Andrew Coster is the Chief Executive, Social Investment Agency, and Secretary for Social Investment.
Formerly the Commissioner of Police, Andy has considerable frontline experience working in the social sector. Prior to this he held roles as Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Strategy and Partnerships, and Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Resource Management. Other previous roles include Deputy Chief Executive, Ministry for Justice.
Known for his community-centered and modern approach to policing, Andy joined the New Zealand Police in 1997 and worked in both frontline and investigative roles. As his career progressed, he was appointed to a number of senior roles, including Auckland City Area Commander, Southern District Commander where he saw first-hand the complex and intersecting nature of the social sector. His approach emphasised a focus on preventive, relationship-based policing, which seeks to address the root causes of crime through community engagement and partnerships.
A strong advocate for data-based decision making, Andy is passionate about making a difference for New Zealanders through public service.
Andy holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Auckland and a Master of Public Management from Victoria University of Wellington.
Alistair provides strategic support and advice to the Secretary for Social Investment, supporting external relationships with the Board, social sector, and other key stakeholders. He also supports the Secretary to enhance the overall capability of the team.
Alistair has worked with the Agency since its establishment as the Social Investment Unit in 2015. He has held a number of roles, including Deputy Chief Executive, Social Investment & Delivery, leading work on the implementation of social investment, and Deputy Chief Executive, Strategy & Performance.
Alistair spent close to ten years working as Ministerial Advisor for a variety of Ministers, primarily covering social portfolios. This experience has supported his passion for improved social sector decision-making and practice.
He has an extensive background in public relations, having worked for some of the world’s leading public relations firms in London, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Wellington.
Aphra leads SIA’s central agency responsibilities and works to influence the public service to adopt social investment approaches. Her portfolio includes: leading policy development and legislative change, coordinating a common central agency approach to social investment, setting standards for social investment, and influencing change across the social sector as agencies adopt new approaches.
Aphra is passionate about evidence-based decision-making and strives to make data more accessible, actionable, and impactful for the decision-makers shaping our communities.
She brings a wealth of experience from the social and justice sectors, particularly from her former senior leadership roles as a Deputy Chief Executive at Oranga Tamariki and General Manager, Strategy, Evidence & Investment at the Ministry of Justice.
Aphra has a Master of Laws from Otago University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from Victoria University of Wellington.
Kylie ReiriKylie brings a unique blend of public and private sector experience to the Social Investment Agency. Her career has been dedicated to improving outcomes for New Zealanders through data-driven decision making and social investment approaches.
Most recently a Partner at PwC New Zealand, Kylie led the Finance, Economics and Analytics practice and work for PwC across the Māori economy. She has experience building and leading start-up companies, including serving as CEO of Nicholson Consulting and co-founding Impact Lab.
Her leadership has been recognised with several awards, including NZ IT Professional of the Year 2021 and the IT People Leadership award. She serves on the Data Science and AI Board at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, advocating for accelerated adoption of new technologies in safe and considered ways.
Of Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne and Ngāi Tahu descent, Kylie brings strong cultural capability to her role. She is passionate about ensuring every child in Aotearoa New Zealand has the opportunity to thrive.
Kylie lives in Wellington with her partner and their three tamariki, who they are raising in a bilingual te reo Māori home.
Joe joined SIA in late 2024 to set up the agency’s commissioning and investment functions. Joe’s role is to lead the establishment and operation of the Social Investment Fund, to demonstrate social investment in practice.
Joe was previously at Manatū Taonga Ministry of Culture and Heritage, managing Covid regeneration funding and investments, including funding for commemorations, historical research and oral histories. He led the development and implementation of operational policies involving the Protected Objects Act, memorials, war graves, and commemorations.
Prior to this role, Joe was at Oranga Tamariki, where he was General Manager Commissioning for four years. In this role, he worked with iwi, Māori, non-governmental organisations, and internal stakeholders to completely redesign the agency’s procurement approach.
Before this, Joe was a senior manager in central and local government in the United Kingdom. He spent the last 15 years of his career finding creative and collaborative ways of using public funding to support improved outcomes and has also led significant change within and across organisations.
