Vicky Robertson

The Secretary for the Ministry for the Environment who puts people first

Vicky Robertson is the Secretary for the Environment, appointed in April 2015. An internationally experienced executive with a background in law and economics, Vicky is a champion for diversity and inclusion, te ao Māori and achieving transparency and accountability in the state sector. 

Vicky has extensive experience across a range of complex policy frameworks. She provides system leadership to deliver significant reform programmes including in recent years reforming the approach to climate change, improving freshwater quality and reforming the resource management system. Vicky enjoys working on these fundamental reforms as they achieve change in the real world and require working together with Māori, Treaty partners.  

Bringing in different perspectives and working with stakeholders such as local government, the food and fibre sector, environmental eNGOs, and business have been a critical part of Vicky’s leadership.  She looks to innovate in collaborative approaches, leading the Climate Change Chief Executives Board, the formal joint venture Board of Chief Executives leading the reform of the resource management system and setting up the joint public/private sector collaboration The Aotearoa Circle.

Vicky is passionate about diversity and inclusion as a critical factor in high performing organisations and has led this into MfE’s strategic framework. She has worked extensively with iwi, hapū and Māori throughout her career. She has embedded te ao Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi as essential principles to MfE’s work.  Vicky puts people first and is currently leading the Ministry’s development of an organisation-wide wellbeing framework.

On weekends Vicky enjoys spending time with her two mokopuna and loves mountain biking in Aotearoa New Zealand’s stunning natural environment.