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Meet the team

We’re a small and focused team with big aspirations for Auckland’s city centre. Find out more about each of us and what we bring to Heart of the City.

Viv Beck - Chief Executive

Viv leads Heart of the City, which champions a successful city centre economy with a vibrant and thriving heart.

Joyce Choi - Marketing Executive

Joyce oversees Heartofthecity.co.nz, ensuring it remains fresh and up-to-date while delivering engaging content for both the website and other digital channels.

Being the bridge that keeps everyone connected and excited about the city centre is what excites her about her role. She loves the dynamic auras of the City centre, which shift into distinct moods with each passing moment. Watching serene sunsets while sipping a hot flat white by the waterfront is Joyce’s favourite time in the city.

Kate Cleaver - Head of Marketing

Kate is our destination marketing and events lead, managing strategy and partnerships and overseeing our campaigns and agency relationships.

Kate’s favourite thing about the city centre is that it is many things: vibe, architecture, trees against heritage buildings, festivals (Auckland Writers Festival and NZ International Film Festival are at the top of her list), cafés, restaurants, laneway bars… She could continue for days.

Brand Manager

 

Micaela Daniel - Head of Operations

Micaela leads our operations, which includes organisational planning, delivering strategic projects, and optimising internal processes so we can all do our best work.

The theatres of the city centre are her turangawaewae, and she also loves the buskers, hare krishnas and other performers who give the streets a sense of variety. Her inside scoop on the city is that we have a huge variety of books and fashion boutiques - second hand, top of the range and unique one of a kind.

Mitchell Estrop - Membership and City Management Specialist

Mitchell helps support Auckland’s city centre as a vibrant and safe environment for its businesses and visitors. As the key point of contact for Heart of the City members, Mitchell is constantly engaged with city centre businesses and assisting them to operate successfully in the heart of the city.

Experiencing the thrill of live music is Mitchell’s favourite thing to do in the city centre. He’s got eclectic taste and listens to everything from Dolly Parton to Arctic Monkeys. So, when he’s not working ‘9 to 5’, you can find him in one of the city centre’s live music venues where you can “bet he’s looking good on the dancefloor.”

Emma Jones - Marketing Manager

Emma manages our destination marketing campaigns and oversees our always on activity and projects for heartofthecity.co.nz and social media.

Her favourite thing about the city centre is the sense of discovery. "Working here, there’s always a new lunch spot to try – though it’s hard to go past Chuffed’s chicken toasted sandwich - or some cheeky shopping to do on your lunchbreak.”


Jessie Vlasich - Office Assistant

Jessie has a dual role as the Personal Assistant to the CEO as well as the Office Assistant. Jessie supports our team by ensuring that the office runs smoothly and is the first point of contact that members have with Heart of the City.

Jessie loves the diverse range of activities that the city centre has to offer. There are different eateries, retail stores, activities and shows on each corner, creating a lively environment which perfectly balances work and play.

Tania Loveridge - Head of Advocacy and Engagement 

Tania leads our advocacy and engagement programme to ensure what’s happening in the city centre will deliver good outcomes for business, as well as delivering special projects.

She loves how quickly she can get around the city on her e-bike or by foot, as well as the buzz from people talking about how much they love the city and its ongoing evolution. 

Erin Marander-Higgins - Digital Specialist 

Erin is the eyes and ears of the city centre, proactively seeking out new news and events to share with our audiences across our social channels and in our weekly newsletters. She helps run our destination marketing campaigns and contributes to projects and content for heartofthecity.co.nz.

Erin loves that the city centre can be experienced in so many ways. It’s not just shopping; there are adventure activities, interesting laneways and green spaces to relax in.

Maggie O’Halloran - Marketing Executive 

Maggie is the second set of eyes and ears for the city centre. She supports the marketing team to ensure audiences are up to speed on all they need to know about the heart of the city. For Maggie, the city's biggest drawcard is its diversity from cheap eats to fine dining, second hand shopping to designer brands, comedy to opera, there really is something for everyone.

Kate Powell - Communications Specialist

Kate helps spread the word about important city centre news and developments. She works to keep our members, city stakeholders and wider public ahead of the curve via hotcity.co.nz, social media and newsletters. Highlighting how city-centre businesses and their people are at the forefront of the changing city is at the heart of everything Kate does.

She loves exploring the city centre on foot and discovering previously hidden gems. As someone with an eclectic taste in food, fashion, art and culture, Kate is invigorated by the breadth of what is on offer in the heart of the city- there is always something to match her mood.

Jane Stewart - Events and Sponsorship Manager

Jane heads up our events and sponsorships, delivering Heart of the City events like  Restaurant Month and managing sponsorships and in-kind support for events in the city centre.

She loves how the city centre is full of new things and surprises and on the other hand it feels like home. Her insiders tip is to take to the streets on foot. “You see, discover and feel so much more”.