Serena Lal, Chief Executive
Serena Lal is a dynamic leader and social innovator, serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Kites Trust since 2024.
She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Master of Public Health with Honours from the University of Auckland and brings extensive experience across charities, governance, start-ups, government, and education. Serena has led design teams in these sectors, tackling complex challenges with creativity and collaboration.
A disabled Fijian Indian woman and Tangata Whai Ora, Serena draws on her lived experience to shape inclusive and accessible services. She specialises in public health, co-design, indigenised design, and social innovation, creating solutions that centre on equity and community empowerment.
She is also the founder of Sevā CoLab and IndigiShare, initiatives focused on Hauora-centred innovation and justice-led system redesign.
Committed to effective Tangata Tiriti leadership, Serena emphasises honesty, community, and restoration in her leadership. Beyond her professional life, she is passionate about dragon boating and has a keen interest in sharks, reflecting her determination and adaptability.
Madeleine Clarke, Executive Assistant and Media Coordinator
Madeleine is our Executive Assistant and Media star. She has been at Kites Trust for a while, transitioning from Recruitment and Admin roles into our Executive Assistant working alongside our CEO and stepping into the role as our Media Coordinator.
Maddie is from Hawkes Bay, with a love for coffee and spending time with her friends and family. She has completed a bachelor’s degree majoring in Exercise and Health in Otago and continues to follow her passions in the workspace. Maddie is the social butterfly in the office, coming from her lived-experience and resilience throughout life, she brings determination and new initiatives to our team.
Megan Haag-Fisk, Service Manager
Megan Haag-Fisk (she/her) is the Kites Trust Service Manager, providing leadership and support for the peer specialist service delivery team. She is an experienced social worker who is passionate about working with Whaiora, and the community, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.
Bringing her professional training from New York City back home to Pōneke is an absolute dream. One of her core strengths is her ability to establish genuine connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds with a Tiriti-led lens toward inclusivity and equity.
In addition to being passionate about social justice, Megan loves roller derby, her whānau, and cooking.
Madeline Cook, Strategic Projects Manager
Mental health is Madeline’s third career, following hospitality and commercial video production. Using her spectacular Wellington coffee training, Maddie bounced around a few countries before returning home to pursue video production management. After earning three diplomas, working various jobs, and experiencing a touch of burnout, she wandered into a mental health charity called Kites and became a Service Manager. After taking a swing at that role, she has now stepped into the position of Kites Project Manager.
This exciting merger of Service Manager and Production Manager roles comes with the hope that she will have time to make some coffee as well.
Laura Harper, Office Administrator
Laura grew up in Te Wai Pounamu and moved to Te-Whanganui-A-Tara in 2023. Her background is in Community Mental Health Support Work, group facilitation, and Mental Health and addiction counseling. She joined Kites Trust as the Team Administrator in 2025.
Laura enjoys swimming in the ocean, crafts, dogs, plants, and music.