Shakira Snowdon | Co-President

Shakira Snowdon became Co-President of ANZA with Daisy Pope-Brien in May 2021, having previously been Treasurer for a short time. Shakira and her husband moved to the Philippines from Australia several years ago, and have both been based working here since.

She is the Country Head of a Philippine BPO office, servicing the ANZ financial services industry. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership and is currently finishing her MBA.

When not working, Shakira and her husband love to travel. Internationally, when possible, but they also really enjoy visiting the spectacular islands here in the Philippines. They have met many interesting people during their time here, having amazing adventures together. They love really great food, a decent bottle of red wine and singing videoke with good friends.

Nikki Bennett | Secretary

Nikki Bennett is ANZA Secretary.  Originally from England,Nikki and her husband are also Australian citizens having emigrated to Sydney in 2008.  They continued their work and travel adventures in Hong Kong and Vietnam, arriving in Manila in March 2022.

Nikki worked as a tax adviser for over 20 years, mostly in the banking and finance industry and enjoys using the skills developed there in supporting the ANZA ExCo and community.

When not writing up minutes, Nikki loves playing netball, creating Islamic geometric art, meeting new people, travelling, good food, and looking after the BGC community cats; she’s a volunteer feeder and rarely is without a foster kitten at home.  She’s slowly getting around the Philippines and so far her favourite place is El Nido.

Lachlan Campbell | Treasurer

Lachlan Campbell is the Treasurer of ANZA. He is qualified accountant with over 25 years' experience across a broad range of roles and industries.

Originally from Melbourne, Lachlan moved to Manila in January 2020 with his wife and 10 year old daughter. They arrived just in time for the Taal Volcano eruption and Covid lockdowns. It was quite an experience.

Lachlan enjoyed travelling throughout the Philippines and Asia with his family. Their favourite holiday destination is Siargao Island (unfortunately Lachlan is no good on a surfboard). When not travelling or working Lachlan can be found watching his beloved Richmond Tigers playing in the Australian Football League. 

Lauren Venables | Ball Coordinator

ANZAs Ball Coordinator, Lauren Venables, is using her 12-year career in the hotel industry, most recently as a Director of Catering and Events specializing in conferences and social functions, to help support ANZA and its fundraising.

She moved to the Philippines with her husband from America in 2019 to follow his career, and since then, they have had a son and a daughter here in Manila.

She says her time at university studying International Business prepared her not only for her career, but also for her time in the Philippines as an expat spouse; helping her to understand others’ perspectives and always keep an open mind.

A few of her favorite things are family, friends and meeting new people. She enjoys sampling new and exciting cuisine; loves the beach, mountains, and watching sunsets (especially with a cocktail in hand), and is enjoying learning about the Philippines culture. She is hoping to travel more around the country soon!

Martina Ryser | Events Coordinator 

Martina is the Events Coordinator of ANZA. She is Swiss and has a professional background in Marketing and Event Management.

Martina moved to Manila from Bangkok with her husband and her little daughter for her husband's work in April 2022. Back then, Manila was still coming out of all the pandemic restrictions and could feel like a very lonely places at times. She can still remember her first ANZA coffee morning and how happy it made her to meet so many nice and welcoming people.

Martina has been to most ANZA events ever since and is looking forward to giving back to the expat community in her new role. 

In her free time, she loves to binge watch TV series, do yoga or enjoy a glass of wine and good food with family and friends. She is also a passionate traveller and has visited almost all countries in South East Asia, as well as most parts of Australia and New Zealand. 

Leah Del Castillo | Membership Officer

Leah Del Castillo is ANZA's Co-Membership Officer  with Samantha Day and she loves meeting and supporting new members in the ANZA Community.

Leah has worked in agriculture for a number of years and still works a few days a week in agricultural business and finance consulting. 

In 2022 Leah moved to the Philippines with her husband and two boys aged 4 and 2. Together they've been exploring the Philippines and soaking up the beautiful beaches and unique cultural experiences. They hope to continue to travel around the Philippines and other locations throughout Asia after welcoming their third child in late 2023.

When she's not chasing after her two kids ( and soon to be third), Leah loves catching up with friends, discovering new places to explore and different restaurants to try out. Leah also loves salsa dancing, playing a bit of tennis or Padel and curling up somewhere with a good book. 

Samantha Day | Membership Officer

Samantha Day is ANZA's Co-Membership Officer with Leah Del Castillo. She is a regular at ANZA’s events and is always happy to meet new people and help them adjust to their new home in the Philippines. She has a professional background in large-scale IT management and engineering.

