“I make my own luck”
The first thing you notice is her hair: a shocking pink mohawk that defies both gravity and low doorways. The second is her accent: a gentle Scottish burr, full of rolling Rs.
“I’ve lived in New Zealand since 2007 but I still haven’t picked up the accent,” says Michelle Berriman, the executive director of FINZ (Fundraising Institute of New Zealand).
She might not look or sound like your average Kiwi chief executive, and the only degree she has is from the School of Hard Knocks, but 42-year-old Michelle has been credited with turning around the fortunes of the not-for-profit organisation that oversees and educates Aotearoa’s fundraisers and our fundraising sector.
“I was headhunted in 2018 when they asked if I could help save a sinking ship,” she says. “I’ve spent my whole life in the not-for-profit sector and have a huge passion for giving back to the community, so I jumped at the chance. Plus, thanks to
