Community at Her Core

Meet Harriet Dixon, Senior Leader Partnership & Enablement Waikato/King Country

ConneXu’s Harriet Dixon is passionate about working in the community she lives in.

Having recently joined the team as Senior Leader for Partnerships and Enablement in the Waikato, Harriet says “working for my community and making improvements in my own community is really important to me.”

Originally from Warwickshire in the UK, Harriet and her two children packed up their lives and relocated to New Zealand 13 years ago. She describes her life in New Zealand as one she loves.

“My friends and family back home are super excited I have found my place in the world,” she says.

“Probably the hardest adjustment was going from a cold Christmas to a hot one. Plus, I had to get used to the term ‘sweet as’ and shops being closed on Good Friday,” she laughs.

“The lifestyle in New Zealand has been great for our family.”

In her role as Senior Leader for Partnerships and Enablement, Harriet is responsible for supporting the Leaders Partnerships and Enablement within the Waikato team, that in turn support the Community Facilitators who work alongside disabled parthers to be empowered to be their best selves, striving to live their best lives.

“My job is to enable our leaders to do their jobs really well. I’m making sure our team has the skills, knowledge and support to ensure they’re confident facing the challenges within their roles,” she says.

“Part of that is looking at systems and processes that improve efficiency and streamline our workflow to be less reactive. It’s about supporting our team and setting them up for success.”

Harriet brings a raft of relevant experience to ConneXu, having an extensive and varied career working across health, consumer research and community roles.

“I have lots of experience managing and leading teams to get the best out of them. Having a common purpose and good communication are key,” she says.

“I’ve just finished a two-year stint with Pekewaihanga, an artificial limb and orthotics service. I learned so much about disability and artificial limbs in my time as the Midland Manager.Before that I worked as the General Manager of Cambridge Community House, growing it from a team of six to 18 with 50 community volunteers.”

She has also worked across GP and hospitals in primary health, with large corporates and with consumer research agencies in both New Zealand and the UK.

Harriet says the role at ConneXu is a good fit for her passion for health and wellbeing, and she believes in looking at and supporting people holistically.

“Everyone who comes through the door brings a whole of life experience. Meeting their needs and giving them a good quality of life is so important.”

“I feel that this role fulfils my passion for health and wellbeing and enabling people to have good lives,” she says.

“It’s amazing to have a role that fits with your passion and I’m excited to be on this journey at ConneXu.”