Christmas Member Connect and Emerging Director Award presentation

Ashlee McCormick

MInstD, EDA Recipient 2024

 Ashlee is the Donations Programme Manager at The Tindall Foundation, a private family foundation providing donations, social loans and impact investments to organisations and community groups across Aotearoa.  

In her governance roles, Ashlee is the Chair of Heart Kids New Zealand, a national organisation supporting babies, children and adults, and their whānau, who are impacted by congenital heart conditions. She is also a Trustee for The Big Idea, an organisation championing the creative community and supporting creative practitioners to build sustainable creative careers.  

Ashlee’s career has been primarily in corporate sustainability and philanthropy. Her first role was at Spark, where she was part of the team that established the Spark Foundation, before moving on to HSBC and managing their corporate sustainability programme. She’s also spent time in London working at Business in the Community, an NGO founded by HM King Charles III to encourage responsible business, and in advisory at Bureau Veritas, verifying sustainability data and greenhouse gas emissions for international corporates. Upon returning to New Zealand in 2017, she spent almost a year at ANZ managing their community giving programme, before joining The Tindall Foundation.  

Ashlee holds a MSc in environment science, BSc (Hons) in geography and an BA in psychology from the University of Auckland.  

Melissa Crawford 

CMInstD, EDA Recipient 2025

Melissa Crawford is a recognised expert in the future of work, bringing a rare combination of future technology expertise and people psychology to the boardroom. Her career spans senior roles in some of New Zealand’s largest organisations across industries including technology, aviation, banking, FMCG, retail, education, and energy. 

She holds two technology degrees and is currently completing a Master of Science in Positive Psychology, a field that strengthens her focus on resilience, leadership, and human potential. Melissa is also a graduate of both the Institute for the Future (California) and the University of Houston’s Strategic Foresight programme, and a member of the Association of Professional Futurists. 

As Director of Tech with Heart, Melissa works with organisations on future strategy, foresight, and technology adoption. She serves on several governance and advisory boards and is a sought-after global keynote speaker on the intersection of people, technology, and strategy. 

Melissa is passionate about using foresight to help organisations anticipate disruption, harness opportunities, and shape a better future. She brings curiosity, strategic rigour, and a strong values base to her governance roles, with a particular interest in ensuring organisations remain both future-fit and human-centred.