Sharon's international development career is motivated by justice, solidarity, and connection.
She works to build genuine, power-sharing partnerships between organisations and the communities they serve.
Her experience spans practice, academia, government, and governance. Sharon takes a systems approach, specialising in health and food systems, fragile, conflict, and violence-affected contexts (especially Myanmar), and climate resilience across the Pacific region. She has a strong interest in using good evidence, including community knowledge and lived experience, to strengthen development practice through research and learning.
Sharon recently led an independent mid-term review for an international NGO's DFAT-funded, multi-year nutrition-sensitive agriculture programme. Her role covered evaluation design, in-country data collection, qualitative data analysis, and report writing. She also co-authored Collective Resilience: New Zealand's aid contribution in times of inequality and crises, an Oxfam Aotearoa report analysing the aid programme and setting out policy recommendations. Sharon serves on the board of Tearfund New Zealand, bringing strategic governance experience to her practice.
Sharon has worked at Massey University's Institute of Development Studies, MFAT, and as research manager at The Workshop, a research and communications consultancy. She currently manages international development programmes across Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands for one of New Zealand's public research organisations. She also provides pro bono development advice to Sustain Projects Myanmar, which supports community-based organisations in Myanmar.
Sharon holds a PhD in International Development from Massey University, examining health system development in conflict-affected Shan State, Myanmar.
Sharon is based in Upper Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand. Outside work, she loves a good laugh with family and friends. Otherwise, she can be found with her nose in a book, or knitting or sewing.