Amber Guette
Amber Guette is the pen name (and alter ego) of Nina McGruddy, a Wellington-based writer, researcher, and public sector provocateur. She is the author of Dear Minister — Letters from a Public Servant, a reflective and provocative exploration of bureaucracy, leadership, and integrity in government. Her forthcoming book, Dear Minister — Dystopia to Utopia, continues this narrative, imagining transformative futures for public institutions.
Amber is a co-founder of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival Hub – Australia and New Zealand, and has presented internationally on topics including anti-corruption, agile procurement, intelligence oversight, and transparency in governance. Her academic contributions include papers such as:
• Peer Learning – New Zealand Performance on Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index (GDACI) – Taiwan International Conference on Defence Anti-Corruption
• Advancing Agile Procurement – Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Conference
• Public Policies to Prevent and Fight Corruption – Timor-Leste International Conference on Parliament’s Commitment to Preventing and Suppressing Corruption
• Openness and Transparency in Government – Australasian Study of Parliament Group Conference
• Talking Truth to Power for the Intelligence Professional and Multilateral Intelligence Collaboration and Oversight – International Association for Intelligence Education (IAFIE) Conference
She is an alumna of the International Anti-Corruption Summer Academy (Austria), holds a Master of Strategic Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, and has recently completed executive education in Public Narrative: : Leadership, Storytelling, and Action at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her work bridges the worlds of policy, ethics, and narrative, offering a unique lens on organisational studies and public sector transformation.
Amber brings to the Common Ground Network a deep commitment to intellectual inquiry, ethical leadership, and storytelling as a tool for change.