Show Notes
“The more we focus on wellbeing with our teams as leaders, miraculously, the better the outcomes are for everyone”
From growing up in North Wales to leading organisations across the UK, Asia, and Aotearoa New Zealand, James has shaped a leadership style built on purpose, people, and practical care. As Chief Executive of Manaaki Tāngata Victim Support, he leads a nationwide team supporting over 50,000 people a year through some of their toughest moments.
In this conversation, James shares how to lead with clarity under pressure, make hard decisions with humanity, and build cultures where people feel safe, supported, and able to thrive. He also reflects on imposter feelings, global leadership lessons, and the power of wellbeing in modern leadership.
About James McCulloch
James McCulloch is the Chief Executive of Manaaki Tāngata – Victim Support Aotearoa New Zealand, a 24/7 national service supporting families and individuals after crime and traumatic events. He leads 200 staff across 65 offices, ensuring victims feel informed, supported, and never alone.
Across 25 years in New Zealand, the UK, and Asia, James has led major transformations in community, learning, and for-purpose organisations. Today, he is driving Victim Support’s shift toward inclusive, victim-centred services and a wellbeing-first culture for the team.
James shares insights on:
• Practical wellbeing habits for busy leaders • Finding purpose through alignment and trial • Making tough decisions that put victims first • Building trust through listening and presence • Navigating funding pressures and rising demand • Designing inclusive support for diverse communities • Creating cultures of safety, care, and high performance • Leading with clarity, purpose, and honest conversations
Timestamps (0:00) The essence of leadership and real conversations (1:26) Growing up across Australia, the UK, and North Wales (2:51) From gardening and parks to CEO and for-purpose work (2:57) What Manaaki Tāngata Victim Support does across Aotearoa (4:58) The values that guide James: family, purpose, wellbeing (6:34) Finding purpose through trial, error, and alignment (8:25) Discovering for-purpose leadership and early big breaks (10:22) Building confidence, support networks, and imposter lessons (12:26) Imposter feelings, nerves, and using anxiety positively (13:02) Wellbeing habits: cycling, walking, hobbies, sleep (14:11) Making tough calls and shifting to a staff-based model (33:14) Funding pressure, demand, and staying focused on impact (39:20) The power of purpose, connection, community, and clarity
Learn more about James and his work
• Victim Support: https://www.victimsupport.org.nz/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcculloch-65a2931b/
Learn more about Azoora and her work
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azooraali/ • Website: https://www.accountingandtax.co.nz/
Listen to Care Beyond Profits on Spotify and YouTube.
❤️ If James’s story encouraged you…
Please like, share, and subscribe for more conversations with leaders who prove that care and performance can grow together.
More from Care Beyond Profits
Lani Evans, founder of Fundsorter and former CEO of Thank You Payroll, shares how AI is transforming grant writing and charity funding for New Zealand's not-for-profits, plus the story of a social enterprise she helped gift to a charity.
Diana arrived with years of leadership behind her. Her first job in New Zealand was vacuuming a casino floor.
Mike Casey, cherry orchardist and CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, shares how electrification, solar and climate action turned his New Zealand business profitable.
"My daughter was young when I had one of my cancer diagnoses… her little life literally fell apart."
Paul Button, CEO of Rotorua Canopy Tours, shares conservation tourism, regenerative business, and purpose-driven leadership in this Care Beyond Profits podcast on sustainability and ecotourism."Humans...All we crave for is just connection."From a whitewater kayaker chasing rivers across North Canterbury, Canada and Central America, to running one of New Zealand's most awarded ecotourism businesses, Paul Button's story is one of adventure, environmental conviction, and people-first leadership.As CEO of the Rotorua Canopy Tours Group, Paul leads a zipline and treetop experience set inside an 11,000-year-old native forest, alongside the Canopy Conservation Trust that funds its restoration work.In this conversation, Paul shares how a tourism business became a conservation engine: 12 years of native forest restoration, 700 self-resetting predator traps, a B Corp certification (the first in Rotorua), and a soil-carbon breakthrough that suggests a predator-free New Zealand could one day be carbon neutral. Throughout the episode, Paul returns to a simple idea, that the staff are the stars of the show, and that connection, not infrastructure, is what people truly remember.About Paul ButtonPaul Button is the Chief Executive Officer of Rotorua Canopy Tours Group, leading Rotorua Canopy Tours, widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s premier nature-based tourism experiences.His career began as a young kayaker on wild rivers, sparking a lifelong connection to adventure and the natural world. From guiding on the Kaituna River to leading teams internationally, Paul has built his career around creating meaningful, high-quality experiences that connect people to place.Since returning to Aotearoa in 2017, Paul has focused on innovation and regenerative tourism, restoring native forests, inspiring visitors, and demonstrating that business can be a force for good. He also oversees supporting businesses in Queenstown, including Million Dollar Cruise and Canyon Explorers.Outside of work, Paul is a hands-on dad who stays active through CrossFit, mountain biking, and endurance runningIn This Episode / Chapters00:00 New Zealand's carbon-neutral hypothesis00:07 Introducing Paul Button & Canopy Tours01:07 The importance of consistency in leadership13:29 Why people are the real product in tourism17:59 Partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC)20:20 The Canopy Conservation Trust funding model24:22 Why conservation budgets should never be cut25:18 B Corp certification and holistic business32:38 Setting ethical boundaries with clients40:13 The 40% carbon ground composition discovery41:16 Predator-free forests as a carbon solution41:53 International research partnership & future scalingLearn more about Paul and Rotorua Canopy Tours Rotorua Canopy Tours: https://www.canopytours.co.nz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-button-93241b187/