, taking a break for 3 years before returning as President in 2020. She has been a Director at Prescription Skin Care Ltd for the last 11 years, an Appearance Medicine company that works in association with the New Zealand Institute of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery. Prior to that she was in senior business development and marketing roles with British Sky Broadcasting Ltd in London for nine years and Fisher and Paykel Ltd as Direct Marketing Manager.

Simran Saseve-Dale (Vice President): Simran attended St Cuthbert’s from 1999 to 2003. She remembers her time at St Cuthbert’s fondly and many of her dearest friends today are the same ones she had through high school. After completing a Bachelor of Architecture at UoA, Simran gained a Master of Fine Art at RMIT Melbourne and now specialises in marketing and PR within the contemporary art and design industries. She has two young boys, loves to travel with them in tow, visit galleries, cook and write. Simran is particularly looking forward to being involved with growing the Old Girls’ Association scholarship funds. Find Simran here.

Minta Smith: After leaving St Cuthbert’s in 2008, Minta attended Canterbury University and graduated with a BSc, Environmental Science before heading overseas to work and live in both Australia and London. After returning from the UK, Minta is now a recruiter at Home Recruitment, specialising in property, development, technology, and start-ups. She is delighted to be home in NZ with family and friends, which encouraged her to reconnect with the Old Girls of St Cuthbert’s. Find Minta here.

Ashvini Soysa (Treasurer): Ashvini attended the College from 2002 to 2009 and is grateful for her time in Black Watch tartan. Ashvini went on to graduate from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Taxation. She is currently working in the Accounting/Finance team for an insurance broking company specialising in acquisitions and completing her qualification to be a Chartered Accountant.

Jennifer Ma: Jennifer is the founder of ‘Little Oasis’, the first lifestyle-based Early Childhood Education brand in China. Little Oasis places a strong emphasis on the emotional and physical wellbeing of both parent and child and promotes education through the power of play. Jennifer was the recipient the 2015 Innobrand Competition for most innovative product and most innovative service. She is also on education-related speaking circuits internationally, and has given addresses as prestigious events including Beijing Design Week, International Kid’s Design Week, and even a Yale Guest Forum, where she spoke on the subject: “How to raise a happy child”. Jennifer’s love of working with children is not limited to her professional life. In addition to running Little Oasis, she is also instrumental to the Summer Children’s Foundation, a charity that organises fun activities for kids undergoing leukaemia treatment in hospitals across Beijing. Jennifer is the proud mother of three sons.

Laura Madden: Laura is a second generation St Cuthbert’s student, completing the entirety of her schooling at St Cuthbert’s, leaving in 2006. She attended Auckland University, graduation with a BCom, double majoring in Marketing and Management, and a BA in Sociology. Laura is the Senior Brand Manager for Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, the parent company of Ellerslie Racecourse, Pukekohe Park, and Ellerslie Convention Centre. Laura has a young daughter and lives rurally with her family so she can continue to have and compete horses of her own. Laura counts her school friends as some of her nearest and dearest, and looks forward to celebrating the achievements of St Cuthbert’s alumni through her work with the committee.

Rosanna Wu: A 2018 St Cuthbert’s College graduate, Rosanna graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science (Psychology) conjoint degree. She works as a law clerk in the Family and Relationship Property Team at McVeagh Fleming. Rosanna volunteers as a counsellor with Lifeline Aotearoa, and is a member of the Auckland District Law Society, Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association, Legal Research Foundation, Equal Justice Project, Asian Legal Network, and NZ Asian Lawyers.

Lizzie Judd (Secretary): Lizzie is the Training & Development Manager at Mainfreight, and holds a Masters of Science (First Class Honours) in Psychology from the University of Auckland.

Sarah Vokes (nee Keeley): Sarah attended St Cuthbert’s from 1986 – 1990. After school Sarah got a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Auckland and a Graduate Diploma in Communications from AUT. Sarah has worked in a variety of industries mainly in the area of Internal communications. Currently on a career break, she is in the final stages of Masters of Public Policy. Sarah is married with three children and Mollie, the youngest, is now at St Cuthberts. Sarah loved her time at St Cuths and is looking forward to working with the Old Girls Committee and getting to know a new group of talented and interesting women

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebacchus/Kate Bacchus: Kate attended St Cuthbert’s from 1980 – 1992. After school, she took off a gap year and worked, before commencing a career and study of Hotel Management. However, after a number of years in Hotel Management in AU and NZ, she took a sidestep into HR and returned to study with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business, majoring in HR Management from The University of Auckland. Over the last 20 + years, Kate has worked for large corporates, professional services firms and smaller commercial businesses in London, Australia and NZ. In 2022, founded her own business, hr butter, specialising in HR Consulting for small to medium sized Kiwi businesses, along with coaching and leadership facilitation. Kate’s daughter is a current student at the College; and Kate is thrilled to be reconnecting and connecting with many Old Girls and making a contribution to the school that she contributes to having many incredibly strong lifelong friends and developing an unwavering confidence in being. Find Kate here.

School roles

Justine Mahon (Patron): Justine is the Principal of St Cuthbert’s and as Principal, is an Honorary Member and Patron of the Association. Justine’s Blackwatch tartan credentials are strong having served on the staff at the school for 17 years. She and her daughter, Celia Mahon-Heap (’04), are both St Cuthbert’s Old Girls. Justine holds an MA Hons and qualified as a teacher of German, English and Classics. Prior to joining St Cuthbert’s as Deputy Principal, she was a Head of Department Languages and a Dean in co-ed secondary schools and served on the executive of the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers. After taking time out of education to work in Germany in Foreign Affairs as Registrar and Librarian at the NZ Embassy, and as an actor and interpreter for television and film, Justine returned to education and spent seven years as a senior lecturer at the Auckland College of Education lecturing in the undergraduate degree, post-graduate diploma and masters courses.

Leigh Melville (Old Girl Board Liaison): Leigh Melville was appointed to the St Cuthbert’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and was President of the Old Girls’ Association during the College Centenary in 2013 to 2014. Leigh, her mother and her grandmother all attended the College and her father, Ian, was a Trust Board member from 1984 to 2000. Leigh is the Managing Director of Art+Object, an art auction house in Auckland and is Chair of the New Zealand at Venice Biennale Patrons Trust, which fundraises to support New Zealand’s participation at the Venice Biennale. Leigh holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies from Auckland University of Technology. Her daughter, Frances, is currently a student at St Cuthbert’s.

Quick Links

Contact

T +64 9 520 9385
E alumni@stcuthberts.school.nz
E presidentoga@stcuthberts.school.nz
—
PO Box 26-020, Epsom
Auckland, 1344