About us
We’re the extra heft you need.
Heft was founded in 2020 on a simple idea: that the organisations doing hard, important work in Aotearoa New Zealand deserve strategic communications support with real substance behind it — good judgement, strong follow-through, and a commitment to excellence.
That’s the heft we bring.
We partner with leaders and organisations whose decisions carry weight — commercially, politically, and in the communities they serve. Our clients operate where reputation, regulation, and relationships intersect. They come to us when the impact of their work is significant and the path forward isn’t obvious.
Your Heft HQ team
Victoria Crockford
Executive Director
Tāhuna - Queenstown
Vic’s specialty is cutting through complex policy, regulatory, and market systems so that communities, challengers, and start-ups have the opportunity to contribute and compete.
She has led communications, government relations, and stakeholder engagement across some of the most complex crisis-response and regulatory-reform programmes of the past decade — including climate policy, electricity prices, and the frontline COVID-19 response — drawing on roles in the energy and housing sectors, including as CEO of Community Housing Aotearoa.
Vic is passionate about contributing to a thriving Aotearoa through regional and national governance roles in the arts and housing sectors, including as the co-lead of the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness and the Chair of Arts Access Aotearoa.
Sarah Johnson
General Manager
Te Whanganui a Tara - Wellington
Sarah is a senior communications and brand leader who translates complex policy into compelling narratives that drive results. She leads Heft's client work and day-to-day operations, bringing deep expertise across media relations, stakeholder engagement, and brand activation — for clients ranging from airlines to heads of state.
In New Zealand, she has navigated the unique intersection of brand awareness, public policy, iwi relations, and government agency engagement, working as a trusted advisor to the Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, directing cross-functional teams through high- profile and politically significant launches.
Building credibility with diverse stakeholders and delivering award-winning campaigns that transform reputation and influence, Sarah's experience, from Middle Eastern markets to global brands, brings a sophisticated, culturally informed approach to New Zealand's increasingly interconnected stakeholder landscape.
Isabel Bradley
Account Manager
Tāhuna - Queenstown
Isabel has worked across policy and project management in the UK Civil Service and Victorian Government. She has specialised in complex programs — including significant criminal justice reform, large-scale government coordination, and supporting businesses through the EU Exit transition.
She is skilled in building strong stakeholder relationships and delivering clear, practical outcomes across complex client needs.
From our consultant network
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“Heft has amazing clients across a broad range of industries. From the arts, to finance, to health, to not for profit organisations that make New Zealand a better place, Heft gives you the ability to work with the best.”
Kate Oktay, Heft consultant
Talking to us costs nothing.
Whether you're facing a critical moment, planning a strategic shift, or you just want to test an idea with people who understand the landscape, we'd love to hear from you.