The New Zealand Climate Foundation is led by a team with deep expertise in climate policy, economics, and implementation. Our leadership brings decades of experience working at the intersection of evidence-based policy and real-world delivery.
Our Team
Izzy Fenwick
CEO
Izzy brings systems thinking, human-centred design, and strategic communications to the Foundation’s mission to accelerate climate action in Aotearoa. Her work sits at the intersection of behaviour change, institutional decision-making, and practical delivery - translating complex challenges into credible, actionable pathways.
She also serves on the board of The Aotearoa Circle, a public–private partnership focused on restoring New Zealand’s natural capital and supporting sustainable prosperity. Izzy is a Fellow of the NEXT Foundation and a Young Fellow with India’s Observer Research Foundation, where she engages on climate diplomacy, global sustainable development and resilient economies.
Izzy’s work is informed by a deep commitment to intergenerational equity and a sense of purpose inherited from her late father, environmentalist Sir Rob Fenwick.
Dr Christina Hood
Chief Advisor
Christina is a policy expert and public commentator with over 20 years’ experience in climate policy, energy, and carbon pricing. She brings content expertise, international networks, and skills in strategy, communications and management.
Christina provides thought leadership and expert technical support to the Foundation and its incubated NGOs.
Formerly Head of the Paris-based International Energy Agency’s Environment and Climate Change Unit, she supported negotiation of the Paris Agreement’s carbon market provisions, and provided advice to developed and developing country governments. She moved into not-for-profit work in 2023 to support Lawyers for Climate Action’s successful judicial review of the New Zealand government’s ETS settings.
Dr Brenda Leeuwenberg
General Manager
Brenda brings more than 25 years’ experience leading complex programmes and operations across public, private and not-for-profit settings. She specialises in stepping into unclear or challenging situations, making sense of what’s happening, and putting the right structures and priorities in place so work can move forward.
Her strengths lie in programme management, stakeholder alignment and delivery - particularly where issues are interconnected and organisationally or politically complex.
Board of Directors
Hon. James Shaw
James served in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2014-2024 and as Climate Change Minister in Jacinda Ardern’s government from 2017-2023. He was the architect of New Zealand’s net-zero framework, and has a track record of conceiving and implementing large-scale climate policies and programmes.
James is an Operating Partner at the infrastructure investment company Morrison where he is focused on decarbonisation investment initiatives, nature-based solutions and Southeast Asia. James is also on the Board of WWF New Zealand and advises a number of climate and nature-based start-ups and initiatives.
Abbie Reynolds
Abbie Reynolds is a respected climate and sustainability leader in Aotearoa New Zealand with more than two decades of experience driving environmental and climate action. Most recently as Country Director for The Nature Conservancy in Aotearoa New Zealand, she led work at the intersection of climate, nature and people to scale practical solutions and partnerships.
Previously she was Chief Executive of Predator Free 2050 Ltd and Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council, where she co-founded the Climate Leaders’ Coalition and helped mobilise business action on climate change.
Abbie has also served in governance and advisory roles across transport, coastal conservation and sustainability panels, and was recognised with the Board and Management Award at the 2019 New Zealand Women of Influence Awards for her contributions to sustainability leadership.
Tori McNoe
Tori (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tahu/Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Raukawa) is the Head of Investment Programmes for UniServices where she leads and manages national investment committee programmes for the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment's commercialisation programmes.
She is a founding Board member of Co-Aotearoa (a not for profit that cultivates a year-round, regenerative climate action ecosystem), a Board trustee of Science Alive! (raising awareness of careers in science) and a Board observer at impact investment company Soul Capital.
Kirsty Patterson
KP is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and a Chartered Member of the IoD. She is a qualified lawyer and a Distinguished Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand.
She has extensive governance and leadership experience, and is actively involved in community initiatives. This includes as a founding member of Global Women’s ‘Champions for Change’, a founding member of WiSPA (an organisation promoting women in sport), and founder and executive sponsor for Chapter Zero New Zealand – the New Zealand chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative.
Andrew Williams
Andrew Williams is a New Zealand business leader and governance specialist with extensive experience across financial services, investment and community leadership. He was a founding partner and global co-chair of investment firm Alvarium, and now leads Alvarium Investments New Zealand, where he focuses on strategic growth and long-term value creation.
Andrew has advised organisations and governments across multiple regions and brings a deep understanding of governance, risk and market systems to his work. He also chairs the board of The King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand, a charitable trust supporting youth development, and serves as a director across a range of organisations, applying his experience to strengthen leadership and impact across sectors.