about us
Spada Executive
The Spada Executive comprises leading New Zealand screen industry practitioners who volunteer their time to work on behalf of the members and the wider New Zealand screen production industry.
Members of the eight-strong Executive, including the President, are nominated by the Spada membership and ratified at the annual Spada AGM (the number of seats up for election depends on the cycle of the Executive’s two-year terms).
The 2025/2026 Spada Executive comprises Irene Gardiner (President), Dan Buckingham, Nicole Horan, Thomas Coppell, Vicki Keogh, Cate Calver, Brian Holland, and Tim Lawry.
Irene Gardiner - Spada President
Executive Producer, Auckland
Irene is a long-time television producer and executive producer, with particular expertise in factual programming and documentaries. She is a former TVNZ Head of Commissioning and was the founding Content Director for the NZ On Screen website.
As well as being the current President of Spada, Irene is also a board member of RNZ, Able, Chamber Music NZ, Toi Ora, and Chair of Greenlit NZ. Irene is also a frequent commentator on media and screen issues on radio and television.
Dan Buckingham
CEO
Able, Auckland
With a history in production, Dan's current focus is as CEO of Able, Aotearoa’s leading provider of media access services for TV, film, film festivals, and government, including captioning, subtitling, and audio description. Dan is also currently a board member for ACC, Drug-Free Sport New Zealand, and Chair of the Disability Media Collective.
Nicole Horan (Ngāti Maniapoto)
CEO/Producer
Hi Mama Productions, Auckland
Nicole is the founder and managing director of Hi Mama Productions, who leads the company's Development, Production, and Post Production in conjunction with the wider team. Nicole is committed to capacity building the Māori production industry and has been at the forefront of Māori programming for over a decade.
Nicole is an advocate for diversity, New Zealand stories, and Te Reo Māori me ngā tikanga for all audiences. Responsible for Te Reo Māori inclusion in some of New Zealandʼs most most-watched shows, including ratings hit, Celebrity Treasure Island S1 (TVNZ2), All or Nothing: The New Zealand All Blacks (Amazon Prime), The Walkers (TVNZ2).
Highly experienced in observational documentary and Entertainment, Nicole has shifted her focus to scripted drama. Nicole's recent credits include Dead Ahead (TVNZ), The Panthers (TVNZ1), Black Sea Golden Ladder: The Visual Album (Digital Release), and Far North (Discovery).
Thomas Coppell
Producer
Tomorrow, Rain, Wellington
Thomas (they/them) is a film and TV producer & storyteller passionate about empowering underrepresented humans in and behind the screen work. They have extensive experience producing factual and scripted content for big and small screens, substantially for rangatahi, the young at heart, and the rainbow community.
Their producing credits include two NZIFF New Zealand’s Best Short finalists, most recently the teen drama Gate Crash (NZIFF 2023, MIFF 2023), and four NZ On Air–funded series, including Little Apocalypse, New Zealand’s first children’s drama made by, for, and about rainbow young people, currently available on TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+. Thomas also co-wrote and co-created the series.
In 2025, Thomas co-produced their first feature film, Big Girls Don’t Cry, written and directed by Paloma Schneideman. The film will make its debut at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Outside of their producing mahi, Thomas worked with NZ On Air from late 2023 to 2024 to co-design and project manage the Within My Reach youth content initiative. They are also a founding trustee of Proud Voices on Screen and the Wellington Regional Manager for the Vista Foundation 48Hours Film Competition.
Vicki Keogh
Executive Producer and General Manager
Perpetual Entertainment, Auckland
Vicki is a seasoned Executive Producer with a background in making and commissioning some of the highest-rated prime-time programmes for BBC, ITV, Sky One, Warner Bros. Discovery, and TVNZ, including the popular international formats The Traitors, Drag Race Down Under, and Dragons Den. Her recent role leading the Commissioning team and serving on the Executive at Warner Bros. Discovery offered valuable insights into the challenges our sector faces and the potential solutions being considered globally. Established relationships across ANZ and globally enable her to be well-informed whilst always remaining curious and open-minded.
Vicki is passionate about the need for all New Zealanders to be represented on screen and about the role television can play in breaking down barriers and connecting us. As GM of Perpetual Entertainment NZ, she continues to look for opportunities to champion local content on the world stage.
Brian Holland
Co-Founder and Producer
Magnetic Pictures, Auckland
Brian is a producer and co-founder of the award-winning independent production company Magnetic Pictures. With over four decades of experience working in the New Zealand screen industry in a diverse range of roles, including film exhibition and distribution, broadcast television programming, and film and television production, Brian brings practical experience and skills covering film and TV production from development and financing through to distribution, and extensive experience working with international distributors and facilitating international finance for New Zealand productions.
As an active member of the film and television community, Brian is a champion for local production and has been a regular judge for industry awards for the past 15 years, as well as a consistent attendee of festivals and forums, such as NZ Web Fest and Doc Edge, international events like AIDC and MIPCOM, and the Spada Conference.
Brian is passionate about this industry, its sustainability, and the abundance of talented creatives Spada advocates for and champions. Brian is committed to supporting emerging talent, providing meaningful mentorship opportunities, and celebrating diversity. This is reflected in Magnetic Pictures' slate with recent projects focused on homelessness, mental health, poverty, and wildlife conservation, including representation from Māori, Pacific peoples, migrants, and LGBTQI+ communities.
Cate Calver
Independent, Auckland
Tim Lawry - Executive Producer: Warner Bros. International Television Production
Tim is a producer and executive producer with over 20 years’ experience in New Zealand’s screen industry, as well as in Australia and the UK. Tim has produced and developed a wide range of factual shows, from documentary series like Endangered Species Aotearoa, My Family Mystery, and Nadia’s Farm, to larger commercial reality shows like Celebrity Treasure Island and The Great Kiwi Bake Off.
Tim values local storytelling and the importance of having our ever-changing sense of self reflected to us on whatever screen we’re watching. He works alongside contractors in the unscripted, scripted, and premium documentary space, where he has real-time insight into challenges and opportunities across the sector. Tim brings practical experience to his role as an advocate for the hardworking production community, ensuring government, funders, and broadcasters understand how to best support our industry’s future.
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