Our Board
Peri DrYsdale - chair
Peri Drysdale is the founder and CEO of sustainable lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World and Chair of the Untouched World Foundation. In 1981 with $200 in capital, she began a cottage industry knitwear business, then called Snowy Peak. Within 5 years Peri had 500 outworkers, and soon after, they made the move to computerized knitting. While travelling extensively exporting her knitwear, Peri became deeply concerned about the ecological trajectory the planet was on. And so, in 1995, Untouched World was born out of a desire to use fashion as a vehicle for change, and to do better for people and the planet. Untouched World is the first fashion company in the world to be recognised by the United Nations for sustainability. The Untouched World Foundation, which provides groundbreaking ‘Leadership for a Sustainable Future’ programmes for young adults, is recognised by UNESCO as one of three global exemplars in that space. Peri’s infectious desire to do better by the next generation has driven the foundation to achieve the impact it has, while empowering it to grow each year.
Mark prain - director
Mark is the Founder and Kaitiaki of the Hillary Institute of International Leadership based in Aotearoa - NZ (hillaryinstitute.com), founded in 2006 with Sir Edmund Hillary.Mark’s role is now one of support to the new leadership as the organisation continues to evolve with an extraordinary pool of exceptional talent assembled over almost two decades. A graduate of Toi Whakaari (Poneke - 1978), NZ’s premier Theatre Arts academy, Mark spent 15 years as a professional actor, playwright and opera singer, in NZ, Australia and Europe. He then spent much of the next 25 working in NZ and the USA on Climate Leadership. Mark has been the Director of Untouched World Foundation for 22 years. He emphatically believes urgency must drive agency and habituated action from 'Mom and Pop' right through the value and inter-generational chain. "Outrage and Optimism" are vital as are 'difficult conversations' - "coalitions (only) of the willing, won't get us there.." Onwards!
David PerenaRa O'Connell - trustee
Ko Nuku Mania te maunga
Ōrakaiapākihi te awa
Te Kete Ika a Rākaihautū te hāpua
Ko Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki te hapū
Ko David Perenara-O’Connell toku ingoa
I am currently the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Representative for Te Taumutu Rūnanga. I have been an active member of the Rūnanga since the early 90’s and held various positions staff and governance roles.
I am passionate about tribal and community development, realizing our whānau, hapū and iwi potential and supporting our next generation of Ngāi Tahu rangatahi to realise their full potential.
david gribble - trustee
David became a trustee of UWF in 2020, to direct his passion for helping youth realise their leadership potential, and to get involved in enhancing the incredible environment of New Zealand, which he is proud to call home. David graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Structural Engineering, after which he worked as a site engineer and ultimately project manager on projects across New Zealand and Australia. He pivoted to a more commercial role via a Masters of Business Administration at London Business School, and then worked in a variety of advisory and principal investing roles, firstly at Morgan Stanley in London and Sydney, and then at Goldman Sachs in Sydney and Hong Kong, over a combined 25 year period. David brings a breadth of commercial experience to the UWF Board, and is looking forward to helping increase the impact of the Foundation as it grows in both stature and scale in the years to come.
Matthew Shepherd - trustee
Matt Shepherd lived in New Zealand between 2016 and 2022, and was an active participant in all that the Untouched World Foundation had to offer. He attended his first Waterwise programme in 2017, Blumine Island programme in 2018, before going on to lead/co-lead a further 5 leadership and advanced leadership programs in succeeding years. This culminated in Matt joining the UWF board starting in 2020. In 2018, Matt represented both the UWF and New Zealand at the UNESCO ‘Youth Saves the Planet’ in Paris. While in New Zealand, Matt also completed undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in the field of Geography with a focus on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change. He was also a Project Manager of the Wānaka Water Project at WAI Wānaka and Youth Chair of the Otago RCE Education for Sustainable Development. Matt now lives in San Francisco with his wife and works for a software company that aims to solve some of the world's most complex data problems.
Caroline Hepburn-Doole - trustee
Growing up at the foot of the Waitakere Ranges, Caroline’s interest in the natural world began well before graduating from Otago University with a BSc and BTchg (Sec) specialising in junior Science and senior Biology; with a particular emphasis on youth leadership and encouraging individuals to understand their place in the wider world and their responsibilities to it.
Caroline is now Head of Knox College, where developing and implementing student-driven sustainable practices in a residential tertiary environment is an ever-evolving challenge.
“My involvement with the Untouched World™ Foundation Waterwise programme has had a profound impact on how I view the challenges that we face in an increasingly complex world; where consumerism and quality of life needs to be balanced with a future that allows our natural world to thrive.”
Fiona Bretherton - company liaison
Fiona Bretherton started at Untouched World in 2000 as a young designer graduating from RMIT- Melbourne, Australia. After 2 years of working as a junior designer, Fiona headed overseas for 6 years. She returned to Untouched World in 2008 as Head Knitwear designer, developing the knitwear collections for Merinomink and Untouched World for 12 years. In the last 3 years, she has moved into the role of Development Manager, championing the company's sustainability work and focusing on new fibres and yarn innovations. Fiona is also the company - board liaison officer, supporting the connection between the UW Brand and Foundation.
