Marsden Years 1986–1991 (Years 8–13)

This award recognises Lauren Quaintance for her outstanding contribution to journalism, media and business.

Lauren attended Marsden from Year 8 to Year 13, graduating in 1991.During her time at school, she distinguished herself academically and embraced many aspects of school life. She was awarded Scholarships in both English and Geography and received the Bursar Award for Academic Excellence in her final year. She also served as Deputy Head Girl and Head of Senior School. Her love of writing was evident from an early age, with one of her poems, Unimportant, published in Te Kura while she was in Year 9.

Lauren was an enthusiastic contributor to the wider life of the school. She represented Marsden in the Senior A Basketball team, served as Sports Reporter on the Sports Committee, and was a member of the Premier Debating Team. Her sharp wit and confident advocacy were already apparent in the debating chamber—qualities that would later become hallmarks of her distinguished career in journalism. While still a Marsden student, Lauren also interviewed the Prime Minister of New Zealand for the Evening Post newspaper, an early indication of the journalistic career that lay ahead.

After leaving Marsden, Lauren completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism at the University of Canterbury. She then earned a Master of Journalism from Columbia University in New York, one of the world's leading journalism schools.

Lauren built an international career as an award-winning journalist and editor. While living in New York, she received a New York Foreign Press Association Award for a portfolio of work that included reporting on the September 11 terrorist attacks. She was also selected as a David Low Fellow at the University of Oxford, where she explored the impact of the internet on journalism, before joining The Sunday Times in London as a staff writer.

Her career continued to flourish in Australia, where she became one of the region's most respected media leaders. She edited some of Australasia's leading publications, including Metro, Good Weekend magazine and Sunday Magazine, before taking on executive leadership roles with Fairfax Media, where she became General Manager of Travel, and later with Sky Television New Zealand as Chief Media and Data Officer.

In 2013, Lauren founded Storyation, an innovative content marketing agency that quickly became one of Australia's fastest-growing start-ups. Under her leadership, the company was recognised among the Australian Financial Review's 100 fastest-growing businesses and was named AdNews Small Agency of the Year in 2018. That same year, Lauren was recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year at the B&T Women in Media Awards. Storyation's success ultimately led to its acquisition by News Corp in 2019.

Lauren's influence extended beyond her executive career through a range of governance roles. She served as a director of two public companies listed on the NZX, Turners Automotive Group and Vista International Group, as Chair of economic development agency ChristchurchNZ, and as a director of the Crusaders Rugby Club. Across these organisations, she brought expertise in strategy, customer engagement and reputation management.

Lauren also remained connected to Marsden, returning twice to speak with students and share her experiences, career journey and insights into journalism, media and business.

Away from her professional life, Lauren was the proud mother of Hunter and Bella. She enjoyed reading, skiing and travelling, with a particular passion for exploring India and experiencing different cultures.

Lauren's career demonstrated the power of storytelling to inform, connect and inspire. From the debating stage at Marsden to newsrooms, boardrooms and executive leadership, she continually challenged herself, embraced innovation and made a lasting impact across journalism, media and business. Her achievements provide an inspiring example for current and future generations of Marsden students.

Lauren Quaintance is welcomed into the Marsden Hall of Fame with great pride and recognition of an exceptional career and contribution to journalism, media and business.