Our Team
UTSNZ Staff
Sarah Anderson, Executive Director
Sarah has extensive experience working to create and support high-quality sporting environments for young people within New Zealand.
After graduating from the University of Otago with a degree in Physical Education, Sarah worked in local government supporting community sport and recreation programmes. Sarah then joined New Zealand’s government agency for sport, Sport NZ (formerly the Hillary Commission) where she worked for over 10 years in various roles within the Coaching, Relationship Management and Young People’s teams. This wide-ranging experience has given Sarah a sound understanding of the New Zealand sporting system, the strengths and challenges that face various stakeholders from a national level through to grassroots, as well as an extensive network of stakeholder relationships.
Sarah has also worked in the private sector at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand, and tertiary education at Ara Institute of Technology.
A strong believer in the value of sport and it’s contribution to the overall well-being and achievement of young people, Sarah is delighted to help shape an exciting new era of tertiary sport in New Zealand.
Setting up office in Christchurch, Sarah is a keen mountain biker and trail runner and is enjoying the adventure landscape that the region has to offer.
Tiwai Wilson, Marketing and Events Manager
Tiwai is an experienced sports administrator with a passion for enabling and facilitating opportunities for people to participate and excel in their chosen sports.
After completing a Bachelor of Physical Education degree at the University of Otago, Tiwai started his career as Competitions Support Officer with the Willetton Basketball Association in Perth, before then being asked to join the team at Basketball Western Australia where he managed the Western Australian Basketball League.
Upon returning to New Zealand Tiwai was employed by the University of Auckland, starting out in a Sports Coordinator role and progressing on to become Acting Sports Manager from September 2018 to December 2019.
Leading one of the country’s highest-performing sport departments at the University of Auckland, Tiwai developed excellent skills in managing staff as well as student volunteers and guiding them to effectively encourage students to engage in sport.
Tiwai's main passion is for participating in and supporting sports and outdoor pursuits, as well as assisting others in doing things they enjoy, cooking, experiencing new things and spending time with family and friends.
Tegan Wisnesky, Marketing Intern
Tegan is a fourth-year student at the University of Otago, double majoring in marketing and sport development and management. She has a strong passion for creating a fun and accessible sporting environment for everyone at different levels.UTSNZ Board of Directors
On behalf of the key stakeholders, the Board of University and Tertiary Sport NZ (UTSNZ) is responsible for the active stewardship of the organisation to ensure its future well-being for the benefit of members and other current and future stakeholders. The UTSNZ Board Charter outlines these responsibilities: Board Charter.
The following position description outlines the purpose and primary responsibilities of UTSNZ Board Members: UTSNZ Board Member Position Description and those of the UTSNZ Student Representative Board Members: UTSNZ Student Representative Board Member Position Description.
Karl Whalen
Karl is the current Head of Sport and Recreation at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington and brings 20 years of experience in the sport and recreation sector, including extensive time in the university sport setting. He is currently serving his second term on the UTSNZ Board and was recently elected Chair of UTSNZ at the May 2025 AGM.
Karl is strongly committed to the success of UTSNZ, driven by an unwavering belief in the deeper value of sport and its power to shape lives and communities. With a keen interest in strategy, Karl is proud of the progress UTSNZ has made under its 2022–2025 strategy and looks forward to leading the organisation through the development of a new strategic direction in the latter half of 2025.
A former national league footballer, Karl captained his Wellington side and was the fifth ASB Premiership player to reach 100 games. Now based in Wellington, he enjoys mountain biking and trail running, and balances an active lifestyle with family life - sharing his passion for sport with his two children.
Joe Hitchcock
Joe is the former Chief Executive at Badminton New Zealand and in his eight years in the role he grew the organisation to triple its size, as well as secured two successful World Badminton Championship event bids.Joe was the inaugural New Zealand Sport & Recreation Awards Future Leader scholarship winner and recently partnered with Barfoot & Thompson to win the 2021 Commercial Partnership Award.
He has been heavily involved in advocacy through roles in the New Zealand and Canadian sport systems and this includes the Athlete Advocate lead at the British Columbia Games, North American Indigenous Games and Canada Games.
Joe has a track record of leading change in the sports sector with a Masters in Sport Management from Massey University.
Joe commenced his second three-year term on the UTSNZ Board in November 2024.
Jo Kelly
Jo Kelly is a highly experienced Company Secretary who has worked across a range of industries including publicly listed companies, public sector organisations, not-for-profits, and several of New Zealand’s major sporting events.She is the Managing Director of Independent Governance Services (IGS) where she leads a team of governance support specialists and provides advisory services, with a focus on helping organisations use governance to advance their organisation’s mission in a meaningful way.
