HERSTORY.
FROM A BALLER TO A BUSINESS POWERHOUSE.
A globally experienced executive and former international athlete, Tessa has cultivated a distinguished career at the nexus of sport, education, governance, and strategic innovation.
Starting her football career on a small rural field in Puhoi, Tessa soon made herstory, when at 11 years old, she became the youngest player in New Zealand history, male or female, to play and score in the Premier League, the country’s top senior competition. Tessa went on to represent New Zealand at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Japan and was listed for the Football Ferns 2012 London Olympic campaign.
Tessa attended university in America on a full scholarship, playing Division 1 Soccer for a TOP 10 nationally ranked College. During her studies in the United States, her maiden business venture, The Merchandise Collective was born. Demonstrating a blend of entrepreneurial foresight and strategic acumen that would become a hallmark of her career.
“An uber-human whose consistent level of high achievement seems effortless.”
— Junction Magazine
Upon returning to New Zealand, Tessa seamlessly transitioned from elite sport to global leadership, founding Crimson Athletics, the sport-focused subsidiary of EdTech unicorn Crimson Education. Under her leadership, the division evolved into an industry-leading consultancy, guiding thousands of student-athletes to secure admission to the most prestigious and competitive U.S. universities. Her impact helped shape Crimson’s emergence as a GSV EdTech 150 company, Deloitte “Master of Growth,” and multi-year Fast 50 winner. With a recent $1B valuation, the series-D Kiwi start-up is now a leading player in the EdTech industry.
In 2016, anticipating the evolving needs of her community, Tessa made history as one of the youngest politicians ever elected to Auckland Council, representing the Rodney Ward during a time of accelerated regional expansion. She soon emerged as a bold, values-driven civic leader, championing infrastructure development, public transport initiatives, long-term planning, and intergenerational inclusion.
Tessa’s decades-long influence on environmental and community initiatives can still be felt, having spearheaded projects of national significance as Chairperson of the Mahurangi Coastal Path Trust, and President of Mahurangi Action Incorporated.
Appointed CEO of Squash NSW in 2024, Tessa was entrusted with revitalising one of Australia’s most traditional and historic sports. Over the course of her tenure, she led the organisation through transformational change, launching a nation-leading Performance Pathway program, driving operational modernisation, and overseeing a complete rebrand that repositioned Squash NSW as a high-performance, digitally fluent, and future-facing institution. Her legacy not only reshaped the role of the state body but also redefined squash’s place within Australia’s contemporary sporting landscape.
As for what’s next?