Carter, born in England, came to New Zealand with her mother, journalist Valerie Davies.

[1] Carter holds a law degree from the University of Auckland[2] and has a varied background in public relations, marketing, and governance.

[11] Carter left politics in 2003 to pursue business opportunities, co-founding Cityhop, New Zealand’s first car sharing company with JUCY Group led by brothers Tim and Dan Alpe.

In 2013 Carter was named in the inaugural Forty Over 40 list acknowledging women who are disrupting and reinventing, and was the only Australasian selected.

[20] In the 2016 New Year Honours, Carter was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for service to arts, business, and the community.