dots
Laura White

Senior Consultant

Contact

Key Skills

  • People leadership 
  • Implementing transformational change 
  • Developing effective external relationships 
  • Proactive management of risk 
  • Political astuteness 
  • Pragmatism 
  • Decision making 

Laura has over two decades worth of experience in leadership roles in government (central and local), and in consultancies. Laura has led multidisciplinary teams in a variety of roles to deliver quality outcomes in complex situations.

Laura is a strategic thinker who can quickly assimilate complexity and chart a pathway forward. She has gained an excellent reputation for her ability to quickly build good rapport and productive relationships. Her collaborative and outcomes focused approach ensures tangible results.

 

Qualifications 

  • Post graduate Diploma in Historic Building Conservation, University of Central Lancashire 
  • Post graduate Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield 
  • BA (Hons) Urban Studies (with Urban Design), University of Sheffield  
  • Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) (UK) 
  • Leadership Success Profile programme with a focus on leadership across the New Zealand public sector 
  • Leadership Programme for leaders at the National Trust  
  • Mt Eliza Business School, Melbourne (2008) – Strategic Leadership Programme 

 

Recent Experience 

DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION NZ 

Director, Commercial and Pricing Strategy 

Laura filled a leadership role which spanned across the financial, corporate, visitor, and regulatory systems of the organisation. Laura led a culture shift to value expert and insight-based pricing (including the integration of pricing with promotion and reflecting costs) and enhanced business acumen for negotiating with commercial operators. Laura also established a new unit and management structure.  

Laura also led a range of business improvement work around cost management and revenue optimisation - adding a cumulative $4 million per annum to the revenue position. To support this investment, Laura also developed the user requirements to be implemented in the new data and finance systems. External organisation collaboration was involved alongside businesses, government departments and briefing Ministers of Conservation on a range of tourism pricing and commercial fee issues. The oversight of investment extended to include the trial and subsequent roll out of charging international visitors a different price for Great Walks – which increased revenue for reinvestment purposes in conservation.