Before turning her hand to politics, Claire Mahon was a human rights lawyer working with the United Nations and Amnesty International.
After returning to Rotorua permanently in 2018, Mahon has been appointed to the boards of Kai Rotorua and Visions for a Helping Hand.
Mahon is also a founder of Evolve Rotorua, an advocacy group launched in 2019 which focuses on "shaping the future of Rotorua".