Pasifika governance talanoa: Connecting and growing Otago's leaders

Presentation

Speaker(s): Mele Wendt, Sina Cotter Tait
Date: 5:00pm — 7:00pm, 22 October 2026
Venue: University of Otago - Pacific Islands Centre
Location: 520 Castle Street, Dunedin 9016
Price members: $0.00 incl GST
Price non-members: $0.00 incl GST

Overview

Following the success of our first Pasifika Governance Talanoa earlier this year, we are delighted to welcome Mele Wendt MNZM MInstD and Sina Cotter Tait CMInstD to Dunedin for a second conversation focused on growing and strengthening the Pasifika governance community in Otago.

Join us for a relaxed after-work talanoa with Pasifika directors, aspiring governors and those interested in governance. Grounded in the values of tautua (service), vā (relationships) and collective leadership, this will be an open discussion around the board table, where everyone's voice, experiences and perspectives are valued. Your participation will help shape the conversation and ensure the success of this growing governance network.

Together, we will explore:

What support do Pasifika governors need to thrive?
What opportunities and challenges are facing our communities and organisations?
How can we encourage and support more Pasifika people into governance roles?
How can we strengthen and grow our Pasifika governance network in Otago and beyond?

Come along to connect, share experiences, build relationships and help shape the future of Pasifika governance in our region.

This event is open to all - IoD members and non-members are welcome.

Mele Wendt

MInstD

Mele Wendt MNZM, has 28 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 the Tu Ora Compass Health Pacific Health Committee, and serves on the boards of Tu Ora Compass Health, ANZ Bank (Samoa) Ltd, Tāwhiri: Festivals and Experiences, Tokelau International Trust Fund, The Helen Clark Foundation, and P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Inc. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors’ Pacific Advisory Group. Mele 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 five grandchildren, and Wellington has been her home for nearly 40 years.

Dr Sina Cotter-Tait

CMInstD

A proud daughter of Otautahi-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.

Additional information

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.

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.