Live Ocean Foundation has appointed Rosalie Nelson as its new Chief Executive, to accelerate its mission of scaling up innovation, science and outreach for a healthy ocean.

Rosalie brings deep experience in purpose-led leadership, innovation, strategy, and communications. She joins Live Ocean at a pivotal moment, as the Foundation builds momentum around ultramarathon swimmer Jono Ridler’s record-breaking 1,367km Swim4TheOcean, which has a clear call to end bottom trawling.

Live Ocean Foundation Chair Stephen Jones said Nelson’s appointment reflects the organisation’s ambition for its next phase of impact.

“Rosalie brings a combination of strategic clarity, systems thinking and communications expertise, alongside a deep commitment to mission-led work. At a time when ocean health requires both urgency and focus, her leadership will help Live Ocean to sharpen its strategy, strengthen its partnerships and scale its impact,” he says.

Founders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke say Rosalie’s ability to build and lead teams, and experience navigating complex change in the nonprofit and corporate sector make her an ideal fit to take the helm.

Prior to joining Live Ocean, Nelson was Chief Executive of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship and the Hillary Institute of International Leadership, where she successfully led a public–private partnership with government and worked with global changemakers for impact. Her previous roles include General Manager of Strategy, Impact and Insights at Callaghan Innovation, building on a long career spanning journalism, technology foresight, market strategy and evidence-based impact.

Nelson says she is honoured to support the vision of Live Ocean’s founders, Blair Tuke and Peter Burling, and the wider team.

“New Zealand begins and ends with the ocean: it is central to our identity and to our future. What we do here matters. Yet the accelerating pressures facing our ocean are often unseen or overlooked,” she says.

“What draws me to Live Ocean is the inspiring energy and vision of Blair and Peter as founders, and the focus on action: partnering with exceptional scientists, innovators and communicators to help scale solutions for a healthy ocean. What the founders and team have achieved to date is phenomenal, and I feel deeply humbled to have the opportunity to continue to build on that mahi”.

Nelson will work closely with the founders, Board and partners to refine Live Ocean’s strategy, strengthen its funding base, and scale its impact in support of ocean health across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Her first day will be Monday 20 April.

About Live Ocean: 

Live Ocean is a marine conservation foundation committed to scaling up action for the ocean. Founded by sailors and ocean champions, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, the foundation scales up marine science, innovation and outreach to connect and ignite people around the role a healthy ocean plays in a healthy future. Live Ocean partners with exceptional New Zealand marine scientists, innovators and communicators whose work has global implications for the protection of the ocean and the life in it. To have a healthy future, we must have a healthy ocean.

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