Alliance Française Auckland Board
The Alliance Française of Auckland is an incorporated society established in 1906. It is governed by a Board of Directors, which oversees
the strategic direction, ensures good governance, and supports the organisation in fulfilling its cultural and educational mission. The
Board is composed of dedicated volunteers with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Board Members
Deborah WALKER-MORRISON
Président
Deborah is Associate Professor of French at the University of Auckland and has taught and conducted research there since 2002. Of mixed European and Māori heritage, and a dual New Zealand–French citizen, she lived and worked in New Caledonia for 11 years and maintains strong ties to the region. Her academic interests span French cinema, post-colonial translation, second language teaching, and Indigenous studies. She chairs the Kaporangi Kiriata Māori Film Arts Trust, co-directs the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, and has served as AFA President since 2019.
Nathalie BOURNEVILLE
Board Member
Nathalie arrived in New Zealand in 1986 after completing a Sports and Recreation degree in France. She later earned a Diploma in Education from the University of Auckland and taught French, Spanish, and P.E. in various schools. She became a lecturer in Second Language Acquisition and trained language teachers across New Zealand. Former director of the "NZ French Teachers in Noumea" programme and national trainer for DELF examiners, she joined the AFA Board in 2019.
Emmanuelle GERON
Board Member
Emmanuelle is an engineer specializing in IT project management, risk control, and data protection law. She holds two Master’s degrees in French Law from La Sorbonne and certifications from the IAPP. Her career spans roles at PwC and 15 years as an IT project director in national blood services in France and Canada. She has also led IT consulting firms in France, Singapore, and New Zealand. A dual French and Canadian citizen, she joined the AFA Board in July 2021.
Elvire CAMPINOTI
Board Member
Originally from Tahiti, Elvire grew up in a bilingual Tahitian-Chinese household. She built a career in tourism during Tahiti’s boom years, later buying a travel agency in Parnell and moving permanently to New Zealand in 2007. With a diverse background in business, including freight forwarding and food wholesale, she now works independently with a focus on Tahitian clients. Elvire joined the AFA Board in May 2023.
Pierre-Xavier Pillet
Board Member
French teacher and Director of the Faculty of Modern Languages in the UK for 25 years, he created over 40 language exchanges and founded the national Joutes Oratoires competition for high school students. President of the Alliance Française of Cambridge since 2014 and co-founder of the Alliance Française of Norwich, he was awarded the Palmes Académiques in 2023. In 2024, he joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance Française of Auckland and founded a company to promote Polynesian arts in Europe.
Joanne Brittenden
Board Member
I have a great interest in travel and different cultures and spent the majority of my youth abroad. My work history includes logistics, administration and accounting. However more recently I entered the holistic therapeutic world with studying Neuromuscular Therapy and a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I also co-own a couple of ECE business’ which I run. I joined the board in 2024.
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