Diane Manners

National Manager - Leadership Services

Diane joined Evaluation Associates in 2017 to establish and lead the Leadership Advisors’ project supporting beginning principals across New Zealand. This service continues to provide targeted, tailored, and timely support for hundreds of beginning principals in their first two years of principalship. In 2019, the service was extended to offer support for experienced principals through specific needs-based support and professional learning groups. There are currently 37 highly skilled ex-principals working as Leadership Advisors in Diane’s team. Work is underway to expand the offerings within the leadership services portfolio.

Diane has extensive experience as a teacher and school leader in primary and intermediate schools across the country, particularly in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland, most recently as the Principal of Kohimarama School in Auckland. Diane took time out from her role as a principal to work for Cognition Education for 3 ½ years as a School Management Advisor in Qatar in the Middle East, returning to New Zealand in 2010. In this role, Diane supported school leaders in the establishment and first year of operation of new schools.

Diane is a strong supporter of professional networks for principals and was president of the Auckland Primary Principals’ Association (APPA) in 2016. In this role Diane focused on building networks to support the complexities of school leadership and initiated the joint trial project for employing beginning teachers in Auckland between the Ministry of Education and APPA.

Diane has effectively taken change management theory into practice and has a strength in developing a strategic focus on lifting student achievement within a school, building effective cohesion across school systems and relationships.

Diane has a Bachelor of Education through Massey University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership through the University of Waikato.

Diane loves travelling and exploring, spending time with family, especially her three gorgeous grandchildren and enjoys all the opportunities that Auckland has to offer in sport, culture, the arts, entertainment and shopping.