Tuakana Teina chair mentoring programme launch

Overview

To support the vision for all community organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand to be well governed, Community Governance NZ and the Institute of Directors (IoD) have formed a new partnership. This collaboration aims to strengthen and support the community governance sector with best practice expertise of the IoD.

We are offering a one-year mentoring opportunity for 25 teina (mentee) chairs to deepen their leadership in a structured, supportive environment through connection with an experienced tuakana (mentor) chair.

In this event, our inaugural tuakana will join us to share their experiences and the benefits of mentoring. We will also provide information on the application process and how the programme will work for the successful applicants.

This session will be hosted by Kirsten Patterson, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors with a welcome and introduction from Rose Hiha-Agnew, Programme Director at Community Governance NZ.

Alan Isaac

Alan Isaac is a distinguished director, holding governance roles with a wide variety of New Zealand commercial, sporting and not-for-profit organisations. 

He served as President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2012 to 2014, the first New Zealander to hold the position. Prior to the ICC, he was on the board of New Zealand Cricket for 18 years and served as its Chair from 2008 to 2010. He was the Chair of KPMG for 10 years (1996-2006) and President of the Institute of Directors’ National Council (2017-2019).

He currently chairs the New Zealand Community Trust, is a director on the boards of Murray Capital GP Ltd and Selacs Insurance Ltd.  He is also a director on the boards and chairs the Audit & Risk committees of Oceania Healthcare Ltd, Skellerup Holdings Ltd, Scales Corp Ltd/SCL Ltd and the Wellington Free Ambulance.  Alan’s current community sporting roles include chair of the Basin Reserve Trust and serving as a trustee on both the Wellington Cricket Trust and the Brierley Cricket Foundation. He is a Chartered Fellow of the IoD, Fellow Chartered Accountant and a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Dame Kerry Prendergast

Dame Kerry Prendergast is the former Mayor of Wellington and former Vice-President of Local Government New Zealand and holds an MBA from Victoria University. She is a distinguished alumnus of Victoria University of Wellington and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

Kerry is currently Chair of the New Zealand Film Commission, Wellington Free Ambulance, Wellington Opera, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. 

She is a Director of Oceania Healthcare, Fish Serve and a Trustee of the Wellington International Arts Foundation, the New Zealand Community Trust, and the Victoria Foundation.  Kerry is also an Advisory Board member of the DIA Three Waters, and of the Phoenix Football Club. 

In January 2019 Kerry became a Dame Companion (DNZM) for services to governance and the community, after being awarded a CNZM in 2011 for her services to local government. In July 2016 Kerry was also awarded a Lifetime Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government.

Mele Wendt

Mele Wendt has 17 years of leadership/management experience and 23 years of governance experience. Her roles have included being a high school teacher, the founding pacific islands liaison officer and manager of the student recruitment office at Victoria University of Wellington, and then the executive director of Fulbright New Zealand for ten years.  In the last few years, Mele has been doing a mix of consultancy work and governance. 

Mele currently serves on the boards of Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The NZ Correspondence School) and the Wellington Community Trust. She also currently chairs the Steering Group which developed and launched the National Action Plan for Community Governance in 2020, and is overseeing its implementation. In the recent past Mele served as chair of Massey University's Pacific Student Success Working Group, and chair of the Pasifika Education Centre in Auckland.

Mele is a member of various professional and community groups and she is a White Ribbon Ambassador. In January 2019, Mele was awarded a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her services to governance, the Pacific community and women.

Prabha Ravi

Prabha Ravi is an experienced director and a well engaged community leader with over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the education and arts industry in both the private and public sector.

Prabha is committed to helping public and not-for-profit sector organisations and private businesses grow to their full potential through best practice governance. In the past 10 years, she has provided a sustainable long term vision and strategic direction to the boards she has served, providing clarity to the management team to execute them effectively.

Prabha currently sits on a number of national and regional not-for-profit boards and is committed to diversity and inclusion in governance. She has a special interest in raising the profile and supporting talented ethnic women and youth sitting around the board table. Prabha was awarded a Queen’s Services Medal (QSM) in 2017 for services to ethnic communities and dance. 

Rawiri Bhana

Rawiri Bhana was raised equally by his Kaumātua and his parents in the villages of Ohinemutu and Maketū. The eldest child of a founding Polynesian Panther member and a family steeped in the iwi political scene of Ngāti Whakaue, Rawiri spent his childhood either at political rallies and meetings or on his many marae submersed in the discourse of tribal business.

Prior to entering his current role as the Māori Policy Advisor for Toi Moana, Rawiri successfully ran his own outdoor events company Nduro Events.

Rawiri has spent the last 15 years on a wide variety of iwi trusts and incorporations having governance oversight on a diverse array of iwi owned business, lands trusts, NFP and PSGE trusts and incorporations. He is currently the Chair of Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue who oversee numerous government contracts and also Chair of Mokoia Island Trust a pan iwi trust overseeing the largest inland island sanctuary of protected flora and fauna.

Known in Rotorua for his “Mokopuna Decisions” mantra, Rawiri has a passion to support and lift the capability of those in governance roles in the community, not-for-profit, and non-government sectors especially amongst Rangatahi, Māori and Pasifika. He recently joined the board of IndigiShare that aims to allow macro and micro financing to those indigenous businesses that may not normally be able to raise capital though traditional methods.

Contact

Jill Steffert
Network Manager - Branches

+64 27 403 0148
Jill.Steffert@iod.org.nz