Making the Globe a little Golder

When Bronwen Golder married her diplomat husband, she knew she’d need to find an extraordinary job that allowed her to work all over the world

Having worked across a range of sectors in several countries, Bronwen Golder already knew she wanted to work in community development. The trick was finding a job that would allow her to combine the two. 
She found it at WWF New Zealand, an extraordinary job that launched a career in conservation and development spanning political, geographical, and cultural boundaries for the past 20 years. And counting.
These days, Bronwen’s focus is closer to home: as Director of the Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy Kermadec initiative, she is working to secure the creation of a New Zealand marine reserve bigger than the size of France.
It is, she says, a vital goal, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her.
As Director of Pew, Bronwen’s mission is to convince the New Zealand government to designate the 620,000 sq km Kermadec region (just north of the North Island) as a marine reserve. The area is home to 35 species of whale and dolphin, three species of turtle and 39 seabirds, 88 crustacean species and many others. And, says Bronwen, it’s well worth saving for our children and their children.
When asked why she got into conservation, Bronwen laughs, “It’s complicated.” At the time, she was frustrated by the way non-government organisations (NGOs) engaged with government and could see more value in developing stronger and deeper relationships, and getting parties to work together on issues.
Bronwen has built a strong global reputation in the environmental and conservation sectors for doing just that.