Our Team
Our People
The Kidney Kids team is dedicated and passionate about providing support to children, young people, and their families experiencing the difficulties of kidney disease. We look after families by delivering quality support which varies from family to family based on their needs, providing information and guidance, and creating a connection to our Kidney Kids community.
We strive to provide support in all stages of kidney related conditions making their medical journey feel less isolating. When our Kidney Kids are fit to do so, we work hard to inspire them to live their best lives and have fun along the way.
We also promote kidney awareness and knowledge to our Kidney Kids community and the wider public through our education programme.
Kidney Kids operates nationally and welcomes all our tamariki and their whānau into our hapori.
Ian Potter
Chief Executive Officer
Mobile: 021 242 7972
Email: [email protected]
Prior to becoming CEO at Kidney Kids, Ian ran a successful consultancy business supporting companies and government organisations with their commercial and project needs. Some highlights across his business career include undertaking a review with Kidney Kids NZ, leading a Royal Commission Project in Children’s Oral Healthcare, and managing the response to the Canterbury Earthquakes.
Ian is originally from England but worked all round the world before finally settling in Aotearoa over 20 years ago.
He owns Curious Cubs Childcare in the Waikato with his wife Jenni. They live in Tamahere, near Hamilton with daughter Chloe, Noodle the Labradoodle and Jazz the cat. His family loves travelling to Whangamata, travelling overseas and spending time with family and friends.
In his spare time Ian loves playing golf, whipping up a meal for his family and friends and is a passionate follower of Arsenal Football Club who he still travels back to the UK to see as often as he can.
Rachel Barrett
National Family Support Manager
Mobile: 021 126 0054 or tel: 0800 215 437
Email: [email protected]
Rachel has an extensive nursing background working in community health, phlebotomy, and palliative care with extensive experience working within the renal area for the past ten years. These skills and her passion are key drivers in delivering direct support and care to Kidney Kids and their whānau and actively developing our educational program both for our kids and the wider New Zealand community.
Rachel has a daughter named Emma and son in law named Faser and her three grandchildren; Jaeda, Odette and Fabian who she actively supports in all their sports and artistic pursuits.
She loves to be active and keep fit with long walks and has a strong artistic side whether it be writing poetry, performing in her amateur dramatics group, playing music, or even dabbling with a paintbrush.
Rachel Sherman
Family Support North Island – Part Time
Mobile: 021 0268 6581 or tel: 0800 215 437
Email: [email protected]
Originally Rachel worked in the travel industry leading to a love of exploring new places and cultures both in New Zealand and Australia. In Australia Rachel worked in aged care and on the Living Kidney Donor Programme supporting Kidney Donors, an often forgotten side of the Donor Programme. This inspired her to join Kidney Kids when she moved to New Zealand.
Rachel is dedicated to providing support to our Kidney Kids and families in the North Island, although her reach goes much further with her deep involvement and support of National Camp.
Rachel is married to Mike and has two children Tyler and Paige as well as her two cats Milly and Kissa, all of whom she loves to spend time with.
Outside of her precious family time Rachel loves to keep fit and active with long walks and yoga and relax with a good book or Netflix series.
Juliet Witheford
Family Support South Island – Part Time
Mobile: 021 091 49732 or tel: 0800 215 437
Email: [email protected]
Juliet is a registered Social Worker who has worked in NGO’s and government organisations in Aotearoa and England. In recent years she has done work in Christchurch hospital, ACC Sensitive claims and in the foster care sector. Currently she contracts to ACC and Real Parents as well as part time with Kidney Kids where she supports our South Island Kidney Kids and their whānau both individually and through regional events.
Juliet lives just outside Christchurch with husband, Stephen, their three children and their ginger tabby cat, Othello. With three very active children Juliet and Stephen find themselves spending lots of time taking them to, and hosting playdates with other local children and getting involved with their various sports activities.
When Juliet does have some spare time, she loves to keep active with either a long walk or some yoga or relax listening to a podcast, doing some baking, or reading a good book and then catching up with her book club to dissect the details!
Kellie Gaudin
Events and Marketing Manager
Mobile: 021 224 9114
Email: [email protected]
For many years Kellie had the privelege of being a stay-at-home mum for her two children. As they got older, she took a role at Toyota Insurance before wanting to find a role that had purpose. This led her to join Kidney Kids.
Kellie is passionate about creating events, finding funding and promoting the Kidney Kids brand so that we continue to strive to do more for our kidney kids community.
Kellie lives in Auckland with husband Greg and her two daughters Kate and Holli, the family’s new addition grandson Blake, who she loves to play with, and their family cat called Prickle.
Whilst Kellie lives in a busy household in her spare time, she and husband Greg have a passion for motorsport and fishing. Whilst in quieter times Kellie loves a good book and listening to music.
