Tumu Whakamahi / Chief Operating Officer
Stephen has dedicated his career to the outdoors, beginning with work on remote sheep stations before transitioning into pest control and natural resource management. With an extensive background in executive leadership across both public and private sectors, he brings a wealth of operational expertise to the ZIP team.
Stephen’s relationship with ZIP began during his time as Environmental Operations Director at the NEXT Foundation. Drawn to ZIP’s clear mission to improve our wild places and its culture of innovation, he officially joined as Chief Operations Officer in August 2025. Stephen thrives on solving complex problems and delivering tangible results – skills that are essential as ZIP scales its efforts to protect larger, more ambitious landscapes.
When he isn’t navigating operational challenges, Stephen can usually be found outdoors hunting, fishing, or exploring Aotearoa with family and friends