Manea has extensive experience as an environmental advisory specialist and manager. Her work spans; planning and delivery of multidisciplinary infrastructural and public works projects, placemaking projects and research on emerging industry trends and disruptions across New Zealand and internationally. Her collaborative style and her commitment to creating high performing team’s means that she has held executive leadership positions in disaster recovery and resilience, community engagement, and environmental management.

Manea has particular expertise in working in cross-cultural contexts, with and for indigenous peoples, and is of Ngāpuhi, Te Atiawa and English descent. She is fluent in Te Reo Māori and English and has elementary command of Spanish and German. She believes that a language helps to understand a culture, acknowledging that this this approach has enabled her to work closely with a wide range of clients from Governments, indigenous organizations to local communities.

She is a Geographer by training, and specialised in Environmental Management, graduating with a BSC, PGDipSci and MSc (first class honours) from the University of Auckland where she evaluated the impacts of waste management on small island economies, a project funded by NZ Aid (NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Manea is also a graduate of the Leadership Institute, NZ Coaching and Mentoring Institute, and an active member of the NZ Planning Institute and the Resource Management Law Association.