People

Mark Watts is the founding staff member of GRC Partners.

He has been advising senior business leaders, board members and others for 30+ years.

Drawing on his extensive news media, business and political networks, Mark takes a thoughtful and creative approach to his client work that covers range of sectors.

Previously, Mark has held a number of corporate and consultancy roles, including five years as Head of Corporate Affairs at BNZ. He has also worked at Westpac and Telecom (now Spark).

He started his career in Wellington, working first at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and then across the road at Parliament, where he was a press secretary to Prime Minister Helen Clark. Mark works predominantly from our Auckland office.

Talani has held senior positions in New Zealand’s political, public and private sectors over a 25-year career in both Auckland and Wellington. As a political advisor during the 2017-2020 Coalition Government and a core member of a political campaign team in the 2020 election, Talani understands the nuances of policy development, coalition dynamics and political campaigning and how these worlds collide.

She has provided strategic and crisis counsel to clients across all major sectors in New Zealand since joining GRC Partners in 2021.

Talani leads the government affairs practice and is based in Wellington.

Laurna White brings deep experience in leading and managing strategic communications and media relations to her role.

As a journalist for more than 20 years, Laurna has worked across print, radio, television and digital platforms and has an acute understanding of how news is made, how it is changing and why it still matters.

From journalism she moved to local government. As a Group Manager she was responsible for a portfolio that included communications, iwi and community relations, economic and business development and stakeholder engagement.

Laurna helps to build effective and meaningful relationships across a range of sectors, including central and regional government, business, not-for-profits, iwi and community.