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Ambassador Dr Jonathan Austin
Jonathan Austin has most recently been Divisional Manager, Pacific Regional at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington. This division leads on New Zealand’s overall Pacific policy, geopolitics and security, engagement with partners, regional agencies, oceans and fisheries and labour mobility.
Dr Austin was New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia (2019-2021) and High Commissioner to Singapore and Maldives (2016-2019).
Prior to moving to Singapore Dr Austin was Director, Intelligence and Assessment (and head of the National Assessments Bureau) in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Wellington. His previous career was in the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including as Divisional Manager of the Middle East and Africa Division.
From 2010 to 2012 he was New Zealand High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Tonga. This followed secondments as Senior Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and two years in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands where he was Deputy Special Coordinator and New Zealand’s senior representative.
Earlier diplomatic postings have included Pretoria, Dili (as New Zealand’s first Representative) and Nuku’alofa. In Wellington he has worked on development policy, organisational strategy, UN and human rights issues, Indonesia and Europe engagement.
Dr Austin was educated in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is married to Salote. They have two adult daughters.
Consul-General Ardi Barnard
| Ko Magalies te maunga | Magalies is my mountain |
| Ko Apies te awa | Apies is my river |
| Nō Awherika ki te tonga ōku tīpuna | My ancestors are from South Africa |
| Ko Ardi Barnard tōku ingoa | My name is Ardi Barnard |
| Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa | My greetings to you all |
Ardi Barnard has been New Zealand’s Consul-General to Shanghai since February 2023.
Ardi served most recently as Lead Adviser at the MFAT Auckland Office from 2021 to 2022, engaging with a wide range of New Zealand businesses and foreign affairs stakeholders in New Zealand’s largest city. His previous overseas postings have been to Cairo, Riyadh, and Seoul, and Ardi has undertaken relief assignments to Hong Kong, Baghdad, and Abu Dhabi.
In New Zealand, Ardi has served in the Economic and Middle East & Africa divisions, and in the Chief Executive’s Office. In 2014/2015, he was seconded for six months as Private Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and served as Consular Case Operations Manager for the Afghanistan Departures Taskforce in 2021/22.
Ardi has degrees in law and commerce from Victoria University in Wellington. He is keen on the outdoors, photography and creativity. Ardi’s whakapapa is Afrikaans.
Consul-General Michael Zhang
Michael took up his appointment as Consul-General in December 2024. Prior to this he served as Education Counsellor at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing and Regional Director – Greater China for Education New Zealand (2022-2024). His previous China postings have also included Acting Consul-General in Guangzhou (2021) and Deputy Consul-General in Chengdu (2015-2018). Michael has worked on a range of New Zealand based roles, including foreign policy roles covering North America, the Caribbean, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as managing New Zealand’s bilateral International Development Cooperation programme for Samoa.
Michael has also worked in the legal and tertiary education sectors in New Zealand.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington.