Bachelor of Arts (Hons), APR, PRINZ member

Nicola returned to HMC in February 2023 after brief hiatus to raise her young family. She brings with her more than 15 years of strategic PR experience in agency and in-house roles.

Nicola has worked across several sectors providing strategic communications planning and support including education, fundraising, health, consumer, agriculture, science, energy, local government and stakeholder relations. Her key strengths include strategic campaign planning and implementation, digital PR, project management, stakeholder management and media relations. She is an adept writer and has helped many clients write successful award entries, including business and scientific research, and has a special interest in fundraising and community relations communications.

Beginning her career as a copywriter and communications assistant in the early childhood education sector, Nicola moved to the University of Waikato in 2010 and worked in a series of communications roles before leaving in 2016 as Strategic Communications Manager. After a stint in local government, Nicola started at HMC as an account manager before leaving in 2019 as a Senior Account Manager to raise her family. She returned part-time to the University of Waikato in a fundraising role, assisting in the overhaul of the University’s fundraising strategy and the successful re-introduction of its annual giving programme, before returning again to HMC in 2023.

Nicola has led several successful client projects from start to finish, including managing the communications of New Zealand’s first medicinal cannabis company’s IPO on the New Zealand Stock Exchange, and the national public announcement of significant research findings on a nitrogen reducing plantain seed – both of which generated significant global media interest.

Nicola has a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in English and Media Studies from the University of Waikato and is Accredited in Public Relations with the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ). She lives in Hamilton East with her partner and two children.