Board of Trustees

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  Gael Ogilvie Founder and Chairperson Gael established the Tread Lightly Charitable Trust in 2007 to educate young people about sustainable living and to introduce them to science subjects. She is an award-winning scientist and manager with four decades experience in assessing and quantifying the impact of human activity on the environment in New Zealand and overseas. The general lack of understanding about the environment and shortage of teachers with STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) qualifications prompted her to find sponsors to help fund Tread Lightly’s environmental education programmes. Since Tread Lightly began visiting primary and intermediate schools in 2009, Gael has worked closely with Tread Lightly’s teachers to ensure its courses meet the needs of 5-to-12 year olds. Gael has a passion for raising awareness about environmental degradation, pollution, species loss and climate change and as a student in 1980, she organised Auckland’s first ‘Clean-a-thon’ which involved 10,000 volunteers picking up litter from waterways. Her current roles include adjunct facilitator for Open Polytechnic preparing and teaching post-graduate papers in Environmental Management, Environment/Economy and Environment/Media. She was previously Head of Environmental Services at Auckland Council and Senior Principal at URS (now AECOM). Her expertise includes advising clients on climate action (including carbon footprinting and reporting) and on how to integrate an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance focus into decision-making and operations. Gael holds a number of other governance roles in the environment sector.
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  Julian Nixon Founding Trustee Julian is a journalist with a longstanding interest in environmental science and education. As a manager of public relations firms in New Zealand, China and the Middle East, Julian has advised a wide range of organisations on how to incorporate their environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities into their communication programmes. His journalism experience includes the National Business Review, the Australian Financial Review and the Economist Intelligence Unit. An article he wrote for the NZ Listener in the 1980s, Spirit Voice, highlighted the need for idiomatic richness when translating English into Māori (interview recordings are held in the National Library). The incorporation of Te ao Māori into a Western science view of the environment is a core element of the Tread Lightly teaching programme. Julian’s academic qualifications are an MBA, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance, Bachelor of Regional Planning and Certificate in Journalism.
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  Kanika Jhunjhnuwala Trustee Kanika is a highly experienced ESG professional and currently serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer for Hind Management and Sudima Hotels. She leads, develops and implements sustainable strategies and governance across the group. Kanika has lived in Asia, the Americas and New Zealand and applies a global lens to implementation of sustainable hospitality and tourism. Under her leadership, Sudima Hotels and Hind Management Group have become award-winning industry leaders in sustainability, environmental care and community support. Sudima Hotels has long been an early adopter in this space – its leadership includes having been involved with Toitū for over a decade, and its waste reduction plan has influenced transformative practices within the wider industry. Under Kanika’s leadership, the Group was a finalist in both ‘Caring for our Communities’ and ‘Leading the Way in Regenerative Hospitality’ at the renowned HM Awards in Sydney in 2023. In 2024, Human Resources New Zealand recognised Hind Management & Sudima Hotels with the prestigious Building Sustainability Through People Award. Kanika launched The Hotel Industry Sustainability Group, enabling hotels to participate in and collaborate on sustainability, including knowledge-sharing and raising the bar for ESG, and working towards climate emission reductions and on a plan for regenerative tourism. Kanika brings to the Group a unique combination of skills and knowledge. She is a member of the Institute of Directors and currently a Director of Tread Lightly Charitable Trust. Kanika has a background in physics and environmental engineering, and did environmental academic research. Her passion for the outdoors drives her to create meaningful change within her company and the industry.
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  Mark Ashby Trustee Mark has more than thirty years’ experience in consulting, and in local, regional and central government. Working for SLR (and predecessor company 4Sight) since 2013, Mark is a Technical Director, and SLR’s Aotearoa portfolio lead for Onshore Renewable Energy. SLR has 10 offices and around 200 staff in NZ. SLR’s purpose is Making Sustainability Happen – partnering with clients to tackle complex sustainability challenges. Globally, the company has over 3,500 people delivering client solutions. SLR’s teams of environmental and business consultants, engineers and scientists provide advice to clients at every point of the project life-cycle from strategy and design, through compliance and operations, to end-of-life and remediation. Mark’s professional qualifications and expertise are in the broad field of “Planning” – covering everything from policy development through to regulatory processes – and especially in relation to environmental assessment in the context of seeking consents. He has often provided expert evidence in council and Environment Court hearings. He is also an experienced Hearing Commissioner / Chair, making decisions on behalf of district and regional councils. Although based in the Wellington region, Mark has worked on projects around NZ – but also in Australia and Brunei. In 2003, he was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to study planning issues related to wind energy development in other countries.
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  Katrina Browne Trustee Having grown up with New Zealand native bush as a back yard, Katrina started forming a love of the natural world and a sense of responsibility for protecting it at a young age. Fast forward 40 years and Katrina has used this as fuel for a diverse career in environmental management. An earth scientist  by training (think volcanoes, the water cycle, wetland ecology and more), Katrina has 17 years of experience as an environmental professional in NZ and Australia. With that technical knowledge amassed, Katrina is passionate about channelling her professional experience into preparing the next generations of kaitiaki. 

Lead Roles

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  Leigha Stroeven Lead Educator Leigha is a certified primary trained teacher since 2010 when she graduated from the University of Auckland. Leigha has strong focus in educating young people on becoming strong, caring and responsible individuals. She has taught in many South Auckland schools which has led her to join the Tread Lightly team in 2024. Leigha’s primary focus is to guide and direct the Tread Lightly teachers and assistants through collaboration and integration of the NZ school curriculum. She is the point of contact for schools and creates a warm and welcoming team environment. Leigha’s long-term focus for the Tread Lightly team is to continue to spread environmental awareness by creating engaging, hands on and inspiring educational experiences for all tamariki and schools in Auckland Tamaki Makaurau.
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  Kaye Hawkins Commercial Manager Kaye is a Chartered Accountant with decades of expertise in finance, IT, project management and administrative support. She has broad experience across a wide range of service industries in New Zealand, Australia and Asia including hotel and resort management, organisational management and consultancy, and the not-for-profit sector. Kaye joined the Tread Lightly Charitable Trust after returning to New Zealand in 2021 and was delighted to become part of a movement driving change. At Tread Lightly, Kaye manages the commercial aspects of the TLCT’s operations including accounts, audits and spending approvals and provides financial input to funding proposals.