Big thinkers. Innovative creators. Bold doers.
People
Órla Harkin
Founder & Strategic Director
Órla helps governments, multilateral partners, and purpose-led organisations design trusted digital futures—through strategy, governance, and investment in digital identity ecosystems. She advises at the intersection of identity, public infrastructure, and systemic trust—with deep cross-sector experience in health, transport, banking and human services. Based in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally connected, I bring a unique blend of legal insight, foresight, and cultural fluency to support organisations shaping identity frameworks that work across borders, generations, and technologies.
Rachael Lowe
Cultural Strategist & Relationship Advisor
Rachael brings a unique blend of artistic sensibility, cultural intelligence, and systems thinking to her role at Harkin Consulting. With nearly 30 years of experience spanning public, private, international development, and creative sectors, she supports futures-focused work in governance transformation and cultural strategy.
Her creative practice explores how identity is expressed, shaped, and remembered—across bodies, geographies, and generations. At Harkin Consulting, Rachael designs human-centred, values-led approaches that reflect both organisational and cultural realities. She brings narrative insight and structural clarity to engagement strategy—working at the intersection of story, identity, and systems to connect people and ideas in transformative ways.
John Jackson
Senior Transformation Advisor
A seasoned strategist in government and finance, John bridges regulatory design with operational delivery. He has worked extensively in New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong, and the US on initiatives such as digitising driver licensing and capital adequacy systems. His work is grounded in global fluency and a talent for co-designing practical, human-centred change.
Emerson Nikora
Cultural Identity & Governance Consultant
Emerson brings deep expertise in cultural identity, kaupapa Māori leadership, and system-level change, shaped by decades of experience across education, Māori health, youth development, and governance in Aotearoa, Australia, and the UK.
At Harkin Consulting, Emerson advises on the cultural dimensions of identity management, helping clients embed values, tikanga, and relational accountability into governance and digital design. His work ensures identity systems honour Indigenous knowledge, reflect lived realities, and enable inclusion by design.
Whether shaping strategic direction, strengthening governance, or leading cultural intensives, Emerson brings presence, clarity, and a deep understanding of how identity, systems, and trust intersect.
