Dame Diana Crossan, of Wellington, DNZM, for services to the State
Dame Diana Crossan has provided leadership in the public service, working hard to enable equal employment opportunities and retirement savings.
Dame Diana was the first manager of the Equal Employment Opportunities Unit at the State Services Commission. In this role she helped shape legislation on equal work opportunities for women, Māori, other ethnic groups, and people with disabilities. She was the Retirement Commissioner from 2003 to 2013, developing a national strategy for financial literacy that incorporated practical strategies such as the sorted.org website, multimedia campaigns, and education in schools. Her work contributed to the development of Kiwisaver. She worked on a number of governance boards focused on improving financial literacy and retirement planning, including as Chair of the New Zealand Institute for Research on Ageing Advisory Board and the Massey University Financial Education Centre Advisory Board. She has led and participated in substantial organisations in the charitable and not-for-profit sectors. She chaired the JR McKenzie Trust for many years and served on several charity Boards, including Relationship Services and Refugee Services. Dame Diana was the Chief Executive of Wellington Free Ambulance from 2013 to 2017.