Introducing Sharon-May McCrostie, ENZ’s new Director Sector Engagement

Can you tell us about your professional background including the role you had prior to joining ENZ?

After graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies specialising in Japanese and International Business, I joined the primary export sector. I held a range of sales, marketing and business development roles in the seafood and horticultural sectors with a focus on Asian markets, including with ENZA (the NZ Apple and Pear Marketing Board) in Singapore. My first job was in Bluff, exporting live lobster!

Prior to joining ENZ, I spent 20 years with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in a range of roles supporting NZ exporters to realise their international growth ambitions. In my last role there, I was Customer Director where I led a team of customer managers supporting digital technology and services exporters across the central New Zealand region.

What are your thoughts on your new role so far?

I feel I have joined ENZ at the perfect time as the team here comes together to co-create next year’s business plan. Early in the role, I was catapulted into focus groups with sub-sectors to understand their priorities and ensure we focus on the right opportunities and challenges to enable the international education sector to flourish. Providers were generous in sharing insights and setting expectations for ENZ, providing important input into the business planning process.

As we work through the process, I have been incredibly impressed with the knowledge of my team and the wider  ENZ team, and admire the depth of passion and ambition to ensure we make a difference to the sector.

What do you see as the challenges and potential opportunities for our sector?

The market for international learners is hyper competitive, and our main competitors are driving hard to win market share in the face of ongoing global uncertainty.  New Zealand has an excellent reputation for education, but we must be smarter and nimbler to maintain an edge over our competitors and attract quality learners to NZ. 

We must continue to build brand awareness and enable agents and providers to provide a compelling case for choosing a NZ education. As the sector shifts from recovery to rebuild, it is an opportunity to think differently about how we partner with the sector to co-create a robust, resilient, and innovative sector that meets the needs of the future learner:  I am excited to be part of that conversation.

Outside of work, what do you like to do?

Wellington is blessed with rolling hills that embrace the harbour, and I love running its trails and taking in the soaring views. I also love to swim – mostly in a pool, with the occasional plunge in the ocean. Otherwise, I love to read, rummage through op shops for vintage china and linen, and hang out with my daughters who are my biggest teachers.