Our People
Workbridge Employment Services is part of the WorkBridge Group.
The WorkBridge Group is led by the WorkBridge Foundation, a social enterprise committed to delivering inclusive, successful employment opportunities.
The Foundation’s aim over time is to develop innovative programmes that promote the employment of disabled people. These will be developed in a spirit of co-design and partnership with disabled people.
WorkBridge Group and Employment Services have a Board and Senior Leadership Team.
Board
Derek Gill
Chairperson
Derek Gill has over 35 years experience in Public Policy. Public Management and Financial Management. Derek is Principle Economist & Head of Public Good at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.
Fraser Alexander
Becoming a member in 1995, Fraser’s involvement with Blind Low Vision NZ has included professional fundraising, volunteering and governance.Fraser’s motivation to join Workbridge is grounded in a strong belief that, unless effective programmes focusing on removing barriers to employment, providing personalized employment services and advocating for a more inclusive workforce are appropriately resourced, the professional capabilities and achievements of people with disabilities will not align with their potential.
Fraser’s background to joining Workbridge included graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biosciences and Postgraduate honours degree in business, 27 years’ experience in not-for-profit marketing, being President of Retina New Zealand, being a member of the Retina International Management Committee 2006-2018, being A RNZFB Director 2017- 2023 and being made a Fellow of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand.
Mark Bogle
Mark is a qualified accountant and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. He also has a Master of Public Policy degree from Victoria University. He has a background in corporate governance, audit, finance and commerce. Mark is currently a director of NZX listed Marsden Maritime Holdings Ltd, an alternate Crown Trustee of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust and a former director of Habitat for Humanity NZ Ltd .
Sonia Thursby MNZM
Sonia Thursby is CEO of two charitable organisations in New Zealand the first being the YES Disability Resource Centre, a multi-million dollar, multi-level community hub, housing 16 different organisations, the second being PHAB Association Inc, an International organisation providing recreational and leadership support for young people with disabilities for 40 years in New Zealand.
Sonia has also worked in the disability, health and youth sectors in New Zealand for 26 years and prior to that in the UK, and is currently serving a second term as an elected member of the Ministry of Health NGO Council and a third term as an Executive Member of the NZ Federation of Information Centres.
Peter Allen
Ko Ruahine ngā maunga
Ko Mākaretu te awa
Ko Rakautatahi te marae
Ko ēnei waahi tōku turangawaewae
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu,Te Whatuiapiti, Ngai Tāhu ki Takapau me Kai Tāhu ki Otakou tōku iwi
Ko Peter Allen ahau
A twenty year service with the Royal NZ Air Force (RNZAF) and fifteen years as an NZ Defence Force civilian has been my working career. Throughout this time, I have developed many skills including logistics, instructor, training development, leadership and well being. Although I was born with a vision impairment of retinitis pigmentosa, it didn’t start having a serious impact on my life until 2007 when I had to relinquish my driving license. It was at this time I became interested in the disabled community.
From early days, I have lived in both the māori and non māori world. Both my mother and father had māori heritage and therefore I spent much time at the marae, performing kapa haka, original member of Te Whare Tutaua, Te Aute College and travelled with the NZ Defence Force Te Hokowhitu-a- Tumatauenga. I was also involved with implementing the RNZAF Bi-cultural policy. Proud of my Māori heritage as well as my English and Swedish ancestry.
Born in 1964, I am a husband to my wife Kahira and father to my two young adult children.
Tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa
Ron Scott
Ron joined Workbridge in 2024. Ron is a director of Stellaris Ltd which works with Boards on strategy and governance skills. He is an elected member of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and also sits on the boards of the Blind Foundation, SILC Charitable Trust, NZAA, and Consumer NZ. He is a former Deputy Chair of the Bay of Plenty DHB and trustee of the Tauranga Energy Consumers Trust (TECT).
He serves as a JP in Tauranga and is a moderator for NZQA.
He is a published author of a book on governance for new directors and speaks at conferences internationally. His qualifications include degrees majoring in Economics, Geography and History.
Over a varied career Ron managed several education providers including the Tauranga YMCA Community College and Learning Unlimited which specialised in assisting people with disabilities into work in the Wellington region. He worked in merchant banks, was the sales trainer for AMP based at HQ in Wellington, and managed the largest linen hire business in Wellington.
Ryan McLean
Ryan has 22 years as a senior civil servant working across health, education, social services and disability issues with a focus on public policy, and financial management.
Ryan also has experience in business with a focus on commercialising early stage companies.
Paul Barclay
Paul Barclay has been a Director of Workbridge Employment Services Limited since 2023. He has 35 years lived experience of disability following a car accident which left him totally blind.
Paul has a B Com and 2 PG Dip Coms from Lincoln College/University and a Dip Career Counselling from Weltech. He is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of New Zealand and a Member of the Institute of Directors.
Paul has held senior Management positions with Blind Foundation and Arthritis New Zealand. He is Director of his own business – Vision Without Limits – which provides Disability Employment Support, Accessibility Awareness/Advocacy and Supervision/Coaching.
Paul is a Director on the Boards of Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust, Achilles New Zealand and the Clinical Quality Advisory Board of Pegasus Health Charitable Limited.
Peter Dixon
Peter has over 20 years of experience working with social enterprise and purpose-led organisations across a variety of sectors in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. As an entrepreneur, he has helped grow successful ventures in early childhood education, design, youth engagement, technology and government.
He’s passionate about enabling human potential, with considerable experience supporting people with additional needs and creating community/person-centric strategies in pursuit of meaningful impact.
Senior Leadership Team
Phillip Hendry
Chief Executive
With more than 20 years of experience in senior management roles within non-profit organizations, Phil possesses a deep understanding of the transformative impact of employment on individuals. He recognizes the significant value that employment brings in terms of economic independence, empowerment, and purpose. As a father of neurodivergent children, Phil has firsthand insight into the struggles and discriminatory barriers that disabled individuals encounter in their pursuit of work opportunities. Driven by his personal experiences, Phil is dedicated to making a meaningful difference and is committed to championing the interests of disabled individuals through his leadership at Workbridge.
Paul Chapman
General Manager Finance
Paul has over thirty years’ finance experience in the corporate sector, particularly in property and finance. He is a relative newcomer to the “not for profit” sector having worked most recently at Motor Trade Association before joining Workbridge in June 2023.
Jude King
National Manager People & Culture
Jude has worked across a variety of organisations in the Wellington region including not-for-profit, education, CRIs and core government. Jude has a comprehensive understanding and experience of HR and OD systems, resources and tools and how these link together to support achievement of organisational strategy.
Nick Ruane
Manager Stakeholder Relations
Nick brings a wide range of experience from many sectors, he is a senior and well respected leader in New Zealand’s disability rights community, he is very well connected politically, having worked for NZ’s first MP with a disability. He is a former DPO leader, being elected to the DPA governing council, and he has led teams in the tech start up space. Nick holds a Masters degree in Political Science with Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration.
Nick is passionate to ensure that Workbridge enables more opportunities for the disabled people we serve to find meaningful employment and he lives with both a physical disability and an invisible disability.