CLAUDIA HILLYER - trustee
programme operations
Ko Pirongia te maunga whakahī
Ko Waipā te awa rere
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi
Ko Claudia Hillyer tōku ingoa
Having completed my highest qualification in 2021 in ‘Te Aupikitanga ki te Reo Kairangi’, Diploma in Te Reo Māori, I'm looking forward to contributing my skills and knowledge of te ao Māori into my work as a member of the foundation board, and further supporting the use of te reo and tikanga on our programmes.
My connection began with the foundation on the Blumine Island programme in 2018. Since then I have attended several programmes and co-facilitated our 2021 ALP programme (Mt Aspiring) and our newest programme, Ngā Tupuranga o Te Tai Tokerau (Waitangi). As a programme graduate and now facilitator, it's important to me that our rangatahi voice is visible, to sustain the quality of our motu-wide opportunities for leadership development.
PETER SUTTON - trustee
After a career as a secondary science teacher Peter has spent the last few years working in the IT industry specialising in cloud based educational platforms and teacher professional development. Now moving on to the next phase of life he works with several not-for-profit organisations that have a mix of education and environmental foci. Taking the lead teacher role on one of the earlier Blumine Island programs has led to two decades of association with the Untouched World Foundation in various capacities, not the least of which has been guiding the Blumine program through its many iterations. He has been able to assist in taking the learnings from these programs to inform the develop of other UWF programs in other contexts. In recent years, as a member of the UWF board, Peter has been working to establish a digital platform to help in data management, reconnecting with alumni and streamlining logistics to support the sustainable future of the Untouched World Foundation.
Our Facilitators
Jocelyn Papprill - whakaraupō moana
Jocelyn taught Social Sciences and Humanities in secondary schools for 25 years becoming increasingly involved during the early 2000s in advocating for the inclusion of Education for Sustainability with the NZ curriculum and NCEA. Her passion for holistic place-based education has led to her involvement in the Untouched World™ Foundation. Currently she works for Environment Canterbury as a Youth Engagement & Education Advisor alongside running her own educational consultancy business, Sustain-Ed. She is a community activist, keen gardener, cycle tourist, and loves learning new things.
“Being involved in the Untouched World™ Foundation programmes has been exceptionally important for me as I get to work with young people who really want to make a positive difference for a sustainable future. The intensity of the programme means profound changes can happen, All the students express surprise at how much fun they had while learning. All their modalities are engaged in the learning: Head, heart, hands and spirit. They leave empowered, knowing they have the capabilities to ‘be the change they want to see.”
Raquelle Devine - whakaraupō moana
Raquelle is an alumni of the programme, having been a tuakana in 2012 on the Blumine Island programme, then again for the 2013 Canterbury Waterwise programme. Both of these experiences, and in particular the exposure to environmental leadership, challenging the status quo and inspiring individuals, was formative in her work since graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Sustainability and Outdoor Education from Ara in 2014. Through ensuring the participants have a good understanding of the history of not only the actions taken towards our natural resources but the social drivers and pressures that also influenced this, Raquelle strives to provide them with an understanding of why and how this happened and therefore how we can move forward together.
Peter Sutton - ōRUAWAIRUA /blumine island
See above
Angus Howat - alp
As facilitator since 2018 with the Untouched World Foundation, Angus initiated his first programme on Blumine Island. Engaging in Waterwise Canterbury and contributing to Advanced Leadership Programmes his focus encompasses leadership, storytelling, personal strengths, and holistic self-discovery. Beyond his Foundation work, Angus serves as a Success Coach at the University of Canterbury, striving for equity in student success. Additionally, he pursues roles as an actor and creative director in musical theatre throughout Waitaha.
RachAel Pelvin - Ōruawairua/blumine island
A graduate of the Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education at Ara (2015), Rachael has worked around the motu preserving our environment. She has spent time working in the Able Tasman National Park as a sea kayak guide and in other conservation roles, and following her degree she worked as a Park Ranger for the Christchurch City Council, based in the Port Hills. She is now a lecturer at Ara for the Sustainability and Outdoor Education department, and the lead facilitator for our long-standing Ōruawairua Blumine Island Biodiversity programme, held annually in the Marlborough Sounds.
Claire Booker - otago programme
Claire is a graduate of the University of Otago and completed the inaugural Agricultural Innovation course. Claire is passionate about the rural sector, land stewardship, and the environment. Claire had her first connection with the Untouched World Foundation at Blumine Island in 2018 as a high school leaver and has since been involved with supporting the delivery of other programmes and attended Advanced Leadership Programmes. Claire currently works in the agriculture industry where she combines her love for agriculture and sustainability and continues to support the Untouched World Foundation kaupapa while living in Dunedin.