Cath Gilmour
Founder and Chair (Trustee since 2014)
Cath started working on what would become Catalyst Trust in 2013, driven by passion for people, place and politics and a belief in the power of community conversations to share knowledge, ideas and connection. She began as a cadet journalist in 1979 during university holidays and has since worked in newspapers and freelance in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. She was the first journalist for the Department of Conservation and was science communicator for the New Zealand Antarctic Programme at Scott Base for a season. She served three terms as a Queenstown Lakes District Councillor and as a Central Lakes Trustee and was a long-term Wakatipu Youth Trustee. She and her family have lived in Queenstown since 1995, and she’s now a community advocate and enthusiastic submission and op-ed writer on issues from council transparency and projects to government bills.
Daniel Wonder
(2018)
Daniel is a marketing technologist and entrepreneur who helps small teams and founders tackle digital challenges and scale their marketing with confidence. Originally from the UK, he embraced the global digital lifestyle early in his career, working with Fortune 500 companies like PayPal through to local businesses making a big impact in their communities. Now based in New Zealand, Daniel runs his own business, Queenstown Road, where he helps small teams and founders build connected marketing systems that drive growth with clarity and control. Outside of work, he enjoys life in the mountains with his young family, finding inspiration in both the chaos and creativity of parenthood.
Roselle O’Brien
(2024)
Roselle’s career has spanned construction and health, with a consistent thread of curiosity about how people learn, grow, and lead. With two master’s degrees and a tendency to collect qualifications for fun, she’s a proud lifelong learner, even when that means changing her mind. She brings to Catalyst Trust a deep interest in informed debate and a belief that robust public discourse helps communities thrive.
Tess Wethey
(2025)
After teaching in the primary and tertiary sectors, Tess retrained as a lawyer, then spent 21 years as a Partner in Mitchell Mackersy Lawyers. Tess was a founding Director of MHP, the company which became Mackersy Property. Later she held a Consultant’s role with Duncan Cotterill Lawyers. Tess chairs Impact100 Whakatipu’s Grants Committee and serves on its Governance Committee, is a 45South Community Foundation Ambassador, a mentor for the New Zealand Law Society and Business Mentors New Zealand, and a Trustee of the Tucker Beach Wildlife Trust. Her work with Catalyst Trust is motivated by respect for the calibre of the speakers its events attract, its kaupapa of sharing larger perspectives, and its commitment to being non-partisan and embracing inclusivity.
Gladys Henderson
(2025)
Gladys (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) is a Queenstown-based strategist and governance leader with more than 20 years’ experience across finance, education, and community development. Her work focuses on integrating mātauranga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles into governance, policy, and investment practice. As a Trustee of the Catalyst Trust, Gladys brings a values-based approach that supports inclusive leadership and sustainable regional wellbeing, reflecting her deep commitment to empowering communities across the Southern Lakes region.
Rachel Rose
(2025)
Rachel has lived in the Whakatipu district with her family for a couple of decades, raising two children and immersing herself in the local community through involvement in various groups in the arts, politics, and community support spaces. She works professionally in Human Resources and has a background in Mental Health. She is a passionate advocate for community empowerment through continuous education and curiosity.
AJ Mason
emeritus trustee (2014 – 2024)
Rachel has lived in the Whakatipu district with her family for a couple of decades, raising two children and immersing herself in the local community through involvement in various groups in the arts, politics, and community support spaces. She works professionally in Human Resources and has a background in Mental Health. She is a passionate advocate for community empowerment through continuous education and curiosity.