Russel Norman

Russel Norman is an Australian-born New Zealand environmentalist and former politician. He served as co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 2006 to 2015 and was a list Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2015. Born in Brisbane, Norman relocated to New Zealand in 1997 where he earned a PhD in political science. During his time in Parliament, he focused on climate change, finance, and sustainable economic policy. In November 2015, Norman became Executive Director of Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand. Under his leadership, Greenpeace has prioritized campaigns opposing deep-sea oil exploration and industrial agriculture, including high-profile direct actions such as activists swimming into the path of seismic survey vessels. Norman is recognised as one of New Zealand's leading voices on sustainability and environmental protection. He lives in Auckland with his partner and three children.