Jo has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Auckland, and a background in both sports administration and accountancy with a strong focus on strategy and stakeholder relations, with a modern approach to governance.
Jo is also the Trust Manager of the Kelliher Charitable Trust. In this role she is responsible for supporting New Zealand communities through charitable grants and furthering economics through research and scholarships.
With a deep passion for sports, education, and wellbeing, she particularly enjoys spending her weekends umpiring her son’s cricket games or coaching junior soccer teams.
Jo commenced her second three-year term on the UTSNZ Board in November 2024.
Heinz Fellerhoff (Treasurer)
Heinz is a Chartered Accountant who has worked in the public sector and in commercial environments. He is currently a Senior Finance Business Partner at Massey University based in the Manawatu, also covering campuses in Wellington and Albany (Auckland). Heinz has a breadth of experience in community sector, primarily in the social and environmental fields, which has allowed him to develop strong governance and strategic planning skills.
Heinz considers community connection to be vital for people to retain a healthy and balanced life, and for overall personal wellbeing. He believes sport plays a pivotal role in retaining and building those connections and is of high importance for young people as their involvement in sport reduces significantly as they transition from college to the next step in their life. Because of this, he is a firm supporter of UTSNZ goals of providing pathways for tertiary students to continue to participate in sport and foster healthy community connections.
Kathryn Irving
Kathryn brings over 15 years of extensive experience in sports policy, marketing, and commercialisation, enhancing the Board's capabilities as it continues to drive excellence in university sport.
Kathryn's career has been marked by notable achievements, including serving with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and delivering successful commercial and marketing campaigns for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Her expertise in brand activation, stakeholder management, and marketing strategy has been instrumental in achieving sponsor brand leverage outcomes from event and sponsorship activation.
With a strong background in marketing and commercialisation, Kathryn has worked closely with various National Sport Organisations (NSOs) to enhance their financial sustainability and overall performance. Her roles in the Office of the Former Minister of Sport as Private Secretary for Sport and Recreation and the Rugby World Cup 2011 have given her a deep understanding of the sport sector.
Currently serving as the General Manager at Irving & Co, Kathryn manages advisory services for governance and strategy, reflecting her passion for good governance within the sports and recreation sector. She is eager to support UTSNZ in achieving its goals and making a positive impact on university sport.
Outside of her professional endeavours, Kathryn enjoys running half marathons, skiing, sailing, and spending time outdoors with her family. Her diverse interests and experience make her a valuable addition to the UTSNZ Board.
Albertine (Albie) Eaton
Albie was elected to the UTSNZ Board at the May 2025 AGM and brings a wealth of strategic leadership and on-the-ground experience in tertiary sport. As the Sport Development Manager and Acting Student Engagement Manager at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, Albie holds a dual portfolio that spans high-performance sport, student participation, recreational programming, and sport innovation. Albie is deeply committed to the power of sport and recreation as a tool for building community, enhancing student wellbeing, and creating inclusive, meaningful opportunities for all tauira.
With more than a decade of influence in university sport, Albie has led the development and delivery of key national events and continues to champion inclusive programming that reflects the diversity of Aotearoa’s student population. Her role across both sport and student engagement provides a unique, student-centred lens, complemented by strong networks across NSOs, RSOs, iwi, university leadership, and the wider sector.
Albie is a strong advocate for women in sport and committed to embedding te ao Māori and the principles of partnership in the work she leads.
Sylvie Tulloch Gray (Student Representative)
Sylvie is a law and political science student at Victoria University of Wellington, with a strong passion for supporting students in sport.
Connor Mills (Student Representative)
Connor is a third year Engineering student at studying at AUT. Previously a student at Saint Kentigern College, Connor has continued his sport post-secondary school and has been heavily involved in tertiary sport competing in Basketball, Rowing and 3x3. As an experienced competitor, Connor is well equipped to share insights and knowledge with regard to the student athlete experience and he looks forward to sharing this knowledge with UTSNZ.
Connor enjoys the community aspects of UTSNZ, including the opportunity to meet new people and develop new connections. He believes the sporting opportunities enabled and delivered by UTSNZ are a great offer for students and can really provide students with a sense of belonging within their university.
Student Athlete Commission
The UTSNZ Student Athlete Commission is a voice for student-athletes. Representatives act as a student led advisory board and help to implement student-focused initiatives within their respective universities. Click the link below to meet our current SAC representatives.
