Who we are
BlacklandPR is contemporary in every sense of the word. Founded in 2012, we focus our extensive knowledge and experience in public communication into the modern art of persuasive conversation with real people.
Meet the team
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Director
Nick Gowland
Corporate reputation specialist. More than 15 years in the business managing the reputations of public and private sector clients through succinct strategy and message development, effective media relations, and issues management techniques.
Nick’s talents were first honed in the Beehive, where he advised a number of Ministers under the Helen Clark government on media relations and policy development for the education, labour, immigration, and commerce portfolios. Since 2007, he has held senior external communications posts for some of the biggest corporate brands in New Zealand and the UK including Telecom NZ, the TAB and London’s Tube Lines, one of the largest Public Private Partnerships in the world. He has extensive experience across a range of industry sectors and a proven ability for understanding the reputation needs of clients.
Director
Joss Debreceny
A seasoned executive advisor and leader with over two decades of experience in communications, engagement, and transformational leadership. His career is marked by significant contributions to strategic communications, change management, and engagement across the government, private sector, and community organisations.
Joss has a proven track record of working with leadership teams to ensure strategic alignment, program delivery, and change preparedness. Key achievements include establishing the Public Information Management system for Fire and Emergency New Zealand and leading communications for Inland Revenue’s Business Transformation Programme. Joss's recent roles have expanded his expertise in advising executive leaders, developing strategies, implementing plans, and risk management.
+64 22 176 4410
Consulting Director
Mark Blackham
Expert in human communication behaviour. Mark has a distinguished political experience and has provided advice to executives and boards on winning over audiences using social media, direct communications, traditional channels, and government relations.
25 years ago, Mark was working in Hamilton when his media talents were spotted by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and later Prime Minister, Mike Moore. Mark worked for Mike as press secretary, speech writer, and then leader of the Labour media unit.
In 1996 he Joined Logos Porter Novelli as a government relations expert with flair for communicating tough subjects in ways people understood. In 2003 he co-founded Senate, and helped grow it over nine years into a Trans-Tasman communication consultancy.
+ 64 21 891 042
Government Relations and Policy Consultant
Joshua Whitford
Joshua joined Blackland in 2022 following six years in politics. He is an experienced government relations and communications specialist, having advised MPs and political parties on communications and campaigns. Projects that he is proud to have worked on include the 2017 and 2020 general elections and the 2020 electorate boundary review.
Alongside his political experience, Joshua graduated with an LLB/BA from Victoria University, double majoring in political science and public policy.
Senior Account Manager
John Son
John is a senior communications strategist and media relations practitioner.
He has extensive experience across the public sector. Most recently he served as press secretary to several Government Ministers.
At Stats NZ he delivered the award-winning PR campaign for the 2023 Census - a massive trust and reputation rebuilding exercise for the organisation.
Throughout a career spanning the private and public sectors, his work covers a range of industries including tertiary education, trades training, consumer affairs, and sport and recreation. For nearly a decade he worked as a freelance journalist covering tourism and hospitality.
Earlier in his career, John held a management position at a content marketing agency where he took a lead role with clients across New Zealand, Australia, and the Asia-Pacific.
Public Relations Consultant
Olivia Finnie
Olivia joined Blackland in June 2026.
She has worked in the public sector for four years, most recently at Fire and Emergency New Zealand where she specialised in utilising media and social media to grow awareness and manage reputational risk. During her time, the organisation faced intense public and news media scrutiny due to firefighters' industrial action.
Her work contributed to Fire and Emergency being identified as the most trusted government organisation in Verian’s Public Sector Reputation Index 2026 report.
Olivia also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Otago, with a major in Communications and minor in History.
+64 27 391 4441