Diversity Works New Zealand appoints new Chief Executive

The Diversity Works New Zealand Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chief Executive, Maretha Smit.

Maretha has held a number of senior leadership roles in her native South Africa and New Zealand, including as Chief Executive of a large member organisation where she effected significant transformational change across an entire sector.

She has a strong background and appreciation of the challenges in diversity and inclusion and has held a senior leadership role in an organisation serving the blind and low vision community as well as delivering programmes within the education and industry training sectors.   

“As a small organisation, it is great to have attracted a candidate with such a broad range of skills,” says Diversity Works New Zealand Board Chair Susan Doughty. “Maretha has senior operational and people leadership experience, extensive funding and stakeholder management experience and a core expertise in customer centricity. She believes in partnering and collaboration to achieve additional reach.”

Maretha starts her new role in mid-April and is looking forward to meeting with Diversity Works New Zealand’s member community and other organisations operating across the workplace diversity and inclusion landscape. 

Maretha, her wife and their family moved to New Zealand in 2016 to be closer to whānau.

For more information, please contact: 
Susan Doughty, Board Chair on 027 544 7237

For an image of Maretha Smit, please contact:
Sheryl Blythen, Marketing and Communications Manager on 021 674 443