Ellen Duval

Ellen calls Aotearoa New Zealand home – a geographic isolation that has shaped an enduring fascination for engaging with the wider world. She graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in international relations, French and Spanish, and spent time working in the community development sector in Nicaragua (after vowing never to work for government!). Despite this initial reluctance, Ellen embarked on a diplomatic career with New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) where she has spent the past nine years learning to love the impact made possible through public service. At MFAT, Ellen has represented New Zealand in Bogotá, Colombia, including over a year as Acting Ambassador to Colombia and Ecuador managing the Embassy through the pandemic, and in Washington, D.C., covering U.S. cyber and arms control policy. Her foreign policy roles in Wellington have included responsibility for New Zealand's engagement with Latin America, with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), on international security issues such as the South China Sea, and a stint as Deputy Political Coordinator during New Zealand's U.N. Security Council (UNSC) term, helping coordinate New Zealand's policy positions across the UNSC's vast agenda. Ellen is passionate about exploring creative, constructive solutions to the big policy issues that impact our communities, and she is not afraid to challenge entrenched ideas. She is an enthusiastic climber and a very amateur poet.