Te Taumata is delighted to announce the appointment of two remarkable wāhine toa Māori, Teresa Tepania-Ashton and Naomi Manu, to our Board of Directors.
Teresa and Naomi are passionate about Māori development and recognise the vital role international trade plays. With their impressive skills, experience, and extensive networks, they will greatly contribute to the mission of Te Taumata.
Ka nui te mihi maioha me te manaaki ki a kōrua – Nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai!
Teresa Tepania-Ashton
Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāpuhi
After a 12-year career working internationally with Citibank (Vice President), CEO of Te Rūnanga o Ngāpuhi and 10 years as CEO of Māori Women’s Development Inc.,
Teresa continues to thrive as a Senior Executive, to put her decades of community and corporate governance experience to work for her people.
Teresa was awarded the Dame Mira Scazy Alumni Award (1999) from Auckland University, a finalist in the ‘Women of Influence Awards’ in the Not for Profit Category (2015) and Board & Management Category (2016).
In June 2016, Teresa received a Member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to Maori and business.
Teresa is an outstanding leader and innovator that will add immense value to the kaupapa of Te Taumata.
Naomi Manu
Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa
Naomi is passionate about Māori development and advancement, so it’s no surprise that her career has seen her in various leadership roles within the public and private sector dedicated to improving better outcomes for Māori.
Having a strong focus on improving equitable access to STEM education and employment, in 2016 Naomi founded the Pūhoro STEM Academy (Massey University-led science, technology, engineering and maths project) which aims to improve Māori leadership and capability in a world needing more scientists. The Academy is now the most comprehensive indigenous STEM academy in the world and has won both national and international awards.
She has previously worked as a social sector researcher at Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Limited and held numerous senior advisory roles across multiple government agencies.
Naomi was the principal investigator within numerous local and nationwide research projects including Youth Guarantee, Whānau Ora provision and Māori language revitalisation. Naomi co-founded Auraki Group Limited to grow Māori STEM capability, Naomi recently launched a Data Apprenticeship programme couched within a tirohanga Māori for iwi and Māori organisations to address Māori data analytics workforce shortages.
In 2018, Naomi was a finalist in the NZ Women of Influence Awards in the Diversity category and is a finalist in the inaugural Te Hapori Matihiko Awards in the Change Maker category.
