Dan Walraven receives Fellowship induction at the 2025 PRINZ Awards
We are pleased to announce Dan Walraven APR as the most recent inductee to the College of Fellows. Dan is a senior communications leader with 15 years’ experience across agency, corporate and government roles. He currently leads the Communications team at the Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake (NHC), providing oversight of strategic communications support to the government’s natural hazard insurer.
Dan comments “Becoming a Fellow means a lot — it’s still sinking in, to be honest. I’m often in awe of the talent across our profession, and I’ve been lucky to learn from and work alongside some truly generous people. I’ll keep doing my best to pay that forward, while also continuing to learn from others — because I’m still growing, like we all are.”
Dan became a PRINZ Member in 2010, joining first as a student member and going on to serve on the Southern Division Committee across two terms (2013–2018 and 2023–present), including as Chair in 2017 and a National Committee member the same year. He completed APR in 2022 and is a consistent advocate for accreditation and professional development within the sector. His volunteer contributions have greatly strengthened regional engagement in the South Island and supported the Institute’s goal of practitioners aligning to professional and ethical standards. He is known for his generous and approachable mentorship of young practitioners and early-career colleagues.
He adds “PRINZ has been a big part of my journey over the years. It’s helped me grow, build confidence, and feel connected to something bigger than my day job. Joining as a student way back in the day was a very special moment, it defined my perspective on the career I was choosing and what that might hold. I’m still passionate about that pathway and supporting it for our profession, but I also love that the road to becoming a comms professional is not singular and we have an amazing diversity of thought and talent because of that exact reason.
“People often say our profession is stronger when PRINZ is strong — and I really believe that. I’m glad to do my bit to support it – becoming a Fellow reinforces my commitment to being useful where I can, and backing others to succeed.”
We would like to thank Dan for his dedication to the industry and institute, please join us in congratulating Dan on his Fellowship.
