Kellie Coombes is the Chief Executive and Secretary for Women at Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women.
The Ministry advises the Government and works alongside others to represent diverse voices and improve the lives of women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kellie leads the agency’s work to deliver a range of advice, services, and tools to increase women and girls’ economic empowerment, leadership, participation, safety, and wellbeing in society. Kellie partners with other government agencies and organisations to make progress on these outcomes and champion equality for women across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Prior to her current role, Kellie held the role of Deputy Commissioner, System and Agency Performance at Te Kawa Maataho Public Service Commission for five years. Here, Kellie’s group played a key role in driving system and agency performance including the recruitment, appointment, and employment of chief executives across the New Zealand Public Service and engagement with Crown entities.

Throughout her career, Kellie has held several other senior leadership roles across a range of public sector agencies in New Zealand, including a period as the Private Secretary for the Minister of State Services.