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.
We’re committed to ongoing professional development and the highest standards of excellence. We’re proud members of the Engagement Institute of Australasia and the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.
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.
For the last decade, 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 Johnson is a senior communications and brand leader with a career built on translating complexity — whether policy, technical challenge, or cultural nuance — into narratives that move people and deliver measurable results.
Her aviation and luxury travel credentials are rooted in nearly two decades working from the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's most demanding markets for both sectors. From 2006 to 2015, she represented Virgin Atlantic, working with Sir Richard Branson and his leadership team to bring the brand's distinctive voice to life across Middle Eastern markets — balancing global brand integrity with sharp cultural sensitivity. Her aviation portfolio extended across Emirates Airline, Air Partner, and ExecuJet, giving her range across commercial, charter, and private aviation, where client expectations and brand standards are categorically different.
In New Zealand, Sarah is a trusted advisor at the intersection of brand, media, and stakeholder engagement — directing strategies for the Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, Social Investment Agency, New Zealand Police, and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira. She has led cross-functional teams through high-profile, politically significant launches, navigating the distinct demands of iwi relations and government agency communications with the same credibility she built serving heads of state and global brands in the Middle East.
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.