Helen Robinson

Professional Director and CEO, Organic Initiative Ltd

With a background leading technology companies Helen is an entrepreneur with interests in a diverse range of innovative companies. Her personal mission is to ‘do good at scale’. Former executive roles include Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand and Head of Pivotal Corporation Asia Pacific. Helen was the Managing Director, Markit Group (now S&P Global) following its purchase of NZX’s TZ1 Registry providing transparency and integrity to environmental markets. Helen founded and was CEO for Organic Initiative Ltd (Oi) until early 2022.

Current directorships include Independent Director of Local Government Funding Agency, Chair of Kara Technologies Ltd and Director of Organic Initiative Ltd. Helen was the inaugural Chair, The Network for Learning Ltd (N4L) rolling out New Zealand’s largest virtual private network (890k users) responsible for transforming schools in New Zealand to modern learning environments. Helen has acted as Director for numerous organisations including MSN, Markit NZ, the New Zealand Defence Force, National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (now Auckland Unlimited).

She is a member of Global Women and a Chartered Member of the NZ Institute of Directors. Helen received an international honorary membership to Beta Gamma Sigma, Auckland University of Technology Chapter and is a Kea World Class New Zealander. Helen is a judge of the NZ Hi-Tech Awards and was a judge for Kiwinet Awards until 2018.

Helen was recognized in the 2017 Queen’s Honours Awards as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to technology and business, and won the New Zealand Supreme Women of Influence Award 2016. Helen was awarded Most Inspiring Individual at NZ Innovation Awards 2017, Next Magazine’s Woman of the Year in Business & Innovation, and Most Inspiring Women Leader at the NZ International Business Awards in 2019.

A theme of Helen’s career has been a strong passion and drive to improve the quality of life for all, and to deliver value to stakeholders through innovation and technology.