Pasifika directors’ governance talanoa

Networking

Speaker(s): Mele Wendt
Date: 5:00pm — 6:30pm, 23 September 2026
Venue: Institute of Directors
Location: Level 6, 215 Lambton Quay, Wellington 6011
Price members: $0.00 incl GST
Price non-members: $0.00 incl GST

Overview

Join host Mele Wendt MNZM CFInstD in the next after-five talanoa with Pasifika directors and others interested in strengthening their governance journey and building capability and impact of the Pacific governor community.

In Session 5, we explore informal power and the influence that happens beyond the board table. While governance training explains how decisions should be made, this session examines how they are often shaped through relationships, trust, alliances and conversations before meetings begin and after they end.

Together, we will discuss:

Where does real influence sit — inside and outside the boardroom?
What happens before and after the meeting that shapes decisions?
How do Pacific directors build alliances and credibility?
What strategies have worked (or not worked) for you?

Bring your stories, insights and questions as we unpack the unwritten rules of governance and learn from one another.

Mele Wendt

CFInstD

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.

Additional information

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