Meet The Team
This group makes up the governance and management function of Cleft New Zealand Inc. They provide strategic leadership, stewardship, external relations and board management, following the rules as set down in the organisation’s Constitution.
We are an Incorporated Society which is a ‘membership-driven’ organisation, and as an Incorporated Society we represent the experiences, views and opinions of our members. Our members represent a community of people who are touched in some way by an individual born with a cleft lip and/or palate.
The Faces Behind Face It
Kenny Ardouin – Chief Executive Officer
Kenny has been involved with the Cleft Lip and Palate community in New Zealand since 2005, advocating strongly to provide more services for young people such as himself affected by Cleft Lip and Palate in New Zealand. Based in Christchurch, Kenny looks after the South Island region for Cleft New Zealand, running events in this area, as well as managing the nationwide functions of Cleft New Zealand. Kenny can be contacted by emailing , freephone or on the Cleft NZ Facebook pages.
Louise Ayrey – Chairperson
Louise joined the Cleft NZ community in 2008 when her 20 week anatomy scan showed that her son would be born with a Cleft Lip and Palate. On November 20th 2008 Henry was born and his own journey began. Louise’s interest originally lay in helping newly diagnosed parents but it soon stretched to becoming passionate about Cleft NZ being a strong and supportive service for people affected by CLP throughout the sometimes tricky journey it can be. Nothing is insurmountable with the right support and Louise strives to make a practical and fun contribution to Cleft NZ. Louise is a Cleft NZ Board Member, co-ordinates the Auckland functions of Cleft NZ and is responsible for the production and distribution of the post-operative armsplints. Louise can be contacted by emailing , freephone or on the Cleft NZ Facebook pages.
John Hellesoe – Executive Board Member
John is of Samoan descent and is a fervent believer in people achieving their dreams irrespective of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they face daily. John was born with a cleft and his whole life journey and experiences have provided him with the tacit skills and knowledge to assist those in need of advice or support. In John’s view, the emotional side of issues, albeit temporary, is often the stumbling block for many as they set out to ‘be the best that they could be’ in this world. John takes great inspiration from those with clefts (both young and old) who have similarly vowed to move on, and achieve their dreams, in spite of the hurdles they encounter. Having a holistic approach to problem-solving and to life in general, is how John has coped throughout. John is a public servant with previous experiences in the vocational rehabilitation and education sectors. Apart from his loving family, John’s other passions are sports, cultures and studying.
Sarah White – Waikato Co-ordinator
Sarah joined the Cleft New Zealand team in 2014. Sarah and her husband are lucky enough to have two amazing girls. At their 20 week scan, they discovered their youngest daughter had a unilateral cleft lip and palate. They believe that the amazing support they received from the team at Cleft NZ and Waikato Hospital helped them through a tough first few months. Their daughter Kaylin is now doing amazingly well and Sarah would love to pay back the support her family received to all throughout the Waikato. Sarah can be contacted by emailing or on freephone .
