Te Ōhanga Māori: Connecting with the Māori economy

An opportunity to discuss the growing importance of the Māori economy – why the private, public and NFP sectors should be connecting and how this should be done. It will be a mix of insights, observations and real-life examples.     

This event has a particular focus on both the corporate and governance sectors, however, all sector attendees are expected to benefit from attendance. The Māori economy includes a a range of authorities, businesses and employers who self-identify as Māori. Māori own a significant proportion of assets in the primary sector and is rapidly diversifying into new investment areas including geothermal, digital, services, education, tourism and housing. The asset base has also grown at a significantly faster rate than the overall economy (NZ Herald, 2022). Today the Māori economy is valued at more than NZD$70bn, and estimates suggest it will have assets worth NZD$100bn by 2030 (NZTE, 2017).  

This event will be facilitated by Dr Jim Mather. 

Dr Jim Mather  

CFInstD 

Dr Jim Mather is of Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe and English descent, growing up in the communities of Te Teko, Ōtara and Māngere. 

A Chartered Accountant with the Chartered Accountants of New Zealand/Australia and Chartered Member of the IoD , Jim has been a professional director and the founder of a specialist Māori development consultancy,. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Henley Business School in England and a Bachelor of Business Studies (Accounting). He also completed a PhD in Māori economic development through AUT University in 2014. 

With business management experience spanning 25 years, Jim has held a variety of private sector roles and currently holds numerous governance roles within private, government and iwi organisations.  In 2018 he completed his final Chief Executive role with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (New Zealand’s second largest tertiary institution) after a five-year term. This followed a nine-year tenure as Chief Executive of Māori Television, and before that he was Chief Executive of the Pacific Business Trust for almost three years. 

Jim is passionate about Māori development and contributing to the strengthening of all entities that he is entrusted to support in either advisory or governance roles. 

Aligned with his commercial background, Jim is also a former officer in the New Zealand Army, and was awarded the Sword of Honour in recognition of his distinguished achievements in Officer training. He served for six years in the NZ Army before leaving to further his career and educational aspirations.

Mike McRoberts

Mike McRoberts is a much-celebrated New Zealand journalist, television presenter, author and documentary maker in a career spanning more than 40 years. Mike co-anchored TV3’s flagship 6 o’clock news show Newshub Live at Six for 20 years and hosted the highly rated current affairs show 60 Minutes for 12 years. 
 
Mike’s best known for his award-winning reporting from conflicts in Afghanistan, Gaza, Iraq and Syria, and his coverage of some of the world’s worst natural disasters like earthquakes in China, Haiti and Christchurch, and the tsunami in Japan. 
 
An industry leader and mentor Mike has produced numerous teams’ reporting from Olympic and Commonwealth Games’ and Rugby World Cups, formulating a successful strategy for non-rights holder coverage. 
 
In recent years Mike’s journey in learning Te Reo Māori and his place in Te Ao Māori was the subject of a much heralded documentary Kia Ora, Good Evening where his vulneralbity and honesty struck a chord with viewers. In 2023 Mike completed a year of full time study at the renowned Takiura Wānanga in Auckland, graduating with a diploma in Te Reo Māori. Qualification aside, Mike describes the intense learning experience as life-changing. 
 
When Warner Brothers Discovery made the decision to close TV3’s Newshub news operation after 35 years Mike saw it as a opportunity to pursue something he is passionate about – Kaupapa Māori or Māori stories. The highly reputable business publication NBR, the National Business Review, were quick to give him that opportunity creating the role of Te Ao Māori Editor, reporting on Aotearoa’s burgeoning Māori economy. 

Malcolm Johns

Malcolm Johns joined Genesis Energy as Chief Executive in 2023 from his previous role as Chief Executive of Christchurch International Airport of nine years. Malcolm is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction and management of Genesis’ business interests. 
 
He served as Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council leading the regional trade policy task force for climate change; and is Convenor of the New Zealand Climate Leaders Coalition. 
 
Malcolm has also been Chief Executive of InterCity Group and held several governance roles within New Zealand’s transport, infrastructure and tourism sectors. 

Sharon Aroha Hawke

Ngati Whatua Orakei, Ngati He, Ngati Mahuta 

Ko Maungakiekie te maunga  
Ko Tāmaki te awa  
Ko Waitemata te Moana  
Ko Ōrākei te Marae  
Ko Te Taou, Ngaoho me Te Uringutu ngā hapu  
Ko Apihai Te Kawau te tangata  
Ko Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti He me Ngāti Mahuta ngā iwi.  
 
Sharon worked 23 years in the film and television industry in the camera department, freelancing for 20 of those years until she landed a producer's role in current affairs for the then Māori Television Service. She semi-retired after a family member fell seriously ill and got into Iwi governance in 2010. She has been there ever since. Sharon and her partner live in the ‘village’ of Ōrākei and is now an elected representative of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust Board. 

Sharon’s reputation as a land protestor started when her parents took her and her siblings on the 1975 Māori Land March, then the 1978 Bastion Point Land Occupation at Takaparawhau, various Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific marches/conferences, Youth March 1981 and the Anti-Springbok Tour of the same year, Waitangi Action Committee marches and the list goes on.  

Sharon ran her own business for 20 years, prior to that worked as a youth worker, went to university to become a scientist in the 1980’s and again in 2002-2004 and is proud to be a mother of a 20-year-old and a grandmother of a 4-month-old baby girl. Her proudest moment was winning a gold medal for Long Distance Nationals (Picton 2021) the same year her daughter won gold in their respective age categories in waka ama. She Skippers Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s motorboats and is a keen fisherwoman.