About us

We believe that everyone has the potential to live well and the right to a healthy home.

Together, we make a difference

We link people to healthy and affordable homes, and the right support services for their health and wellbeing needs. We help people to be contributing members of their communities, good tenants and good neighbours – no matter what service they receive from us.

We couldn’t do this without our strong community relationships with services, organisations and landlords – because together, we make a difference.

You’ll find us throughout New Zealand, including the Auckland, Waikato, Lakes, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wellington and Canterbury regions.

We enrich wellbeing by linking people to healthy and affordable homes and appropriate services.

Our history

Successfully navigating social services and having a home are both really important for a person’s health and wellbeing. So, in 2016, Keys Social Housing and Linkage teamed up to become LinkPeople. Our new name describes exactly what we do.

If you have worked with Keys Social Housing or Linkage before, you can expect to get the same excellent services, by the same people, from the same locations.

Our board members

Meet
Julie

Julie Nelson

Board chair

Julie is joint chief executive of the Wise Group and has been instrumental in growing the organisation from one employee to over one thousand people who work nationwide to help those with mental illness live great lives. Julie has vast knowledge and experience in the areas of governance, infrastructure services, leading complex services and development of solutions.

Julie is a strong advocate for quality housing and effective wrap-around support services for our most vulnerable people. Julie is proud of the pioneering role she has played in bringing Housing First to New Zealand through the establishment of The People's Project, and for providing support to the Housing First Auckland collective.

Julie is regarded as an authentic leader who engages deeply with people and builds strong enduring relationships.

Meet
Paul

Paul Bennett

Board member

Paul Bennett is currently CEO of Braemar Hospital Ltd. He has strategic and operational oversight of one of the largest private surgical hospitals in New Zealand. He has recently led a two stage $45million land acquisition and hospital construction project.

Paul has held CEO or general manager positions in several different industries, both profit and not-for-profit, in New Zealand and Australia. His experience covers plastic manufacturing and exporting, the export meat industry, public and private health sectors, and the cordage industry.

Paul's governance roles in the health sector include: Chair of Enrich+, Chair of Work Outcomes GP Ltd and Trustee of Spectrum Energy.

Paul is the Deputy Chairman of the Waikato branch of the Institute of Directors and the Independent Chair of Hauraki District Council Audit and Risk Committee.

Meet
Hine

Hine Martin

Board member

Hine Martin has worked within the Wise Group for the last eleven years in operational and strategic management roles. Hine holds a Master of Public Health and has an extensive background in community and workforce development. Areas of research and work experience include health indicators, health outcomes, healthy public policy, Māori health and the social determinants of health.

Hine is committed to work which influences the economic and social conditions among vulnerable populations and to reduce inequalities in health status.

Meet
Bruce

Bruce Sheridan

Board member

Bruce Sheridan has been involved with the Wise Group since it began more than 20 years ago. He is on the boards of various charitable trusts, NGO, and commercial enterprises. For many years he was a partner in accounting firm KPMG, acting as a business advisor.

He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Bruce also chairs the Wise Trust Board.

Meet
Penny

Penny Hulse

Board member

Penny has been a councillor and local body elected member for the last 27 years. She served as deputy mayor for Waitakere City and then deputy mayor for the newly amalgamated Auckland council for six years.

She has been closely involved in city planning and development of housing policy chairing a variety of committees responsible for these areas.

Penny has also been a member of the Auckland Housing First governance group, and was appointed to the board of Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) in January 2020.

Our leadership team

Meet
Fiona

Fiona Hamilton

Acting chief executive

Fiona has almost 20 years’ experience in research, programme management and leadership across a range of sectors including the Waitangi Tribunal claim process, mental health workforce development and Housing First.

Fiona spent two years as programme lead at Housing First Auckland before becoming LinkPeople's acting chief executive in October 2019. Fiona led and fronted the first Auckland-wide Point-in-Time count, Ira Mata, Ira Tangata, and led the development of the governing group for the Auckland collective working with mana whenua, local government and Ministries and departments such as Housing, Social Development, Health and Justice.

Meet
Tom

Tom Caukwell

Acting manager - Auckland

Tom Caukwell has a background in mental health – with six years working in the mental health sector – and has worked for LinkPeople since 2013. He has led the Housing First service delivery in South Auckland since 2017. Tom is studying towards a conjoint Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Business at Massey University, majoring in Social Policy and Management. With a passion for people and influencing positive systems change, Tom was appointed acting manager for LinkPeople Auckland in January 2020.

Meet
Michelle

Michelle Tiriana-Bishop

Acting manager - Lakes

Michelle Tiriana-Bishop joined LinkPeople in July 2017 to lead the Housing Team in Rotorua. With the rapid growth of service provision, she is now acting manager for Lakes having oversight of the three Rotorua teams – Housing, Sustaining Tenancies, and Health.

Michelle has almost 20 years’ experience working in the social housing sector including 16 years with Housing New Zealand. She has held various tenancy related roles and spent four years in a community development position working with vulnerable communities. Michelle has strong community and agency connections and prides herself on leading a team who share her genuine passion for people and always having them at the centre of everything they do.

Meet
Jim

Jim Gallen

Service and relationship manager - Southern

Jim came to LinkPeople in early 2017 from the social housing, strategic purchasing team at the Ministry of Social Development. Prior to this, Jim was the national operations manager for tenancy services within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment managing the dispute resolution services across the country along with tenancy advice and education. He has previously worked in leadership and management roles in Pathways, Inland Revenue and mental health services.

Jim is based in Wellington, overseeing Taranaki, Whanganui, Wellington and Christchurch.

Meet
Annabelle

Annabelle Jerram

Project and quality manager

Annabelle has been with LinkPeople since 2014 in several different leadership roles. She brings to LinkPeople a wide range of experience in both the public and private sectors, including policy work with central government, and regulatory and leadership roles across the pharmaceutical and medical communications industries. Annabelle holds a Master of Science in psychology and pharmacology, and postgraduate qualifications in coaching psychology.

Her role is to work across LinkPeople to implement systems and projects that support consistent and safe delivery of all LinkPeople services.

About us

We believe that everyone has the potential to live well and the right to a healthy home.

Together, we make a difference

Our history

Our board members

Julie Nelson

Paul Bennett

Hine Martin

Bruce Sheridan

Penny Hulse

Our leadership team

Fiona Hamilton

Tom Caukwell

Michelle Tiriana-Bishop

Jim Gallen

Annabelle Jerram

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