Doreen Bestmann

Doreen Bestmann is Chief Operating Officer at Evaluation Associates | Te Hūinga Kākākura Mātauranga.

Doreen leads the delivery of services across the organisation, ensuring that our work with schools, kura, and the wider education sector is coherent, high-quality, and has meaningful impact for ākonga.

Her role spans oversight of all service delivery alongside responsibility for core business functions including finance, contracts, and organisational operations. She works closely with leaders across the organisation to align strategy, capability, and delivery, ensuring the organisation is well-positioned to respond to the evolving needs of the education sector.

Doreen brings extensive experience in project and operations management, strategic planning, and the design and delivery of education and professional learning and development programmes. Her background with the Ministry of Education, at both national and regional levels, provides a strong understanding of the system and the realities facing educators and leaders.

She is particularly focused on strengthening organisational capability, supporting effective decision-making, and ensuring that systems and processes enable high-trust, high-impact work.

Outside of work, Doreen enjoys spending time with her wife and two children, looking after her lifestyle mini-farm and making the most of the beautiful south Canterbury countryside.