Universities New Zealand Secretary General

Jodi Caughley has been appointed as Secretary General of Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara.

Jodi is an experienced leader with an extensive background in policy, advocacy, strategy, and governance. She brings a wealth of experience to Universities New Zealand from a range of sectors, particularly the health sector.

She is currently the General Manager Strategy at another peak body, Engineering New Zealand, where she leads their policy, governance, strategic programmes, service design, and heritage work. Jodi is an experienced leader of people and is known for her collaborative leadership approach and building strong teams.

Previously Jodi has worked in a number of senior roles at the Ministry of Health, Capital & Coast, Hutt, and Wairarapa DHBs. Earlier in her career Jodi worked at both the University of Florida and the Western University Canada as a research assistant.

Jodi has a Master of International Relations from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, and an Honours Bachelor of Medical Science (Microbiology & Immunology) from Western University Canada.

Jodi joins Universities New Zealand on 14 September 2026.