Road Transport Forum is pleased to welcome experienced communications and government relations adviser Josie Vidal to the role of communications and government relations manager.
Josie is supremely qualified for the role, having recently held a similar role at Horticulture New Zealand.
She managed communications and government relations for engineering firm Tonkin & Taylor's response and recovery work on the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.
Previous work included time as a press secretary and adviser to government ministers Nikki Kaye and John Carter….and in her past life she was a journalist.
RTF chief executive Nick Leggett says: "Josie is fast getting her feet under the desk and is already helping to coordinate more of the industry's communications and align them to a broad, overarching strategy.
"Josie's significant media experience will greatly assist the Forum to better tell the positive story of our industry, the hardworking people within it and the critical part it plays in the NZ economy."
Vidal says that "as a story teller, I know that people like to hear about people like themselves.
"A human face and a good yarn are the most effective way to get people to understand road transport, back what we are asking of government and consider a career in the industry. So, I'll be taking every opportunity to get out and meet people and tell their stories to a broad audience."
Josie is also an expert at government relations and has a deep understanding of how government works, whether that be the expectations and motivations of ministers and their staff, or how to progress policy through government departments and ministries.
"I have worked hard to foster contacts in all areas of government and can work agnostically with the government of the day," she says.
Josie has lived in various parts of the world but has chosen to make Wellington home, despite finding it cold most of the time. As a political junkie she spends a lot of time following media and social media and talking about politics with like-minded friends in the bars of Wellington.
To add some perspective to life, she lives by the beach so swims when it's not too freezing and rides horses when she can. A love of horses has led to a love of horse racing and you might also find her on a racetrack – Pukekohe for the horses more than the cars!