Our People

Paula joined Copyright Licensing in 2010 having previously held management positions in the sport, education and commercial sectors. A qualified accountant and former School Executive Officer, Paula also chairs the new creative sector alliance – WeCreate. As well as being a yoga addict, Paula is an avid reader and has a special interest in literacy for children with learning disabilities.

Esmé joined the team in 2018 after more than ten years’ administration management experience within the professional services industry. As Team Coordinator, Esmé provides administrative support to the Customer Engagement Manager, Chief Executive and the wider team. Esmé is passionate about sustainability and contributing to the community, and outside of work she enjoys spending time with family and friends enjoying New Zealand’s beautiful beaches and reserves.

Karen joined Copyright Licensing New Zealand mid 2021 and is focused on the development of the Creative Rights Education programme. She has years of experience in education and arts-based organisations, and was most recently in Los Angeles, where she was knee-deep in the film industry. Karen has a particular heart for helping creative people on their life journeys. When not in the office, Karen can be found sipping tea with friends and looking for the next plays, exhibitions, books and movies to enjoy.

Anna joined the team in April 2022 as the Customer Service Coordinator. She has spent the last 10 years in the Netherlands, most recently working with customers for a non-profit organisation in the internet community. She loves to spend her time reading with a cuppa or outside having adventures in nature with her two small children.

With vast experience in not-for-profit marketing, Summer is involved with all marketing and communication projects and leading the marketing automation and digital transformation of the business. Summer has rediscovered her love of reading and like Paula, has a special interest in literacy for children with learning differences. Outside of the office you'll find Summer exploring the outdoors with her family, or at the snow enjoying ski adventures.

Kirsteen manages the Creative Rights = Creative Reads campaign. Her role is focused on communicating the importance of local books and the critical role creative rights play in their creation. She loves storytelling and has broad-ranging communications experience in both publishing and professional services. She is also a short story writer, essayist… and finds it hard to put a good book down!

Caroline is consulting with Copyright Licensing New Zealand and joined in mid 2019. Caroline was lucky enough to study at Otago University at the same time as a lot of Flying Nun bands were playing, and has been a friend and fan of Flying Nun music ever since. She completed her LLB in Auckland and has since worked in New Zealand, Japan and New York where she is also admitted to practice law. After returning to New Zealand, Caroline has continued practising US immigration law as well as setting up Creative Legal Services in an effort to make legal services more accessible to artists. Caroline was on the board of Artists Alliance for several years, and has chaired the Flying Nun Foundation since 2016.

In this role, Tom is responsible for proactively engaging with customers to build and maintain positive, mutually beneficial relationships. He also works with stakeholders to identify new licence and other product offerings to meet emerging customer needs. He is also a member of the editorial board of Learned Publishing, the official journal of the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers.

Jason has been with Copyright Licensing for well over ten years, joining the team in 2011. As our Technology and Data Manager Jason ensures the team have the tools in place to perform effectively and oversees our systems and data across multiple platforms. When he is not monitoring and upgrading systems, you will find Jason swinging a racket or exploring the countryside on two wheels.

Our team researches, processes and audits the information received from the data collection and ensures that each title is assigned to the correct rights holder. Away from the office, Barbara is an entomologist and soil biologist, which is a fancy way to say that she digs in the dirt, looking for bugs. She has a passion for books of all kind, except horror, and lives with her husband and two dogs.

Our team researches, processes and audits the information received from the data collection and ensures that each title is assigned to the correct rights holder. Anita has a Master of Science from the University of Port Elizabeth and loves all things science related, especially botany, natural history and medical research. She also cares about animal welfare and enjoys reading.