Marketing, Communications, Issues Management and Strategic Advisory
I'm a senior marketing and communications professional with 15 years' experience. I'm a generalist by design, with particular depth in education, health and social services, and I work with clients across APAC.
I've led campaigns, chaired a board, run businesses as acting general manager and been the person called when things go wrong. If you've been referred to me, something needs sorting. I work on a project or hourly basis, so you get senior help when you need it and pay only for what you use.
Testimonials
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“I’ve worked with James for over a decade, and what stands out—beyond his marketing skill—is his rare strength in general management. He’s someone who can read a balance sheet, build trust with directors, coach a CEO through a rough patch, and still write a marketing plan that actually gets delivered. He’s strategic but also hands-on. He knows how to drive SEO, implement CRM systems, interpret developer-speak, pitch and close new business, and back every recommendation with research and insight. There aren’t many people with that kind of range, clarity, and calm capability.”
Leigh Harris, Managing Director, Convergence PR and Marketing
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“After the 2023 election, TOP had to rebuild and underwent substantial organizational change. As Board Chair, I've relied heavily on James for his strategic counsel. He's provided expert guidance around change initiatives and crisis management, and his diverse skillset means he's effective at both operational and governance levels. I personally appreciate James for his energy, drive and positive 'can do' attitude. His strategic insight combined with swift and effective problem-solving makes James a force to be reckoned with. He was a core and highly valued member of our team.”
Penny Fairbrother, Board Chair, The Opportunities Party
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“From the outset, James impressed me with insight and integrity well beyond his years. His market research and strategic recommendations, particularly around customer personas, segmentation, forecasting, and international market entry, were consistently sharp, actionable, and accurate. I’ve come to rely on his counsel as a core part of my decision-making. James has also proven himself as a practical problem-solver. He understands that business decisions are often constrained by competing priorities and adapts accordingly. He is astute, conscientious, and deeply reliable. I have no hesitation recommending him.”
Kay Poulsen, Managing Director, Help4U
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“James quickly became someone we all relied on at TOP. He brought sharp strategic thinking and dependable operational delivery - consistently getting things done without fuss and always on time. His good humour and can-do attitude made even the trickiest jobs feel manageable. During a period of intense change, James provided thoughtful strategic counsel and handled emerging issues with calm, clarity, and care. He played a key role in keeping internal communications clear and consistent, ensuring the team stayed focused, informed, and aligned. His political savvy and ability to bring people with him were crucial to strong decision-making. James was a positive, thoughtful presence and a hugely valued leader in our team.”
Hon. Iain Lees-Galloway, General Manager, The Opportunities Party
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“James is highly proficient in digital strategy and execution. He delivers performance plans that are smart, results-driven, and tailored to the specific business objectives of each client. As a digital native, he understands how to deploy the right tactics for the right goals—whether it’s building awareness, generating leads, or driving conversion. His work spans the full funnel with confidence and clarity. James is also hands-on with implementation. He’s experienced in digital advertising platforms, backend web systems, measurement tools, and influencer networks—ensuring strategy and execution are always tightly aligned.”
Kristen Hill, Marketing Communications Manager
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“I’ve consistently relied on James over the years for advice across a wide range of situations—from community engagement and complex communications to strategy development and high-level problem solving. He’s the person I always describe as ‘the one you call when things go wrong and need fixing.’ His calm, level-headed approach brings clarity and confidence in moments that can otherwise feel chaotic. Whether it's navigating a tricky situation or setting a strategic course, James is someone I trust completely.”
Christine Lane, Funder & Community Engagement Professional
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“James brings a diverse and valuable background encompassing marketing, people management, strategic planning and crisis management. His unique approach proved invaluable as he guided STEAM-ED through a challenging establishment period marked by COVID, rebranding, and financial instability. Under his leadership and support, the organization successfully navigated these hurdles and continues to thrive.”
Helen Stewart, Former Chair, STEAM-ED
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“I’ve worked with James across several brands now, and he’s one of the strongest marketers I’ve come across. He not only understands digital at a level you rarely see, but also brings marketing insight so sharp that even with 25 years of experience, I find myself learning from him. Beyond that, he’s a brilliant strategist with a ‘no problem, I’ll handle it’ approach—whether it’s advisory work or unexpected issues that need fixing fast. He’s calm, capable, and always focused on what matters. He’s worth far more than his weight in gold in any situation.”
