The talent pipeline New Zealand can’t afford to waste

Andre Afamasaga MInstD

When Andre Afamasaga MInstD speaks about the future of New Zealand boardrooms, he doesn’t waste time on platitudes.

“Boards must discern what calls for long-term leadership, rather than react to political noise that is trendy,” he says. “It is about stewardship. If we want a resilient, cohesive New Zealand in the decades ahead, boards have a responsibility to invest now in the people and pathways that will carry us forward.”

As a governance adviser, lived-experience advocate and human rights consultant, Afamasaga brings both urgency and evidence to a debate increasingly dominated by ideological posturing.

By 2043, nearly 60% of New Zealand’s working-age population will be Māori, Pasifika and Asian. Yet he says many boards risk governing for short-term political comfort rather than long-term strategic necessity.

“There is a tendency for boards to seek solutions that address immediate instability,” Afamasaga says. “But governing well requires planning for demographic change and leadership succession over decades, not cycles. Without intention, boards risk entrenching systems that exclude talent rather than renew it.”

This disconnect is particularly visible in sectors where Pasifika contributions are undeniable. Around 40% of NRL players are Pacific Islanders, with similar representation in the All Blacks, Black Ferns and All Blacks Sevens. Yet governance and leadership roles remain overwhelmingly without Pacific voices.

“There’s visibility of the outstanding contributions those people make – not only on the field but to the codes,” he observes. “And yet they’re largely missing from the leadership and governance structures that shape how the sports evolve.”

Beyond tokenism 

Afamasaga says maintaining focus on diversity isn’t about political correctness – it’s about organisational strength. Research consistently shows diversity of lived experience brings diversity of insight and problem-solving capability.

“What matters is not difference for its own sake, but renewal,” he says. “When leadership pipelines draw from the same narrow sources, organisations stagnate. Persistent gaps show where systems advantage some groups and stall others, and boards need to respond earlier.” 

This matters as New Zealand grapples with persistent inequities. The 2021 Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry revealed Pacific men earning 18.8% less than the median, and Pacific women 25% less, with no clear trend of improvement. Left unaddressed, these gaps compound over time.

“If there’s a bottleneck of Pacific talent at the bottom and those pay gaps not being addressed, we’re going to end up where specific groups will be responsible for contributing to our economy, but they won’t be in a position to do that in the best way possible.”

Lived experience – a strategic asset

Afamasaga’s concept of “lived-experience leadership” challenges boards to recognise that some of New Zealand’s most persistent policy challenges cannot be addressed through technical expertise alone. They also require insight from those with direct experience of how decisions are experienced in practice.

His perspective is informed by experience as well as policy. Having navigated institutional systems that were not designed to include him, he brings a practical understanding of how decisions made at the top are experienced on the ground.

“People who have lived experience of an issue have the solutions within themselves,” he argues. “Many decisions are made about these people rather than with them. Strong governance will bring all those threads together.” 

Pathways and barriers

The pipeline problem isn’t simply about training costs. It’s also about networks, exposure and sponsorship.

“If you grow up in a tight-knit community, your exposure is shaped by the networks around you,” he says. “It is not about ability. It is about access to the conversations, relationships and pathways that open doors.”

He says boards often underestimate how much informal access, sponsorship and visibility – not capability – shapes who enters governance pipelines. Without intentional action, the same people continue to be seen, recommended and appointed.

“Allowing aspiring directors to observe meetings or sit on advisory groups is a start, but it cannot be the end of the pathway,” he insists, welcoming New Zealand Rugby’s move to create formal board positions for Pacific representation.

“Where participation stops at advisory level, influence remains optional. Advice can be noted, deferred or ignored.” 

Resisting the headwinds 

Afamasaga is concerned by the current political backlash against DEI. He cautions boards against allowing offshore culture debates to shape decision-making in ways that do not reflect New Zealand’s context or long-term interests.

“New Zealand’s strength has always come from how we hold difference and belonging together,” he says. “Our commitments to Te Tiriti, to te ao Māori, and to an increasingly diverse population are not add-ons. They are part of how this country functions and holds legitimacy.” 

Drawing on his human rights background, he is concerned about the direction of recent government policy, particularly where it risks slowing or reversing progress on pay equity and other human rights protections. But his message to boards isn’t to wait for government leadership; it’s to recognise their own responsibilities.

“We mustn’t waste the talent already in front of us. Pacific people demonstrate excellence – whether it’s box office success, sport, arts or academia. There’s this brilliant cohort that are proudly Pacific and proudly New Zealand, ready to contribute at a much greater level.”

So, what does governing well require? Afamasaga returns to his opening challenge: resist the noise, focus on substance. 
“Debates about labels matter far less than intent and can distract from longer-term outcomes” he says. “Boards must focus on what these approaches are actually designed to achieve.”  

He insists substance lies in building organisational and community resilience, widening access to talent, and preparing for New Zealand’s actual demographic future, not a theoretical one shaped by political hot takes.

He says there is brilliant leadership “lying dormant, right under people’s noses”. The question is whether New Zealand’s boards have the courage to activate it – not despite the current political climate, but precisely because of what’s coming.

“Resist those headwinds that are futile and political noise. Look hard at what New Zealand is going to look like in the future and make those investments now.” 

The boards that do will be governing for genuine, inclusive growth. Those that don’t will find themselves increasingly irrelevant to the New Zealand that’s already arriving.