The Team

Our team have considerable experience working in the education sector, with a strong focus on organisational learning and leadership, and are able to match best practice approaches to educational development.

Tony Burkin

Director – Leadership and Learning
B.SocSc Economics (Hons), Dip. Teaching, Grad.Dip.Business Human Resource Management
t.burkin@interlead.co.nz

Tony has specialist expertise in growing school leadership and expediting the development of schools as Professional Learning Communities.
Transitioning from Teacher to Head of Department, Dean and Deputy Principal, Tony has over 20 years of experience and has experienced firsthand the increasing challenges of maintaining effectiveness in leadership roles.
Tony has presented at conferences and works in educational organisations across New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East. He enjoys in-school development programmes because they provide enormous scope for real cultural change to evolve and allow leaders to develop the influence they have always desired.

John McLellan

Director – Professional Development
B.Ed. (Hons), M.Ed, Dip. Health, P.E. and Recreation, Dip. Business Administration
j.mclellan@interlead.co.nz

John has extensive experience in the education sector, serving as a school principal, lecturer, and school inspector. He spent 14 years at Palmerston North College of Education, specialising in the psychology of learning, assessment, and school administration. His last six years involved managing teacher development contracts and strategic planning, providing him with a strong background in project and performance management.

Andrew Ormsby

Managing Director
B.Comm., VPM
a.ormsby@interlead.co.nz

Andrew has managed InterLEAD™ since its inception in 2001; he has used his considerable experience in both business ownership and management to expand InterLEAD’s services.
Andrew’s business skills have provided an ideal platform from which to grow InterLEAD™ and his ability to develop vision and strategy is a real strength for the Company.

Ailsa Evans

Education Consultant
B.Teaching (Early Childhood)
a.evans@interlead.co.nz

Ailsa is passionate about developing others professionally and promoting excellence in the Early Childhood sector. With over 25 years experience in teaching, leadership and management positions, Ailsa focuses on establishing relationships and enjoys challenging and enhancing kaiako knowledge and capabilities. Ailsa listens to the needs of educators to create personalised professional learning, helping them achieve their highest potential.

Hayley Wassung

Education Consultant
B.Teaching (Early Childhood)
h.wassung@interlead.co.nz

With over 10 years’ experience as a Centre Manager, Hayley has strong knowledge in relation to the learning and organisational conditions that support the best outcomes for tamariki. She excels in creating effective management systems and believes that building positive, professional relationships is crucial for a successful center. Hayley is passionate about promoting and designing leadership opportunities within teams, and inspiring others to promote continuous learning, reflection and growth.

Judith Price

Education Consultant
B.Ed., Dip.Teaching (Primary), Dip.Teaching (ECE)
j.price@interlead.co.nz

Judith has a wealth of leadership experience in education, with expertise in both early childhood and primary education. A hands-on advocate, she emphasises the importance of understanding theoretical concepts and applying them practically in learning environments. With over 15 years experience in leading teams of teachers, Judith has highly developed relationship management skills and relates easily with others. She is committed to developing others to their full potential and is very passionate about guiding teachers on their ‘lifelong learning’ quest.

Karen Hayward

Education Consultant
M.Ed., Dip.Educational Management, Dip.Teaching (ECE)
k.hayward@interlead.co.nz

Karen has over 20 years of experience in early childhood sector, both as a teacher and consultant. She has worked extensively with teachers and governance personnel, developing a strong foundation in effective leadership and management skills. Karen is passionate about inspiring leaders to pursue excellence and she enjoys mentoring teachers as they navigate the evolving education landscape. She is a positive communicator who easily builds strong relationships with others.

Liz Depree

Education Consultant
M.Ed., Dip.Educational Management, Dip.Teaching (ECE)
l.depree@interlead.co.nz

Liz has had extensive practical experience in early childhood. She has a strong
interest in adult education including coaching, mentoring and facilitating leadership development programmes.
Liz has particular strengths in supporting teachers and leaders through change. Her people skills enable her to encourage others to realise their own growth potential as well as build strengths in curriculum and team leadership.