Samantha left Australia 20 years ago and has lived in several countries in different parts of the world. She moved to the Philippines in 2020 with her husband and small dog. With over 25 years of experience in SCUBA diving, Samantha can more often than not be found enjoying the world-class diving just a couple of hours drive out of Manila in either Anilao or Puerto Galera. She and her husband have also travelled quite extensively around the Philippines and the greater region.

When she's not travelling or diving, she enjoys playing tennis, playing squash, catching up with friends and playing music (she’s been playing violin since she was 5 years old and is currently learning the guitar). She’s also been known to sing a bit of karaoke whenever the opportunity arises.

She has recently completed a MSc and with her new-found free is looking forward to welcoming new members to ANZA and also supporting Martina with organizing events. 

Sarah Darby | Newsletter 

Sarah Darby is responsible for producing ANZA’s Newsletter. Formally Co-Membership Coordinator until she returned to the UK, she spent two years in the Philippines – mainly for the duration of the COVID lockdown! She and her partner still managed to travel to El Nido, Pico de Loro, Cebu and Boracay, where they got engaged. As there were no ANZA balls during their time in the Philippines, they came back for the return of the ANZA in Wonderland Ball and managed to get another island in and visited Bohol.

Sarah has worked as a journalist, publicist and teacher and since returning to the UK is working in her local library. She has returned to volunteering with Girlguiding UK, which she has done for more than 20 years, but couldn’t quite cut her ties with the Philippines and the work that ANZA does to support the community in which she lived for two years, and decided to continue with the Newsletter as it is a role she can do remotely.

Reading is one of her escapisms, as is her new love of snorkelling which she discovered when visiting some of the beautiful Philippine coastline. Some of her other favourite things are family, friends, good food and drink, and the sea and sunsets!

Bridget Devantier |Charities Coordinator

Bridget moved to Manila in January of 2023. She grew up in Geraldine, a small country town in New Zealand, moving to Australia once she had finished school. Bridget is a teacher who has spent the last 5 years out of the classroom working as head of curriculum in a Brisbane primary school. 

She has moved to the Philippines with her husband and 3 boys aged 16,14 and 9. They hope to make the most of the opportunity by travelling both within the Philippines and internationally. Bridget and her family have lived in many locations around Australia but this is the first time they have lived overseas. 

When she’s not running around after her boys, Bridget loves spending her free time with friends discovering new places to eat and enjoy a drink. Her other passions include skiing, cooking and spending time at the beach. Now that the family are settled she looks forward to being able to dedicate time to ANZA in the capacity of co charities Coordinator.

Aysa Marie Smith |Charities Coordinator

Aysa Marie Smith joined Anza in 2022 and immediately fell in love with the organisation and in particular the chance to help support their good causes and charities.

Originally from Digos, a small town outside Davao City Philippines, Aysa’s career was in the hospitality industry working in hotels in Singapore and then Manila before taking a break to focus on her family and raise her 2 boys, who are 5 & 1 years of age.

Aysa loves travelling, both locally and abroad, enjoys keeping fit by playing tennis and will never turn down a chance to sing a bit of karaoke if the opportunity arrives.

Katie Zacharska| Social Media & Website

Katie is ANZAs Social Media & Website Coordinator. Originally from Poland, she moved to Manila in August 2022 to embark on a new adventure. After 3 years of wearing boots and heavy winter clothes in Japan, Katie loves wearing flip flops all year around.

Katie and her husband moved to Asia ten years ago and they never looked back. During this time, they lived in China and Japan where she discovered many new places, cultures and formed lasting friendships.

Aside from her love for travel, Katie also has a passion for sports. She become an avid skier while living in Japan. In Manila, tennis has become her thing, and she can often be found on the court honing her skills. 

Kerry Barlow-Herbosa | Sponsorship Coordinator

Kerry, a California native, embarked on a remarkable journey when she relocated to the Philippines in 2012 to support her husband's social enterprise endeavors. Prior to this move, Kerry had established herself as a dedicated advocate for social causes. She contributed her talents to various NGOs and was notably involved in the HIV/AIDS health initiative led by Oakland Mayor and the late Congressman Dellums. Kerry's commitment to her community extended to her efforts in creating a scholarship fund for former Hayward Vice Mayor Jimenez and her active participation in the Women's Conference.

Once settled in the Philippines, Kerry continued her philanthropic pursuits, focusing on the well-being of the Indigenous Tribe in Mindanao. She played a pivotal role in conceptualizing a book project in collaboration with USAID to empower and uplift this marginalized community. In 2018, Kerry had the opportunity to reside in the vibrant city of Auckland, New Zealand, experiencing its rich culture and diversity.

Beyond her altruistic endeavors, Kerry cherishes her free time, which she spends enjoying the coastal beauty of diverse locations around the world (especially in the Philippines). She's an avid pickleball enthusiast and finds creative joy in crafting, all while cherishing precious moments with her beloved family.