Meet our Team
APEC Voices of the Future is 100% volunteer run, with no employed staff. Our volunteers dedicate hundreds of hours a year towards ensuring this programme can be the best it can be.
Co-Chair
Alumni 2016, 2021, 2024
Courtney Davies
Courtney is our Co-Chair, having attended APEC VOF in 2016, supporting with the alumni working committee in 2021 and later as an educator in 2024. She runs our website, finances and admin, so you'll often see her replying to your email!
Outside of APEC VOF, Courtney is a keen educator across agriculture, business and youth, having worked with over 45,000 people from across the New Zealand, Asia, Africa and Europe.
Courtney holds an MBA, Master of Natural Sciences (Microbiology), Bachelor of Natural Sciences and the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5 - Investment).
Co-Chair
Alumna 2017., 2021, 2022
Tracy Han
Tracy is our Co-Chair, having attended APEC VOF in 2017, supporting with the alumni working committee in 2021, and later as a June Mayne Gould recipient in 2022, Thailand. She supports with our programme admin, delivery and strategy.
Outside of APEC VOF, Tracy works in investment operations, with a background spanning education, people and organisational systems, financial services and governance.
Tracy holds a Master of Business (Management), Bachelor of Arts (International Studies) and Bachelor of Business (HR and Employment Relations).
Co-Chair
Alumna 2017., 2021, 2022
Tracy Han
Tracy is our Co-Chair, having first attended APEC Voices of the Future as a delegate in 2017. Since then, she has remained deeply involved in the programme, including leading the Alumni Working Group during New Zealand’s 2021 host year and serving as an Advisor to the Thai Working Committee in 2022. As a recipient of the June Mayne Gould Leadership Award, Tracy now applies her extensive experience in project management, stakeholder management, and strategy to oversee the Trust’s operations and future direction. Outside of APEC, Tracy works in investment operations, bringing a versatile background that spans organisational systems, financial services, and institutional governance. She holds a Master of Business (Management), a Bachelor of Arts (International Studies), and a Bachelor of Business (Human Resources and Employment Relations). Tracy is dedicated to ensuring that rangatahi have equitable access to high-level international experiences that shape future leaders. By bridging her professional background in operational management with a passion for youth advocacy, she works to ensure that the APEC Voices of the Future programme remains a robust, inclusive platform. Her focus remains on creating meaningful pathways for young New Zealanders to engage in, and contribute to, the broader Asia-Pacific diplomatic dialogue.
Our why
Courtney Davies
Co-Chair
Tracy Han
Co-Chair
Josh Ellwood
Director
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Martin Mariassource
Trustee
About
APEC Voices of the Future is a unique opportunity for young people aged 18-24 to interact with high-profile leaders and experts on the big issues facing the Asia-Pacific region.
Each year, youth delegates are selected to take part in APEC Voices of the Future - a youth leadership and educational diplomacy programme that occurs in parallel with the APEC CEO Summit. The APEC Voices of the Future programme brings together young leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region to experience the APEC CEO Summit, to meet international leaders and to better understand their peers.
The programme was launched in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 at the APEC Malaysia Summit, developed and directed by the VTM Foundation International in cooperation with Malaysia ABAC. The VTM Foundation International, Washington, leads the Voices of the Future initiative and has encouraged other APEC economies to continue to involve young people in their work. New Zealand became involved when the US VTM attended the APEC Leaders’ and CEO Summit in Auckland in 1999. Students from a number of APEC economies attended. The programme has developed since the first event in Malaysia, and now enjoys support from many APEC economies and business leaders.
Since then, New Zealand youth delegates have attended APEC Voices of the Future summits held in Brunei (2000), Mexico (2002), Chile (2004), Korea (2005), Vietnam (2006), Australia (2007), Peru (2008), Singapore (2009), Japan (2010), USA (2011), Russia (2012), Indonesia (2013), China (2014), the Philippines (2015), Peru (2016), Vietnam (2017), Papua New Guinea (2018), Malaysia (virtually in 2020), New Zealand (2021) and Thailand (2022).
The 2024 delegation will represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the APEC Summit in the Peru in November.
The APEC Voices of the Future programme in Aotearoa New Zealand is run by The Virtual Trade Mission (NZ) Trust in partnership with Te Puni Kōkiri, and formerly the Centres of Asia-Pacific Excellence.