Geoff Cooper

Chief Executive at Te Waihanga

Geoff Cooper is the Chief Executive at Te Waihanga. He has a background in global policy having worked for the United States Federal Reserve, the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, and the United Nations. He is a former Chief Economist for both PwC and Auckland Council, where he worked on infrastructure, housing, regulation, and financial policy, including business case development for Auckland’s City Rail Link.

At Te Waihanga, Geoff was previously the General Manager of Strategy where he had purview over research capabilities, the National Infrastructure Pipeline, and development of the New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy. He holds a Master of Economics with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University.

Professor Paul Spoonley

Sociologist and Emeritus Professor at Massey University

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Paul Spoonley is one of New Zealand’s foremost social scientists, renowned for his research on social and demographic change. With a career spanning decades, he has made significant contributions to understanding immigration, diversity, and the shifting nature of work and political ideologies in Aotearoa.

Paul’s academic journey includes degrees from Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Otago, the University of Auckland, Bristol University, and Massey University. His long-standing association with Massey University saw him serve as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences until 2019. Over the years, he has led pioneering research on demographic transformations and societal shifts, shaping national conversations on these critical issues.

A widely published author and editor, Paul has contributed to 29 books, including The New New Zealand: Facing Demographic Disruption (2021), Welcome to Our World: Immigration and the Reshaping of New Zealand (2012), and Histories of Hate: The Radical Right in Aotearoa New Zealand (2023). His work has provided deep insights into the evolving fabric of New Zealand society and the broader global forces influencing it.

His expertise has been recognised with numerous accolades. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2011, appointed a Distinguished Professor by Massey University in 2013, and was a Senior Fulbright Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2010. He has also been a Visiting Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Germany since 2013 and was awarded the Royal Society’s Science and Technology Medal for his contribution to cross-cultural understanding.