Our Board
Melissa Fergusson
CHAIR
Melissa works at the intersection of governance, strategy, and transformation, supporting organisations to navigate complexity, strengthen leadership, and deliver meaningful outcomes for the communities they serve.
Her career spans health, social impact, and the creative industries, bringing experience across values-led, stakeholder-rich environments where purpose and community sit at the centre of decision-making. She has held executive roles in marketing and communications leadership, organisational change, and board advisory.
Melissa has a strong interest in how governance and leadership interact in practice, and what is required to create the conditions for both to operate effectively. This has informed her academic and applied work, including a Master of Technological Futures (MTF, 2021) and a Master of Change and Organisational Resilience (MCOR, 2026), focused on governance and leadership in complex organisations.
She brings a deep personal commitment at governance level to reducing sexual harm across Aotearoa New Zealand, with a focus on strengthening prevention, and supporting stronger cross-sector collaboration to help build safer communities.
Nalini Dutt
DEPUTY CHAIR
Nalini Dutt, originally from India, joined the board of RPE in 2024, bringing extensive experience in governance, financial management, strategic planning, and marketing from roles in both India and New Zealand. Currently serving as National Manager of AA Home, a joint venture between the New Zealand Automobile Association and AA Insurance, she directs AA Home’s success with strategic leadership and business acumen.
Before AA Home, Nalini held leadership roles at global brands like NZAA, Volvo Eicher, Hyundai, and Yamaha, driving growth and innovation. At Volvo Eicher, she was a member of the POSH committee, enhancing her understanding of addressing sexual violence and fostering inclusive workplaces.
Passionate about empowering women and advocating for equality, Nalini's journey from India to New Zealand instilled a deep commitment to creating inclusive communities. Her commitment to social justice and empowerment drives her work, including her contributions to reducing sexual violence on the RPE board.
Outside work, Nalini enjoys sci-fi thrillers, podcasts, reading, and discussions on geopolitics, women empowerment, and leadership.
Shamila Kariyawasam
TREASURER
Shamila is an Associate Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) with more than 15 years of finance and accounting experience, primarily in Sri Lanka's travel and tourism sector. She brings extensive expertise in financial management, reporting and governance, and is currently completing a Master of Professional Accounting at Unitec Institute of Technology to further advance her professional capabilities.
As Treasurer of RPE, Shamila is committed to ensuring strong financial stewardship, transparency, and accountability. She is passionate about using her financial expertise to support organisations that create positive social impact and foster safer, more inclusive communities.
Charlotte Trevella
SECRETARY
Charlotte is a GP registrar working in Onehunga. Originally from Christchurch, she studied medicine at the University of Auckland, before working in hospitals in Tāmaki Makaurau and the UK. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of Cambridge, and her thesis focused on improving mental health outcomes among homeless women. She has a long-standing passion for the prevention of sexual violence and helping young people to develop a robust understanding of consent and respectful relationships. Outside of her work, she enjoys reading, hiking and travel.
Siobhan Patia
Siobhan Patia joined the board in 2024 and has a background in criminal law and family law. She also brings previous governance and board support experience. Siobhan's work in criminal law included jury trials in Crown prosecutions and criminal defence. In her family law work, Siobhan handles a variety of cases including family violence, parenting/guardianship matters, care and protection and relationship property. She adopts a strategic and transparent approach to governance, drawing on her previous experiences working for similar charities and non-government organisations.
Siobhan's guiding values include excellence, care, respect and integrity. She is dedicated to the prevention of family and sexual violence and supports endeavours that amplify consent culture and healthy relationships.
Dr. Emma Barker-Clarke
Dr. Emma Barker-Clarke is a Violence Prevention Educator working with young people and adults. Emma works with NGOs in the sexual violence and family violence sector. She was previously a trustee board member and rejoined their Trust Board in 2024. In 2024, Emma was awarded a PhD in Sociology/Criminology from the University of Auckland; her research, co-designed with young people, explored youth experiences of technology-facilitated sexual violence.
Before emigrating to Aotearoa in 2011, she worked in the UK as a probation officer with children, young people, and adults. In the youth justice sector, she specialized in supporting young people using violence and experiencing violence in intimate relationships, which motivated her to design a youth-centric intervention programme. She built on this work with research for her MSc in Criminology & Criminal Psychology. As a result of this research, she has focused ever since on domestic violence and sexual violence prevention.
Emma is of British Caribbean descent; her dual heritage is rooted in the twin Caribbean Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. Outside of work, Emma loves to spend time with her husband, two teenagers, and the family miniature schnauzer, alongside participating in weightlifting and karate.
Join Our Board
To express an interest in joining the board as a trustee, email info@rpe.org.nz