Melody Stuckey

Education Consultant
B.Ed, Dip.Teaching (ECE)
m.stuckey@interlead.co.nz

Melody’s Educational Leadership comes from a diverse perspective due to the privilege of working in Governance, Management and at Tertiary level. The diversity of her background supports her to provide leadership and clear direction within the Early Years Profession.
With recent Centre Management experience Melody is well aware of the current pressures within the sector. She enjoys supporting leaders and teachers to navigate these challenges to ensure children come first in all our decision making. Melody’s strong relational approach helps build trust and respect to enable others to be the best they can be.

Sonja Ploeg

Education Consultant
B.Teaching (ECE)
s.ploeg@interlead.co.nz

Sonja has considerable experience in the early childhood sector over the last 20 years, including teaching in both community-based preschools and kindergartens. She has strong expertise in strengthening internal evaluation and professional growth cycles to promote teacher-led inquiry, enhancing pedagogical capability with localised curriculum documentation, building leadership skills for sustainable collective leadership, and developing effective communication strategies to foster a positive, trust-based team culture. A key strength that Sonja brings is in establishing and maintaining authentic professional relationships, her passion is mentoring and providing ongoing PLD for those who aspire to seek excellence.

Stephen Hensman

Education Consultant
B.Ed, M.Phil (Distinction), Dip.Teaching
s.hensman@interlead.co.nz

For over thirty years, Stephen has been immersed in secondary education. Always future-focused, he has played a variety of teaching and executive roles at regional and national levels.
While implementing significant school improvement initiatives, Stephen recognised his need for research-based knowledge in change management and became an accredited Phase 4 Coach. This blend of theoretical understanding and strategic communication makes him a valuable asset for schools engaged in self-review or seeking fresh visions.
For many years, Stephen taught Middle Leadership courses at Massey University, equipping leaders with skills that drive tangible impact. Committed to what’s best for others, he uses a warm, relational approach, employing close listening and effective questioning to tackle challenging problems.

Tahu Loper

Education Consultant
B.Teaching (ECE), Grad.Dip Education, Dip.Teaching (ECE)
t.loper@interlead.co.nz

With over 15 years ECE experience, both in New Zealand and abroad, Tahu brings a practical approach to leadership, teaching and learning. With reciprocal relationships being foundational to his own personal pedagogy, he finds his bicultural approach a natural and pragmatic way to achieve this.
His strengths are in creating a sense of whanaungatanga and believes allowing kaiako to craft a shared vision upholds the mana of our tamariki. Tahu believes that the strength of the team as a whole comes from recognising and complimenting the passions, skills and talents that we find in each other.

Jase Williams

Associate Facilitator – Trauma Informed Practice
B.Ed

Jase is a certified trainer in the Neurosequential Model in Education facilitated by the world’s leading childhood trauma expert Dr Bruce Perry.
Jase is passionate about sharing Trauma Informed Practice with educators and school leaders, interweaving his lived experience with neuroscience, mind-body connection awareness, through a Te Ao Māori lens – and relevant for ECE and mainstream education contexts.

Lynda Knight-de Blois

Associate Facilitator – Trauma Informed Practice
M.Ed

Lynda has over 30 years experience in education including leadership, evaluation and training.
She is an Advanced Trainer with the Neurosequential Model in Education (NME) and provides professional learning and leadership support which reflects Dr Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model and develops trauma-informed understanding and practice.

Dr Phil Ramsey

Associate Partner – Research and Learning

Dr Phil Ramsey is one of Australasia’s foremost thinkers in Culture, Systems Thinking, Leadership and Organisational Learning. Phil has spoken at conferences throughout Australia, New Zealand, the US and Asia. He has been a senior lecturer for over 12 years at Massey University and he continues to lead systems thinking in this country.

Emma Parker & Sarah Bisset

Administrators
Emma and Sarah have a range of skills that enable them to seamlessly provide a wide variety of administration support to the InterLEAD™ team across the country.