Jo MacKay

Jo Mackay has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning over two decades. Jo has held various roles in different organizations, showcasing their skills in project management, policy development, advocacy, and communications.

Jo's most recent position is as the Principal Partnerships Specialist Kainga Ora at Auckland Council, which they started in December 2022. Prior to this, they served as the Project Manager for the Regional Parks Management Plan Review at the same organization from January 2020 to December 2022. In this role, Jo led the development of a new management plan for Auckland Council's 28 regional parks, focusing on areas like climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and visitor management.

Before joining Auckland Council, Jo worked as a Project Manager at the Ministry of Transport for a short period in 2019, as well as at the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko from 2017 to 2019. Jo also co-founded and served as an Executive Team member of the Cycling Action Network (CAN) - NZ Bike Expo from 2017 to 2018.

Jo has previous experience at NZX Limited, where they held multiple roles from 2014 to 2017, including Principal Analyst, Project Manager, and IT Project Manager. Jo also worked as a Procurement Manager at Maven / Ministry of Education in 2013.

Earlier in their career, Jo held various positions at the Electricity Authority, the Ministry of Economic Development, and Auckland Regional Council. At the Electricity Authority, they served as a Project Manager for the implementation of the financial transmission rights (FTR) market in New Zealand. At the Ministry of Economic Development, Jo worked as a Senior Policy Analyst, leading the development of the 2010 draft New Zealand Energy Strategy and contributing to various energy policy areas. At Auckland Regional Council, Jo held roles such as Project Leader, Sustainable Development Project Leader, Acting Communications Team Leader, Community Relations Adviser, and Transport Rates Review Project Coordinator.

Throughout their work experience, Jo has demonstrated their expertise in project management, policy analysis, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and communication.

Jo Mackay completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Science (Natural Resource Management) at Massey University in 2006. Prior to that, Jo obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Sociology from The University of Auckland in 1990. In terms of additional certifications, Jo obtained MSP® Certifications from PeopleCert in December 2019 and also in 2019. Jo has also acquired a Competent Communicator certification from Toastmasters International in 2016 and an ITIL Foundation certification from Loyalist Certification Services in 2013. Additionally, Jo holds a PRINCE2 Practitioner certification, but further details about its acquisition are not provided.