About Clarissa
A curious and collaborative problem solver, Clarissa values diversity in opinion and expertise when approaching a problem. She’s passionate about working in partnership with clients for public good and positive change.
With deep experience in health and housing, social determinants of health, and service design and delivery, Clarissa is a big picture thinker who understand the value and importance of the finer details. She is skilled in report writing, stakeholder engagement, developing insights from data, and planning and completing projects.
Clarissa is passionate about equity and how systems can work together to achieve equitable outcomes for people. She’s motivated by contributing to a more equitable society and using her skills and knowledge to contribute to sustainable change within various intertwined systems in our society.
A South African at heart, raised in New Zealand and now living in Melbourne, Clarissa tries to retain her culture and language while incorporating the culture of the places that have formed who she is. She’s a mum to one baby girl, is a keen hockey player, and loves all things outdoors, including camping, hiking, surfing, and snowboarding.
Experience | Highlights
Clarissa's recent work includes:
Worked with an Indigenous Led (Māori led) organisation completing projects contributing to better health outcomes for Māori and Pasifika families.
Authored a peer review journal article: “Substandard South Auckland housing: findings from a healthy homes initiative temperature study” (Published 2023).
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Pasifika Experiences Scoping Project. Planned and conducted focus group sessions with various Pasifika families, gathering insights from their experiences engaging with and accessing information and services from Tenancy Services. Produced a written report of findings and recommendations.
Developed a communications strategy, leading the direction of internal and external communications for a medium sized non-for-profit organisation. Included stakeholder mapping, staff engagement research, and alignment to strategic business plan and vision.
Successfully redesigned an established Healthy Homes Programme and implementing the new service model.
Prepared performance reporting (quantitative and qualitative) for organisational board members and funders.
Education | Accreditation
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Population Health), University of Auckland
Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Accounting), University of Auckland
