About us
We are politically astute strategists who work tirelessly in the background to offer creative solutions to the often-entrenched problems of your organisation.
With Heft, you will receive frank advice and long term thinking - ensuring you navigate your communications and advocacy goals with skill and nuance.
Heft's reputation is based on quick thinking and collaborative problem solving.
Our in house team
Sarah MaguireFounding Director
Wellington
Sarah’s experience spans the public, private and non-government sectors in New Zealand and Australia, including working as Deputy Director of Communications to former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Sarah’s expertise lies in domestic and international media management, campaigns, channels strategy, strategic communications and government relations.
Emily BroadmoreFounding and Managing Director
Wellington
Emily is a government relations and strategic communications expert, with a particular gift in building relationships and facilitating connections in political and commercial realms. Emily manages a small selection of client accounts and focuses her time managing Heft from the Wellington office. Alongside running Heft, she’s started up the Wellington Writers’ Studio and Folly Journal to support the creative community and address perceptions of literary elitism.
Hanna KilpinConsulting Director
Wellington
Hanna is an award-winning senior communications professional with over a decade of experience working in corporate, consumer and B2B communications. From start-ups to multinationals, she's skilled at developing and delivering integrated communication programmes in global and domestic markets.
Her specialities are strategic communications, international media relations and marketing. Her experience working in-house and within agencies, allows her to support clients to take a strategic approach to communications to achieve true business impact.
Victoria CrockfordConsulting Director
Queenstown
Vic brings curiosity, dedication and great outcomes to her client work. After a diverse professional and life experiences with senior roles in the not-for-profit, corporate, and SME sectors, Victoria leads the South Island client base at Heft. Vic is passionate about building strong teams and creating communications strategies to solve complex problems.
Britt MannHead of Media Relations
Auckland
Britt has worked in New Zealand’s biggest newsrooms as a reporter, feature writer, magazine editor and newsletter editor, for the better part of a decade. Her rare mix of experience in news and lifestyle realms has given her a knack for finding the surprising angles in a story and a sixth sense about the best home for it.
Britt has an in-depth understanding of Aotearoa’s media landscape and contacts across the country.
Emily RosenthalSenior Communications Advisor
Wellington
Emily has extensive experience in strategic communications, capacity building, and campaigning. She brings over decade of expertise from newsrooms, universities, non-profits, and trade unions in New Zealand and globally. Emily has particular skills in values-based communications for member organisations, and overseeing long-term advocacy projects.
Anna-Grace SomerfieldCommunications and Advocacy Advisor
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Anna-Grace joined the Heft team in 2022, after completing her Masters in Political Science and a year long parliamentary internship. Anna-Grace supports many of our community sector clients with communications and advocacy planning.
Milla BattenHeft Intern
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Milla is currently studying toward a Masters of Political Science at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. She is an experienced research assistant with a particular focus on refugee, migration and human rights issues.
Our specialist consultants
Lee Cowan
Senior Communications Consultant
Hamilton
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Lee is a strategic communications and crisis communications expert with more than 20 years’ experience and a proven track record of providing strong leadership, strategic input, innovative solutions and marketing and communications advice to senior leaders across a wide range of sectors.
She specialises in crisis management, media relations, strategic advice and planning, internal communication, brand management, writing, editing, corporate communications and organisation development.
Lee is a Fellow of EMPA, Waikato PRINZ Co-Chair, PIM trainer, and a passionate presenter on public perception, community engagement, story-telling and communications.
Gwynn Compton
Senior Government Relations Consultant
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
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Gwynn brings a wealth of government relations and communications experience from his time in both the private and public sectors across New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Gwynn specialises in advocacy, stakeholder management, communications, strategy, and policy which, when combined with having worked at Parliament for Prime Ministers John Key and Bill English as well as his own recent term as a councillor on Kapiti Coast District Council, gives him a unique insight on the dynamics, processes, and politics at play for decision makers in both central and local government.
Ngarina Wong
Communications Consultant
Te Waiohua ki te Ahiwaru me te Ākitai
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Ngarina Wong is a part of Heft’s growing consultant team in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Based in South Auckland, Ngarina supports a cross-section of Heft clients with a focus on supporting Māori and Pasifika businesses.
Ngarina has a Bachelor of Communication Studies from AUT with a Radio major and Advertising minor.
Carla Poulton
Communications Advisor
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
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Carla is an expert in research and community engagement. She has a background in education and first-hand experience working in museums and galleries. Carla supports our arts clients with internal communications, event planning, research and copywriting.
Tommy Livingston
Media Specialist
Te Whanganui-a-Tara
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As a former journalist, Tommy knows how to make sure good stories get told. With experience working in the public and private sector as a media advisor, he is a safe pair of hands for all types of media engagement.