Claire McCarthy

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER & PROJECT DIRECTOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES

Claire McCarthy

The way we work here is designed to deliver value for money for clients and great outcomes for communities – we are immersed in the issues, bring in different skillsets as needed, and turn around high-quality, relevant solutions. It’s people first - striving for the best for our team, our clients and our community.

Core skills

Social and sustainable outcomes, bid management, stakeholder engagement, procurement, writing and communication, market intelligence, organisational change.

Claire is Height’s Chief Operating Officer and a Project Director for our Social and Economic Outcomes team.

She manages all core operations of the business, from nurturing client relationships to supporting our Principals in leading our Bidding, Procurement, and Social and Economic Outcomes teams across New Zealand and Australia.

Claire has worked at Height for nine years. She set up the Social and Economic Outcomes team and recently led our Bidding function.Shes strategic, passionate and a brilliant connector who leads with natural empathy and values.

In the procurement field, Claire has been a strong advocate for leveraging economic, social, and environmental benefits through contracts to improve equity, sustainability, and deliver better public value from Government investment. The team's clients are changemakers - from organisations such as KiwiRail, Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Corrections, Watercare and Woolworths.

Claire won the Procurement Leadership Award at the 2023 NZ Procurement Excellence Awards.

Claire started her career as a journalist in the education sector, where she won two Qantas Media Awards, including Junior Feature Writer of the Year. She was the marketing manager for Middlesex University Business School in London. Claire has a degree in Journalism and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Management. She is currently undertaking the NZ Diploma of Construction Management. 

A busy mum, Claire loves eating out, playing tennis and is also an occasional food writer.