AGE Advisory Board
Evan Christian BSc
Evan cofounded AGE School in 2017. He was born and raised in New Zealand and holds a Science Degree from Auckland University. He has over 20 years of experience in private and public company governance. Evan is currently CEO of the Wilshire Group of Companies.
He is currently married to Katherine Allsopp-Smith and together they have 3 incredible children who all attend AGE School. Evan’s passions lie at the intersection of Well-being, Sustainability and Business. As a family they enjoy living outdoors, travelling the world and spending time at their farm.
Katherine Allsopp-Smith
Katherine co-founded AGE School in 2017. Like all transformational designers she believes anything is possible and loves challenging conventional ideas. She is an accomplished Artist and holds a Batchelor of Spatial Design from Auckland University of Technology. With over 20 years of experience in design and construction she is never far from creating truly transformational spaces around the globe.
She is married to Evan Christian and together they have 3 children who all attend AGE School. Kat is passionate about creating opportunities for radically different education. She finds energy in rewilding her Warkworth Farm. With her family she enjoys living outdoors, travelling the world and spending time on the water.
Sherida Penman Walters | Executive Chair
Sherida is a very experienced educator having taught in primary, intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand, Australia and England.
Sherida has always specialised in gifted education as a classroom teacher, senior teacher, deputy principal and principal. She has an in-depth understanding of both the NZ Curriculum and the Cambridge International Education Curriculum for Years 1-13.
After many years working in the State system, Sherida was appointed as the founding principal of Pinehurst working hard over 27 years to firmly establish the school as one of New Zealand’s leading private schools.
Sherida has a Masters Degree in Educational Administration and a Post Graduate Diploma in Mediation.
Sherida is delighted to be working alongside Evan and Katherine, fellow Advisory Board members and the talented staff at AGE to establish this model school that is reimagining education for our talented students. She is excited about the opportunities that AGE will be creating for future educational opportunities.
Sherida enjoys time spent with her partner, three sons, 4 grandchildren and extended family.
She loves to travel around New Zealand exploring our beautiful country spending many happy hours reading under pohutukawa trees.
Les Harvey
Les grew up in Christchurch and has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Canterbury. He was instrumental in the start-up of AGE School in 2017.
Les is a chartered accountant and started his career at Price Waterhouse and BDO, followed by more than 30 years’ commercial experience in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Les now operates his own practice in Takapuna that specialises in providing financial and management advice to privately owned businesses in a number of industries.
Les is married to Elaine and has three children and soon to be three grandchildren with whom they spend as much time as they can.
Apart from family activities Les spends his weekends keeping his and Elaine’s Devonport villa in order as well as indulging his passions for fitness, motorsport, current affairs and travel.