Dame Susan Devoy DNZM, CBE is a legendary New Zealand squash champion, former Race Relations Commissioner, and one of the country's most enduring public figures.
Bursting onto the international stage in the early 1980s, Susan held the world number one squash ranking continuously from 1983 until her retirement in 1992. She claimed four World Championship titles and won the prestigious British Open eight times – a staggering record that remains unmatched in New Zealand squash history.
Her success on the court was recognised with multiple honours, including being named New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to squash, she was later made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1998 – the youngest New Zealander since Sir Edmund Hillary to receive such an honour.
After retiring from professional sport, Susan devoted herself to service and advocacy. Her long involvement with the Halberg Trust stemmed from a passion for equity and opportunity in sport for young people with disabilities. She later took on leadership roles as CEO and Chair of Sport Bay of Plenty, a board member of the Auckland District Health Board, and Chair of BNZ Partners in Tauranga. She continues to serve her local community as a trustee of the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT).
From 2013 to 2018, she served as New Zealand's Race Relations Commissioner, a role that challenged her deeply and exposed her to the realities of racism, prejudice, and social division in Aotearoa. That experience profoundly shaped her understanding of equity and inclusion in modern New Zealand.
