Cassandra Anderson was appointed as Chief of Staff on 27 January 2026. Her role responsibilities include the Commissioner’s Support Group, Legal Services, Assurance Group, Media and Communications, and Service, Victims and Resolutions.
She has extensive experience at New Zealand Police, where she held a range of roles between 2007 and 2023, including as Chief of Staff to former Police Commissioner Mike Bush.
In 2025, Cassandra returned to Police after two years as Deputy Chief Executive of People, Culture & Enabling Services at Oranga Tamariki.
At Police, she was Executive Director of People Capability from 2020 to 2023, undertaking culture and leadership reforms, and overseeing employment relations and professional development. She also reviewed and reformed the Royal New Zealand Police College operating model.
Prior to that she served as Chief of Staff to the Commissioner from 2015 to 2020, and held positions in policy and strategy, focusing on crime prevention and organised crime.
Her earlier career included time as a private secretary at Parliament and a policy advisor in the Ministry of Justice.
She has an Executive Master of Public Administration, a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Māori Resource Management from Victoria University of Wellington. She has also studied at the Australia New Zealand School of Government.
