Nicky McDonald was an Academic Visitor at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing (07th - 30th June 2016).

Nicky was appointed Director of the Office for Seniors in New Zealand in 2025. The Office provides advice to the New Zealand Government on its ageing population and develops policy and initiatives to improve the lives of older people.

During the period Nicky worked in local government she was a recipient of a Winston Churchill Fellowship which funded her visit to the Institute during June 2016. She investigated the role of local government in responding to the ageing demographic and researching innovative policy approaches.

Nicky’s early career was as a New Zealand diplomat with postings to India, New York and Fiji.