Pasifika pathways to governance

Overview

Keynote speaker, Mele Wendt MNZM MInstD, will speak on her experience as a Pasifika director and then facilitate a panel discussion with Leo Foliaki MInstD, Hana Fanene-Taiti Halalele QSM and Josiah Tualamali'i MInstD.

Diversity on New Zealand boards is paramount and the Pacific community have much to offer. If you are interested in governance, but are not sure what you can do to move down this path, then join this webcast to hear these experienced directors share their stories.

Mele Wendt 

MNZM MInstD

Mele Wendt MNZM, has 25 years of governance and 17 years of management experience.  In her early career, she was a high school teacher, and later, was the founding Pacific islands liaison officer and manager of the student recruitment office at Victoria University of Wellington, before becoming the executive director of Fulbright New Zealand – a role she held for ten years. 

In 2019, Mele was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to governance, the Pacific community, and women. In 2022, she was the recipient of the Not-For-Profit Governance Leader Award at the Women in Governance Awards, and is also a White Ribbon Ambassador and a member of various professional and community groups.

Mele currently chairs Wellington Community Fund, and serves on the boards of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The Correspondence School), the Real Estate Authority, Tāwhiri: Festivals and Experiences, Tokelau International Trust Fund, ANZ Bank (Samoa) Ltd, and The Helen Clark Foundation. She is also the National Vice President - Central Region of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. and provides consultancy in governance training, Pacific peoples’ development, organisational capacity building, scholarships management, and mentoring.

Mele’s heritage is a mix of Samoan (Malie, Vaiala, Lefaga) and Palagi (NZ, Britain). She is married to Eteuati Ete - they have four grown-up children and four grandchildren, and Wellington has been her home for more than 35 years.

Leo Foliaki 

MInstD

Leo Foliaki is a Chartered Accountant and was a Partner at PwC New Zealand (1999 to 2022). During his professional career, he was the lead audit partner on several publicly listed entities on the New Zealand Stock Exchange and worked on large projects in complex operating environments.

Leo’s other governance roles include Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for Counties Manukau District Health Board; he also sits on the Council for Auckland University of Technology, and the board of New Zealand Opera. Leo is passionate about serving his Pacific community and has worked for a number of not-for-profit community organisations.

Hana Fanene-Taiti Halalele 

QSM

Hana Fanene-Taiti Halalele is a New Zealand-born Samoan (Vaie’e and Saleimoa) residing in Oamaru, Waitaki.  Hana is passionate about community empowerment and collaboration and believes in investing in social, health and educational programmes for our people.  

Ms Halalele became the first Pacific councillor for the Oamaru ward when she was elected in 2019 and is currently the Deputy Mayor for the Waitaki District Council.  She was the establishment Chair for Talanga ‘a Waitaki, facilitating a community-led initiative for Pacific parents to deliver the Talanoa Ako education programme for her community.

Ms Halalele received the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) in 2023 for services to Pacific Health.  She was instrumental in frontline efforts to support Pacific communities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Hana is currently a Trustee for Pasifika Safe Shelter Trust and Waitaki Safer Community Trust. She is a past President of the Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group (OPICG), where she now serves as General Manager, advocating for the needs of Pacific, migrant and her wider community.

Josiah Tualamali’i 

MInstD

Josiah is Samoan Pākehā and one of the five brothers who grew up in Ōtepoti & Ōtautahi. Following his first visit to Samoa at 14 years old Josiah participated in the first Pacific Youth Parliament in Ōtautahi. 

This fono ignited a small group of participants to found the Pacific Youth Leadership and Transformation Trust (PYLAT) empowering Pacific youth voice in all worlds. PYLAT's journey was his first experience of governance in the earthquake recovery context, followed by a student trustee role on his school board. At 18 he became the chair of PYLAT, and shortly afterwards was appointed to the board of Pacific wellbeing NGO Le Va. 

In 2018 Josiah served as one of the panel members of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addictions. He has a degree in History, Politics and International Relations from Canterbury University (2019), and alongside Benji Timu co-led young people's voices to support the Polynesian Panther Party Legacy Trust call for a dawn raids apology. He is studying his Masters in History, serves on a number of boards, and is Co-Chair of Le Va, and one of the Deputy Chairs of the Rātā Foundation. 

Additional information

Covid-19 precautions

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Additional requirements

Should you have any particular dietary, mobility, cultural or other requirements, you can let us know on the registration form.

Branch event cancellation policy

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.

Contact

Litia Brighouse-Fuavao
Diversity Programmes Manager

+64 274 447 371
Litia.Brighouse-Fuavao@iod.org.nz

Our sponsors

The Institute of Directors acknowledges the generous support of national partners and sponsors