Doreen Bestmann

Doreen Bestmann has extensive work experience in various industries and roles. Doreen started their career in 2005 as a Strategic Consultant and Administrator at OpenStrategies Ltd. Doreen then worked as a Commodity Analyst at SFA(Oxford) from 2006 to 2007, where they created a new model for long-term mine viability forecasting. From 2008 to 2010, they served as a Service Delivery & Contracts Manager at Janet, managing network supplier contracts across the UK.

In 2010, Doreen joined Auckland UniServices Limited as a Contract Manager and later became a Senior Contracts Manager. At Auckland UniServices Limited, they managed research projects and successfully restructured a research center to make it financially viable. From 2013 to 2016, they worked as a Business Development Manager at the University of Canterbury, negotiating research projects and building strong relationships with staff and executives.

In 2016, Doreen became the Chair of the Board of Directors at DANZ - Dance Aotearoa New Zealand, a not-for-profit support organization for dance in New Zealand. Doreen is also currently a member of the Finance, Risk, and Audit Committee for the organization.

Since 2016, they have been working at the Ministry of Education of New Zealand. Doreen served as the Business Support Manager for the Canterbury Region, where they led the relocation of the Christchurch office and changed the culture of the business support team. In addition, they worked as the Acting Group Manager Performance & Capability and was later seconded as the GM - Performance & Capability, Sector Enablement & Support (SE&S). In these roles, they successfully prioritized new business initiatives, developed recruitment and training strategies, and led a team of staff.

Currently, Doreen is the Education Services Director & Chief Operating Officer at Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga, one of New Zealand's premiere education consultancy firms. Doreen'saim in this role is to raise achievement and reduce disparity in education.

Doreen Bestmann began their education journey in 2002 at the University of Canterbury, where they pursued a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours. Doreen'sfield of study focused on Mathematics and Statistics, and they successfully completed their degree in 2005. In 2012, Doreen attended the Auckland University of Technology for a short period and obtained a Certificate of Proficiency in Te Reo Māori. The certificate specifically covered the courses Te Kākano 1 & Te Kākano 2.