Guest Speaker:
Simon J Draper
Executive Director, Asia New Zealand Foundation
Event Date: Tuesday 16th February 2016
Event Time: 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
Event Location:
Bell Gully
Level 21, HP Tower, 171 Featherston Street, Wellington, 6011.
Please note no building access after 6pm.
EVENT REGISTRATION IS ESSENTIAL AND BY INVITATION ONLY
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Simon is an experienced diplomat with an extensive international background in negotiation and relationship management. He joins the Foundation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where he has worked in various roles since 1991. Most recently he held the role of director United Nations, Human Rights and Commonwealth Division. In this role, he managed New Zealand’s engagement and policy with the United Nations in New York, the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the Commonwealth in London. A key part of the role was to drive New Zealand’s successful campaign for a United Nations Security Council seat.
Simon has held several other leadership positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), including New Zealand’s Consul-General to French pacific Territories (2008-2011), director of the chief executive’s office (2005-2008) and foreign policy adviser to Rt Hon Simon Upton.
Before joining MFAT, Simon worked in the banking and consultancy sectors. He speaks working level Korean, French and Italian.
Simon was appointed Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, taking up the position on 31 August 2015.
