
Kristin Gillies
Director
Kristin learnt his campaigning in the days before smartphones, opposing new open-cast coal mines on the inhospitable West Coast of New Zealand's South Island where several years of holding up coal trains and occupying mines taught him the value of combining creative non-violent direct action with traditional media and lobbying.
As Actions Coordinator at Greenpeace NZ, Kristin was was able to help move the dial toward political action on climate change by coordinating campaign-defining actions such as the 6-week flotilla off the East Cape alongside local iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui to stop Brazilian oil giant Petrobras' plans for offshore exploration. Trading his inflatable boat for a desktop, Kristin sharpened his political and digital campaigning skills at the Green Party of Aotearoa and was elevated National Campaign Manager to lead the party's transformation to digital-led campaigning for the 2014 General Election.
Today, Kristin uses his experience to support the progressive campaigns for social change as Director at For Purpose. Kristin is a dad, renewable energy buff, former Air New Zealand Aircraft Engineer, thinks good compost is sexy and likes to spend regular periods of time underwater.