Event Details

Register: Empowerment and connection for Pan-Asian Public Servants 19 March via Eventsair

Register: Empowerment and connection for Pan-Asian Public Servants 26 March via Eventsair

PAPSN are proud to present the March speaker series focusing on the experience of pan-Asian public servants. Our speakers will explore the ways they have felt empowered to reach their professional goals, their role in the public sector and the ways they have empowered others or think others should be empowered to succeed. Join us for 2 exciting events in March where you will get the chance to ask questions and learn from our speakers!

About the speakers:

Tue 19 March, 12-1 pm:

Serena Lal: 

Serena Lal, a Fijian Indian from Auckland, New Zealand, now residing in Wellington, advocates for dismantling systemic injustice and liberation in how we live, learn, work, and play.

Serena ensures we design for the world tomorrow through roles such as co-founder and director of IndigiShare, pioneering financial redistribution and cross-cultural partnerships.
As a Principal Service Designer in government, Serena transforms social services, devolving power to communities. Serving as a community guide and educator,

Serena facilitates healing, DEI, and solidarity for people of colour and indigenous communities. With board roles at EVOLVE and the New Zealand Games Festival,

Serena guides organizations towards transformative impact, steering them beyond survival mode.

Romy Lee:

Romy is passionate about bringing forth the voice of youth and advocates for young people having a place at the top table contributing to policy development and service design and delivery.

Romy’s expertise has been recognised by a number of organisations, including the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisations. She also works as an expert advisor to media agencies such as NZ Herald, TVNZ and Three.

She is currently the Youth Lived Experience Delivery Manager at Whāraurau, Aotearoa's national workforce development programme for those working to improve the wellbeing of infants, children, youth and whanau with mental health and addiction needs.

Romy holds a Bachelor of Counselling and Addiction Practice. In her private practice, she supports young people to walk through their mental health journey.

Tue 26 March, 12-1 pm:

Denise Hing:

Denise recently retired from the New Zealand Customs Service.

She feels privileged to have served in the New Zealand Public Service, and in the New Zealand Customs Service, for 42 years.

Denise was awarded, jointly with Richard Foy, a fellowship by the New Zealand Public Service Commission’s Leadership Development Centre in 2019. This fellowship explored some practical starting initiatives to support how Asian leaders can grow and flourish in the New Zealand Public Service while nurturing their cultural identity and maximising their leadership contribution – strengthening the Public Service’s ability to reflect, understand and deliver to the communities it serves as well as contributing to workplaces with a sense of belonging for all.

Denise enjoys volunteering as a biographer for the Mary Potter Hospice’s Biography Service, and is happy now to have more time to put into this.

Richard Foy: 

Richard is an Aotearoa New Zealand-born son of Chinese immigrants, accomplished public speaker, failed comic-novelist and a public servant who’s enthusiastically committed to a career of public service and leadership. Richard is a former Chief Archivist of Archives NZ, our National Archives, an LDC (Leadership Development Centre) 2019 Fellow, 2018 Geoffrey Bolton lecturer (State Records Office, WA), President of ARANZ (Archives & Records Association of NZ) and a wannabe Starfleet Officer. Richard is currently Kaiwhakahaere, Pūnaha Mōhio (Knowledge Systems) at Te Puni Kōkiri.

“As a Chinese Kiwi, born-and-bred in Aotearoa New Zealand, I grew up in Wainuiomata learning to navigate two worlds: the See Yip Cantonese-speaking Chinese culture of my immigrant forebears, and the predominantly Pākehā (in the ‘70s-‘80s) culture of my local community. In adulthood, I’ve learned to navigate the third world of Te Ao Māori, notably through my public service career and leadership roles. In the past decade, I’ve learned to navigate my fourth world, as my partner is German, and our daughter Lucy is a Chinese-German Kiwi.  I happily embrace ‘yum cha, meat pies, hangi and sauerkraut’—and the diversity of cultural traditions and flavours they embody—all with equal gusto!”

Outside of work, Richard is obsessed with his children, Star Trek, and fungi, sometimes in that order, but seldom in combination.