Erica Cumming

Erica has enjoyed a longstanding career within the vocational education sector. Previously as Chief Executive Officer of the NZ Hair & Beauty Industry Training Organisation Inc (HITO), and in various governance roles on a range of Boards including WorldSkills New Zealand.

She was Chair of the International Professionals Standard Network, which benchmarks qualifications and recognises mobility of industry professionals. Erica has re-engineered organisations, reshaped strategy, and strengthened governance functions.

More recently she has been actively involved in promoting and supporting women in the trades, especially the building and construction sector. She has mentored learners, competitors, and staff to achieve their goals.

Erica’s background is in hairdressing, having completed an apprenticeship and gained trade qualifications, salon ownership, and actively engaged as an assessor and moderator.