Panel Discussion
2
CPD
From the field to the boardroom—how Pacific values drive bold, connected leadership.
What happens when leadership is rooted in culture, driven by purpose, and built for the collective good?
Join us for an evening of insight and impact as we explore the role of Pacific leadership in shaping high-performing teams, resilient communities and inclusive governance.
Our keynote speaker is Keven Mealamu MNZM, former All Black centurion, respected team leader and advocate for community wellbeing. Keven brings deep insight into the power of Pacific values—on and off the rugby field. From leading through pressure on the world stage to serving his community through business, charity and public service, Keven shares what leadership means when it’s grounded in service, legacy and connection.
Then, we take the talanoa deeper. A powerhouse panel of Pacific governors will join Keven - Caren Rangi ONZM MInstD and Dr Sina Cotter-Tait CMInstD - will explore what these same values look like at the board table, facilitated by Venasio-Lorenzo (Vena) Crawley.
This session goes beyond inspiration. It’s a call to recognise the leadership strength within Pacific communities—and why it’s time we value what they’ve always known: leadership is about Service, not status. Collective, not ego. Long-term Legacy, not just short-term outcomes.
Expect a conversation that’s rich, real and relevant—to all directors committed to building clear strategic vision, inclusive leadership, a culture of high-trust, and highly adaptive boards.
MNZM
Keven Mealamu is a respected governance professional with a growing portfolio across sport, health and energy. A former All Black centurion and Rugby World Cup winner, he brings a values-driven approach to leadership, shaped by deep community roots and a 15-year professional sporting career.
Keven is a board member of New Zealand Rugby, contributing to the strategic direction of the sport at a national level. He has also held governance roles with Counties Energy, Pacific Health Plus, and the NZ Rugby Foundation. Known for his collaborative mindset and strong stakeholder engagement, Keven is passionate about developing future leaders and strengthening community wellbeing.
In 2016, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby.
ONZM, MInstD
Caren is a proud, Canterbury born, Hawke’s Bay raised, Cook Islander who started her career as a chartered accountant and auditor with the Office of the Auditor-General. She chose a career in governance, combined with facilitation and leadership work, so she can contribute to decision-making in areas for which she has passion. Her current governance roles include Chair of NGO Pacific Homecare, Pro-Chancellor of Massey University, Deputy Chair, Pacific Co-operation Broadcasting Ltd (Pasifika TV) and Director, NZ Rugby. She also delivers a governance training programme for Pacific communities with colleague Mele Wendt.
In 2018, she was conferred with an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance and the Pacific community. Caren is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a Member of the Institute of Directors and a member of the IoD’s Chapter Zero NZ Steering Committee.
CMInstD
A proud daughter of Ōtautahi-Christchurch, Sina has over 20 years' experience as a professional civil engineer and construction manager and currently serves on the boards of several infrastructure and engineering-related organisations, as well as running her own engineering consultancy, offering advisory services on infrastructure and projects.
Sina currently serves on the boards of Te Waihanga/the Infrastructure Commission, KiwiRail, Whitestone Contracting, the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust, and Christchurch City Holdings Ltd. She has twice been awarded the Engineering New Zealand President’s Gold Medal, and was the 2021 Governance NZ Women on Boards Emerging Leader. Sina’s governance interests focus on infrastructure and community impact where she sees great opportunities for the sector to benefit from a change in culture. She believes it is the responsibility of infrastructure leaders to lead on wider societal issues, including education, infrastructure and equity, and currently sponsors the Cotter Tait Scholarship at UC for Māori and Pasifika engineering students who aspire to make a difference in the world.
A Samoan childhood and adolescence spent in Auckland, Vena has a diverse and successful executive career and is building the same track record within governance. He's gained learning across eight different sectors and three continents and is fluent in five languages. He has held multiple governance roles across Public (Listed), Government regulated, NFP, Government supported and Private sector boards.
Vena's three key contribution areas to governance are Profitable Growth, Scale Optimisation, and Business Transformation. His contributions are supported by an expertise in Human-Centred Design, Operations, Digitalisation, IT, New Technologies, Data Monetisation, Acculturation, Sales, and Marketing.
He has studied at the Darden School of Business and holds an international BA and MBA from Steinbeis University, Germany and Berlin School of Creative Leadership - valuing the relevance of global thinking and its application to building a more prosperous New Zealand for all.
Should you have any dietary, mobility, cultural or other requirements, you can let us know on the registration form.
By registering for this event you are confirming that you agree to adhere to our event terms and conditions.
Regrettably, registration fees cannot be refunded when cancellations are received within two working days prior to any branch event. See our standard terms and conditions for more information.
Litia Brighouse-Fuavao
Diversity Programmes Manager
+64 274 447 371
Litia.Brighouse-Fuavao@iod.org.nz
The Institute of Directors acknowledges the generous support of national partners and sponsors
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Members — $40.00
Non-members — $50.00
