Paul Ash
Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Cyber and Digital, Christchurch Call; Cyber Coordinator, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
2022
Paul is the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Cyber and Digital, and the Christchurch Call and Cyber Coordinator, based in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Paul works closely with the technology sector and cyber and digital agencies in New Zealand and globally. Paul took up his role in March 2020.
Paul has had a long association with cyber and digital policy, including as part of New Zealand’s Christchurch Call team since its inception. Paul led DPMC’s National Security Policy Directorate from 2018-2019, providing policy leadership on national security, intelligence, risk and resilience, working with agencies in the national security sector. Paul led the National Cyber Policy Office from its establishment in 2012 through to 2017.
Prior to roles in DPMC, Paul was a career diplomat, serving as Deputy Head of Mission in Brussels from 2008 to 2012, and in postings and secondments in Solomon Islands, Beijing, and Taipei. Paul is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington and the Chinese Language and Area Studies School of the Foreign Service Institute.
At the Summit
My network of professionals working on countering hate in all its forms grew exponentially after attending Eradicate Hate in 2021. The myriad voices represented at Eradicate Hate, from big tech companies to academic researchers to those with lived experience, reinforced to me the importance of cross-cutting and collaborative approaches to counter hate and its devastating impacts on society. I’ve been fortunate to sustain and build those networks with many of those I met at Eradicate Hate in 2021.
