Christine Brown

Hello! I’m Christine Brown, a New Zealander with 25 years of experience in school leadership. I hold a Master’s degree in Education: Leadership and Professional Development and have spent my career nurturing my own learning while being inspired by the many amazing people I’ve worked with.

One of my key roles was serving as Lead Principal for a cluster of 10 schools in New Zealand, where we worked closely to support students from ages 5 to 18. My most recent position was as principal of Rāroa Normal Intermediate, a large school for 11-13-year-olds that also plays a vital role in teacher training in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington. I was also a member of New Zealand’s National Executive for teacher training schools.

Although I’ve retired from being a principal, I remain passionate about developing leadership in others. My focus now is on helping emerging leaders navigate complexity, manage stress, and build thriving school cultures—all while having fun!  You will meet me on the Smart Teachers Emerging Leaders programme.

I divide my time between New Zealand and Iceland, where my children and grandchildren live. I first moved to Iceland in my 20s and lived there for 13 years. During that time, I learned to speak Icelandic, and I continue to practice and improve my language skills today.