Sam O'Donnell

As Partnerships Manager, I develop relationships with key stakeholders that are vital to the success of TB eradication and explore partnership opportunities that can help to advance the TBfree programme. Importantly, I support our stakeholders in achieving their own environmental outcomes.

I engage with a range of stakeholders that all require different approaches. Some of the groups I work with include iwi, Department of Conservation, Māori land trusts, forestry management, landowners and collaborative pest management partnerships.

I’ve been at OSPRI since May 2019 — I started out as a Field Operations Supervisor in the delivery of the North Island vector programme. In that role, I was navigating the complexities of governance and land management in the central North Island as best I could, but it became apparent that if OSPRI was to make meaningful progress, additional focus was needed to understand what a sustainable approach towards TB freedom would look like. I took on the role of Partnerships Manager to find a new way of engaging with stakeholders that builds trust and confidence in OSPRI.

What I enjoy most about my role is that it revealed strengths and abilities in me that I thought I lacked. It exposes me (as a daydreamer) to different places and people — it satisfies my curiosity about what once was, what is now and what could be. OSPRI’s most valuable asset is our people and our culture. The way we interact with and care for our people is the best antidote for the pressures of the often dynamic and challenging spaces we work in.