Team Updates

We are pleased to announce two new team members, filling some crucial gaps.

Mark Webley, Challenge Manager

Mark Webley takes on the role of Challenge Manager. Mark has spent the last 14 years working at NIWA in a project coordinator position for the previous nine. Luckily for us, he is already familiar with the Deep South Challenge; his current position has been as the project coordinator for DSC. This meant working directly with all the previous challenge managers and project management team.

Mark says, “The way Deep South Challenge’s research works to help New Zealand navigate a changing climate and reaches out to people at the forefront appeals to me. It is a privilege to work with such a diverse group of people.”

Mark is a Wellingtonian born and bred, and he lives in Miramar. He is kept busy outside work raising two young children and coaching football. We look forward to having Mark at the helm to help us all to deliver success over the remainder of the Challenge.

Maximillian Scott-Murray, Events Director 

Maximillian Scott-Murray (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Awa) has joined our Engagement Team as Events Director. This new role focuses on the many events, from hapū-based noho wanaga to corporate and central government symposia, which we will be running between now and the end of the Challenge. Max joins us from the community justice space, alongside photography and events management, and brings with him a wealth of knowledge on navigating challenging spaces.

For Max the most important aspect of our Deep South mahi is building interconnections and ensuring wide access to tools, information, and resourcing.

It is important to me that at each step of this journey we uphold the importance of whēnua to Māori, and amplify the voices of tangata whēnua wherever we can.

Maximillian Scott-Murray

Max’s whakapapa is to the Hokianga and Whakatane areas, although he has lived most of his life in Wellington. He’s lucky enough to now reside in the beautiful Titahi Bay. Max will be kept busy as we seek to maximise outcomes from our research; the team has already appreciated his skill in running hui and his eye for details, like having quality kai.