Executive team
Amanda Malu | Chief Executive
Amanda Malu is the Chief Executive of Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao.
Amanda has deep experience in the public sector, education, and marketing, as well as experience across borders and with international education through her past roles. She has held senior leadership roles across education and health sectors.
Prior to ENZ, she was Deputy Chief Executive Service Delivery at ACC, and formerly Chief Executive at Whānau Āwhina Plunket, leading the organisation through extensive change over five years in the role. She has also held senior marketing and communication roles, including at the Tertiary Education Commission and in the vocational education sector.
As ENZ’s Chief Executive, Amanda is responsible for leading ENZ in promoting Aotearoa New Zealand as a study destination and helping our country realise the social, cultural, and economic benefits of international education.
Sahinde Pala l Acting Group General Manager, International Marketing, Brand and Scholarships
Sahinde joined ENZ in 2016 after 18 years working for a multinational group of English language schools. With a career dedicated to international education, she brought extensive private sector experience in international marketing, stakeholder engagement and student experience delivery to the organisation.
Sahinde has held a number of roles at ENZ working with education providers, government stakeholders, regional groups, peak bodies, students’ associations and community groups. She was heavily involved in developing the International Student Wellbeing Strategy.
With a passion for delivering an excellent customer experience, Sahinde will be leading the newly formed Sector Services team to deliver a suite of products and services that support the sector to rebuild and thrive. This includes student experience, global citizenship, global events, and agent engagement, as well as scholarships to support domestic students to have an international education experience, and international students to study in New Zealand.
Sahinde is based in our Auckland office and spends her time outside of work standing on the sidelines of sports fields supporting her young boys.
Di Solomon l Acting Group General Manager Strategy, Capability and Performance
Di is a public sector leader with over 15 years’ experience working across a number of central and local government agencies.
Di leads the Education New Zealand team responsible for governance, accountability and performance, and connecting ENZ to its government agencies partners. Her aim is to ensure New Zealand’s international education sector is resilient, sustainable, globally connected and provides an excellent education experience.
Formerly an international student, Di holds a Masters in Environmental Policy from Lincoln University.
Geoff Bilbrough l Acting Group General Manager International and Sector Engagement
Geoff is a senior corporate communications and marketing practitioner with a proven record of advising and delivering programmes for clients in the private and public sector.
His experience includes ten years in Wellington with Sweeney Vesty Limited; ten years in London with an integrated marketing communications agency; six years as the General Manager of the Hong Kong office of FleishmanHillard, a global communications agency; and before joining ENZ, at Acumen in Wellington.
At Acumen, Geoff advised and led communication programmes for clients including Buddle Findlay, Scouts New Zealand, BCITO, the Motor Trade Association and James Hardie. In Hong Kong, as well as a client load that included Marriott International, Huawei, Emerson Electric, Melco Crown International amongst others he was responsible for the running of FleishmanHillard Hong Kong - a 55-person multicultural, multidisciplinary consultancy.
Geoff has personal experience of international education through his son who is a previous recipient of a Prime Minister’s Scholarship to Asia, completed an undergraduate exchange to France, and is finishing his PhD with the Humboldt University in Berlin.