Sandra Hayman, Contract Marketing Manager & Brand Strategist
Consulting and Advisory Services
I've led marketing across digital, traditional and experiential channels for 15 years. I blend digital savvy with 'old-school marketing'. Marketing isn't only digital, and it still comes down to understanding what a customer wants and building a relationship between them and a business.
Marketing
Previous projects and brands I’ve worked with
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As Head of Strategy I led strategy across Wisp's client work. For Fruition Horticulture, a horticulture education provider, I set the strategy and ran the email marketing and enrolment campaigns.
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I built the marketing function for this SaaS start-up from the ground up as Head of Marketing and Communication. That meant setting the initial strategy, completing the market analysis behind it, refining the brand, putting marketing processes and operating procedures in place, bringing on the contractor team and building the launch strategy.
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Health, Education and Environment was the only faculty to meet its EFTS enrolment targets while I led its marketing, across around 40 courses and a $150K campaign budget. I also managed the institute-wide $60K search budget. I audited the advertising to tackle brand fatigue, brought digital best practice into more than 100 course campaigns, and trained the team, which halved bounce rates and doubled in-market acquisition. Alongside this I repaired the relationship with the Business faculty, lifted both faculties' campaign planning and use of budget, and linked marketing data with the business intelligence team.
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I was the key account lead for Zeald's Tauranga marketing clients, with more than 40 accounts across SEO, PPC, display, campaign strategy and websites, and a team of 10 specialists. I grew billables through additional services and larger retainers, set up a strategic planning function for retainer clients and brought data marketing practices into the agency. I also worked with the CEO on Zeald's own brand strategy, interviewing sales staff and customers to shape it.
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With revenue falling, I led a pivot in pricing and service strategy for Help4U's patient navigation service. I backed it with a new website, writing the copy and managing the contractors, and a direct marketing campaign. Annual revenue from the service rose by $70,000 in the first three months.
Communication
Marketing is only one piece of the puzzle. I've led public relations and internal communications for years, particularly through periods of change.
Previous projects and brands I’ve worked with
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As Associate Partner I lead media relations and integrated campaigns for clients including HeliServices.NZ, IdealCup, Maruia River Retreat and Gearshop, across New Zealand and international markets in tourism, luxury accommodation, outdoor and retail. I also advise across WPR's wider client base on strategy, positioning, partnerships and brand alignment.
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Convergence, an award-winning PR agency, used me as its digital marketing provider of choice. I led digital and content strategy for its B2B clients, including Invert Robotics, Assura Software and Change Healthcare, audited client digital activity and used SEO to extend the reach of media relations work. I also ran Google and Facebook campaigns across B2B, consumer and NGO clients, advised on other accounts and trained the Convergence team across digital channels.
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As Head of Strategy at Wisp I led strategy and public relations for Skin Centre, and community engagement for Northern Quarter's Greenstar project.
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I managed the party's internal and external communications through its restructure, and ran member and external engagement to gather the research behind the new strategy. For the leader selection campaign, I wrote the advertisement the party ran on Seek to recruit its new leader.
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As board chair I led the COVID-19 response and wrote and delivered every communication to the trust's 12 staff, its volunteers and the 49 schools it supplied, reaching 16,000 students. I then led the rebrand to STEAM-ED and the communication around separating from the national organisation.
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I led internal communications for a $5 million enterprise IT replacement at a community nursing and hospice provider with around 1,000 staff, including training sessions for nursing teams on the new software. I also led communications, in writing and in person, to general practices across the South Island when Help4U changed its services.
Issues Management
I'm a safe pair of hands when things go pear-shaped. I've been brought in to respond to business-critical issues and lead what an organisation does next, on both the communications and operational side.
Previous projects and brands I’ve worked with
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When Help4U hit a business continuity crisis involving its intellectual property and revenue, I supported the managing director through it and gave strategic advice through a significant legal dispute. I then stepped in as acting general manager, running a reduced team of five and putting a new direction in place.
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I was a key governance advisor to the board and leadership, managing issues across governance and operations through the restructure of the party's operations.
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COVID-19 arrived after several years of falling revenue and 'service boredom' among the trust's stakeholders. I led the crisis response and reset its governance, setting up board roles and training, recruiting new trustees, and separating the roles of board and management so the general manager could run the organisation and the board could govern it.
