Adroite is a strategic communications and public relations company working closely with our clients to develop, preserve and enhance their reputations to appropriate audiences through well thought-out strategic communications. We're based in Wellington, with clients based all over the country.
Our strengths include strategic communications, crisis preparedness, reputation and issues management, and brand development. Organisations experiencing crisis management issues, both externally and in-house, seek our common sense and practical advice. Adroite’s writing and communications skills ensure our clients’ communications are current, accurate, timely and well-targeted to their intended audiences.
Our clients have said they are impressed at the range of skills Adroite can offer. We work closely with them to help provide strategic direction as well as giving hands-on tactical support with strong attention to detail. We not only work closely with – and report to – our clients’ key decision-makers, but also we use our strong teamwork skills to work alongside an organisation’s other communications professionals. We enjoy working with public and private companies – big, mid-size and small; Crown-owned entiries and NGOs; industry associations; professional services firms; and we have a number of not-for-profit clients.
Meet the team
Adrienne Olsen
With more than 30 years’ experience, Adrienne’s expertise lies in strategic communications planning and implementation; reputation, crisis and issues management, and brand management.
Adrienne’s cool-headed commonsense approach has been widely appreciated by clients experiencing crisis management situations.
Her writing and editorial skills for a wide variety of audiences are much appreciated by our clients. She is the editor of a number of magazines, newsletters and booklets that have a wide variety of audiences.
Developing a brand from scratch, and developing and implementing a brand strategy is a particular strength of Adrienne’s. We work closely with design studios to ensure your brand talks and resonates with your key audiences.
Adrienne is chair of the Halberg Endowment Fund. She is a life trustee of the Halberg Foundation; she was a trustee from 2000–2017.
Adrienne is a trustee of the Nikau Foundation – Wellington region’s community foundation.
When not engrossed in work, Adrienne enjoys developing gardens and pottering in the kitchen. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she is trying to fulfil her goal of baking 52 different delicious cakes and biscuits during 2020 (currently at #12).
To talk more with Adrienne, please contact her here.
John O’Leary
John O’Leary has worked in the business and academic sectors for more than 20 years.
He has written a wide variety of business-focused short- and long-form pieces for magazines, newsletters and other publications.. He has worked with Adroite’s clients, and he has also written for the Institute of Public Administration of New Zealand (IPANZ), Victoria University of Wellington, Heritage New Zealand and New Zealand Post.
A highly-experienced magazine editor, John has, until recently, produced IPANZ’s Public Sector journal. Earlier in his career he oversaw all aspects of Telecom’s Telecom Today and ANZ’s Yes Attitude. He is also a skilled editor of texts, polishing others’ words so that they make maximum impact.
A European language specialist, John speaks French, Spanish and Italian, and he has a knowledge of ‘dead’ languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek. He is familiar with te reo and with many aspects of Māori tikanga.
John has an MA from the UK’s University of Cambridge; he later gained a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington. “I come from a very diverse background, intellectually speaking,” he says. “But it’s one which allows me to be at ease with people, whatever their culture or language or educational level. All this helps when coming up with the right words.”
To contact John, please email here.
Maddie McLeod
This is my daughter who can do some social media stuff – she is hugely experienced and very successful. She can work on projects if required.
She will provide a short bio.
Community
Adroite is very much part of the community in which we live. We believe it's important to be part of those organisations in which we have a personal interest or, perhaps, with those that have supported us in the past.
These organisations have a very special place with us:
Adrienne is chair of the Halberg Endowment Fund. She is also a life trustee of the Halberg Foundation (from 2000-2017 she was a trustee).
More of a personal thing for us. We volunteer for the street collections for the Red Puppy Appeal each year in April, and also Blind Week in October.
Adrienne is a trustee of the Wellington region’s community foundation.