Kandy has brought a wealth of experience in customer service and people management, having been instrumental in driving growth and improvement within the council over the past six years. Her career includes significant roles at Inland Revenue and managing an appliance store, where she earned the Matamata-Piako District Council’s “Customer Service Award,” a community-nominated accolade.
Prior to this, Kandy held senior and management roles within financial and telecommunications institutions. With a Diploma in Hairdressing and a National Certificate in Agriculture, she can converse across multiple subjects with ease.
Kandy adeptly balances her professional and personal life, dividing her time between her childhood home in Hokitika, and Matamata, where she resides with her trucker husband, two children (aged 8 and 22), and their rescue dog, Honey.
Passionate about process improvement, Kandy focuses on eliminating duplicated efforts to create seamless end-to-end, cross-agency customer journeys that are simple to navigate and deliver a consistent experience with minimal effort. Her role as Customer Experience Delivery Lead allows her to have a holistic view across the council, enabling her to investigate and identify improvement opportunities while managing projects under the Customer Experience Transformation Programme.

Alison is a proactive, innovative, and results-driven senior leader with extensive strategic and operational experience across industry and government. She excels in customer experience initiatives, service design and implementation, strategic planning, and operational process improvements. Her expertise in customer relationship management includes designing and implementing engagement and retention models across various channels.
Alison’s career began at TELUS International, where she gained comprehensive experience in campaign management, strategic sales, and service delivery. She later joined Genesis Energy as Manager of Customer Operations, further expanding her expertise. Currently, she works with Waikato Regional Council, managing a three-year program to transform the customer experience within the Council. She is dedicated to driving innovative solutions and fostering a customer-centric culture at WRC.
Alison holds a degree in Economics, Telecommunications Management, and professional certifications in Project Management, Human-Centred Design, and Canadian Securities/Registered Financial Analyst License. Passionate about leveraging new technology to improve customer service, Alison is always eager to explore innovations that enhance operational efficiency and customer experiences’. Originally from Canada, she has lived in New Zealand for the past 11 years. She loves the outdoors, enjoys traveling, and is an avid animal rights supporter.