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I've been engaged on a range of confidential matters, including employment issues, internal relationship breakdowns, falling revenue and disputes between commercial partners. I work out what's actually going on, advise on the way through and lead the response where it's needed.
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I took on underperforming client projects, reset delivery expectations and rebuilt relationships with clients at risk of leaving. Customer numbers held, and billables grew through that relationship repair.
Strategic Advisory
I'm a second pair of eyes for leaders weighing up a decision or working out a direction of travel.
Previous projects and brands I’ve worked with
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As co-founder and General Manager, I lead strategy, finance, marketing, partnerships and contractor management for a clinical education organisation in a regulated health environment, with a multi-disciplinary team. That covers organisational design, recruitment, pricing and revenue models, and partnerships with health sector bodies, specialty organisations and clinical networks, turning clinical expertise into a commercially viable business.
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I developed the party's new strategy alongside the General Manager and worked with the board on the change management that came with the restructure. I set up and was interim chair of the Political Strategy Committee for the 2026 election, which drove the leader selection campaign.
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I developed MPF Engineering's strategy and completed the market analysis behind its service expansion and future client acquisition.
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I advised the leadership and directors of a health technology company on the sale and commercialisation of its intellectual property, which was sold to a financial technology company. I've also developed the product expansion strategy for a coaching organisation moving into online e-learning, and built the business case and viability analysis for an e-commerce business expanding into new categories.
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I led the trust's strategic planning with staff and board, negotiated its separation from the national body and the relinquishment of its licence, and diversified its income away from a single revenue stream. After years of declining revenue, the trust returned to profit, with a surplus of almost $50,000 in the first year.
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As a board member I assessed whether the trust could stay viable after COVID, developed a turnaround and technology diversification strategy, mapped its stakeholders and built the business case for restructuring. When the market assessment didn't support it, I recommended winding up and took the board through that decision.
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As Marketing, Engagement and Strategy Manager I developed market entry strategy for the US and European health technology markets, helped lead product development based on market research, and worked with the advisory board on the organisation's direction. As acting general manager I then put a business change strategy in place to lift revenue and secure the business's long-term viability.
How I work
I work on a project basis or by the hour and you deal with me directly throughout. I do not offer retainers or monthly contracts as I'd rather earn the next piece of work than lock you into an ongoing fee.
Project work starts from $1,000 NZD + GST. We scope the work together and agree the fee before anything starts, so you know the cost upfront.
Advisory is $150 NZD + GST an hour, for when you need a second pair of eyes on a decision or senior input without a full project.
About me
I'm a senior marketing and communications professional with 15 years' experience, and I've spent most of it close to the decisions that shape an organisation. I've led campaigns and managed budgets. I've also chaired a board, run businesses as acting general manager and been the person called when something goes wrong.
Today I'm co-founder and General Manager of Keja Health, a clinical education organisation, and an Associate Partner at WPR, a marketing and PR firm. Before that I was Head of Strategy at Wisp, Head of Marketing and Communication at STATE3, key account lead at Zeald, Senior Marketing Specialist at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and Marketing, Engagement and Strategy Manager at Help4U. I work as a generalist, and my deepest experience is in education, health and social services.
I've managed teams of up to 10 specialists, led a board of eight and the general manager reporting to it, and worked inside PRINCE2 environments on multi-million-dollar health IT projects. As chair of STEAM-ED I took the trust through COVID-19, a separation from its national body and a rebrand, and returned it to profit for the first time in several years. At Help4U I led a pricing pivot that lifted revenue by $70,000 in three months.
I don't recommend anything until I understand the actual problem. The answer isn't always more marketing. It can be pricing, a relationship that needs repairing, or a decision nobody has wanted to make. I'll tell you what I think, including when it isn't what you want to hear. When a trust I sat on the board of was no longer viable, I built the business case and recommended winding it up. You'll get the same honesty.
I'm also a quintessential geek and nerd. I'm completing an LLB (Hons) through the University of Essex, which challenges my thinking and adds to what I bring clients, particularly in regulated sectors like health and education. I'm a graded Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM) and a PRINCE2 Practitioner, and I've written for NZ Marketing Magazine. I work with clients across the APAC region.
Contact me.
Email: james@intelket.co.nz
Phone: +64277217408