13/10/2026
A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT π€©
Kia ora koutou,
To our members and friends of Deaf Aotearoa, on behalf of the Deaf Aotearoa Executive Board, I am delighted to announce that Victoria Manning MNZM has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Deaf Aotearoa. Victoria will start in the role on 7 December.
Victoria is a Deaf leader of immense knowledge, experience and wisdom. For more than 30 years she has worked for the rights of Deaf people and NZSL. She was a key government advisor on the New Zealand Sign Language Act, and was the inaugural Chairperson of the NZSL Board. She is also in her second term as a Board Member of the World Federation of the Deaf.
Many of you will know Victoria from her six years as our General Manager β Strategy, when she led NZSL Week. More recently, she has held senior roles at the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice.
The Executive Board unanimously agreed to appoint Victoria after a careful and thorough selection process. I want to thank the DAHL Board and the Interview Panel for their significant work over the past several months.
I also want to thank Lachlan Keating for his leadership of Deaf Aotearoa over the past 14 years. Lachlan will remain at Deaf Aotearoa until the end of the year to support a smooth handover, before Victoria takes on the role fully from January.
Please join me in welcoming Victoria. This is the start of a new and exciting chapter for Deaf Aotearoa and our Deaf community. You can watch the announcement in NZSL, including a message from Victoria herself.
NgΔ mihi,
Craigo Findsen
TRANSCRIPT:
Kia ora, Iβm Victoria Manning. This is my sign name.
Wow, I am so honoured to have been given this opportunity to be the Chief Executive of Deaf Aotearoa. Itβs heart-touching.
I understand the weight and responsibility that comes with this role. My aim is to do the absolute best I can for Deaf Aotearoa, as an organisation, and as an organisation for the Deaf community.
I will start this role in approximately December. Just like with any new job, I will need time to learn, to read through things, meet with people, ask questions.
As I settle into this role, with time I will meet with staff, and then in the New Year, I will meet with the Deaf community.
I look forward to working with you all!
V/D:
The video opens with Oliver, a PΔkehΔ Deaf man, standing in front of a navy-to-turquoise gradient background. A large, semi-transparent butterfly appears behind him, spanning approximately half of the frame. Oliver is bald and wears black glasses, a black shirt, and a dark blue blazer. He signs directly to the camera on behalf of Craigo and the Executive Board.
In the second half of the video, Victoria, the new CEO, a PΔkehΔ Deaf woman, appears standing in front of a plain white wall. She has long greying hair tied back and wears earrings, a blue top, and a pale floral blazer. She signs directly to the camera.
