Aspen Institute New Zealand Celebrates Launch

PRESS RELEASE

10 February 2020, Queenstown, New Zealand

On Saturday 8 February, Aspen Institute New Zealand (Aspen NZ) celebrated becoming the 11th partner of the Aspen Institute International Network as well as the completion of its inaugural Executive Leadership Seminar, ‘Leadership, Sustainability and the Good Society’.

Guest speakers from the Institute were Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President of Policy and International Partners, and Clare Munãna, Trustee and Chair of the International Committee of Partners, both of whom were instrumental in Aspen NZ being approved last year by the Institute’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees as the newest International Partner of the Aspen Institute and the first in the southern hemisphere.

Also present from the Institute was Todd Breyfogle, Managing Director of the Executive Leadership Programme and moderator of the four day ‘Leadership, Sustainability and the Good Society’ seminar being held concurrently at Millbrook.

Gerson warmly welcomed Aspen NZ and spoke of the breadth of resources and expertise of the Institute. He was excited about the fresh perspective kiwis will bring to the global network and emphasised that each partner is an independent organisation, independently funded, and forges their own direction.

Clare Munãna, in her role as Chair of the International Committee, spoke of the strong collaboration amongst the Institute and its partners, who provide a global network with the ability to convene leaders across sectors rather than nationalities. Munãna congratulated the newest cohort of Aspen NZ alumni from the Leadership Seminar and encouraged their active involvement in a global network of young leaders, experts, and fellows in countries around the world.

In closing, the Co-Patron and Chair of Aspen NZ, the Rt. Hon. Sir Don McKinnon thanked the Institute for their on-going support and the enormous opportunity of becoming a partner, as evidenced by the experienced and diverse group of participants attending the Leadership Seminar.

About the Institute and Aspen NZ:

The Aspen Institute is a world-renowned educational and policy studies organisation based in Washington DC, with more than 500 employees and a presence in 14 countries.  Its mission is to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues and foster leadership based on enduring values.

The Aspen Institute New Zealand was established in Queenstown, New Zealand during 2019 by the Rt. Hon. Helen Clark (Co-Patron), the Rt. Hon. Sir Don McKinnon (Co-Patron and inaugural Chair) and Christine Maiden Sharp (Founder and Chief Executive).

The Aspen Institute New Zealand is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, independent organisation, established for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Its core activities support the mission of the Institute, to drive change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the greatest challenges of our time.

McKinnon and Clark are well known to the Institute.  McKinnon is a current member of the Aspen Minister’s Forum, chaired by Madeleine Albright; and Clark, during her role at the United Nations, was an active member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health and the 2014 honouree for the Albright Global Development Lecture.

About the Founders:

The Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Administrator of United Nations Development Programme is Co-Patron of the Institute in New Zealand.

The Rt. Hon. Sir Don McKinnon, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, is Co-Patron and inaugural Chair of the Institute in New Zealand.

Christine Maiden Sharp, former Executive Director of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Singapore and consultant with McKinsey & Company, is the Founder and Chief Executive of the Institute in New Zealand.

The Directors are:

Rt. Hon. Sir Don McKinnon (Chair), Sir Eion Edgar, Neil Jacobstein, Katie Milne, Bill Moran, Jane Taylor, Lisa Tumahai and Sir Maarten Wevers.

For more information on the Institute visit: www.aspeninstitute.org.nz or contact Christine Maiden Sharp at info@aspeninstitute.org.nz