About us

Anjum Rahman is the Project Co-Lead of Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono.  She is a chartered accountant with over 25 years’ experience, working with a range of entities in the commercial, farming and not-for-profit sectors.

She also commits to various volunteer roles in the community.  She was a founding member of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, an organisation formed in 1990 to bring Muslim women together and represent their concerns, and is currently the media spokesperson. She has also been a founding member and trustee of Shama, Ethnic Women’s Trust, which supports ethnic minority women through its social work service, life-skills classes and community development. She has worked in the area of sexual violence prevention both as a volunteer and as part of Government working groups.  Anjum is a Trustee of Trust Waikato, a major funder in the Waikato Region.

Anjum has been an active member of the Waikato Interfaith Council for over a decade, a trustee of the Trust that governs Hamilton’s community access broadcaster, Free FM. She is a member of international committees dealing with violent extremist content online, being the co-chair of the Christchurch Call Advisory Network and a member of the Independent Advisory Committee of the Global Internet Forum for Countering Terrorism.  She is also a member of the Charities and Not for Profit Commitee of Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand.

Gareth has worked as an executive for many years with several multinational and national organisations. Alongside this, he has experience in international trade, relations and consultancy, indigenous consultancy, and cultural advisory. He is also a facilitator for Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshops across the motu.

Within academia, his interests are broad though focus on leadership, indigenous studies, intelligence & security, counter terrorism. With a goal to support the original tenants of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and diverse groups, inclusivity is a key principle of his mahi.

Talie has worked in both corporate and not-for-profit fields in healthcare, IT and education in Aotearoa and internationally for the last twenty-five years.  She has extensive administration and event experience and has also organised events throughout the Asia Pacific region in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Australia and throughout New Zealand.

She is of Samoan/German/Chinese descent and her parents came from Samoa in the 1950’s and raised their family in Tokoroa and Auckland.

On a voluntary basis she is also involved in Pacific Island committees and was a steering committee member of Women in HealthTech an organisation “striving to empower women with diverse range of thinking at all levels of the HealthTech industry and assist with effecting cultural change.”

Atarau Hamilton-Fuller (from the tribes of Ngati Kahungunu, Ngarauru, Ngati Raukawa) has experience in youth & community planning, leadership, and development previously working as a Facilitator with a Social Enterprise, which focused on providing employment pathways for the most excluded and disadvantaged rangatahi (young people) in the Hawkes Bay region. His passion is education, training, and Indigenous rangatahi development and this is clear in everything he does. He was involved in the co-design of a social enterprise meeting the needs of the Hawkes Bay region since 2017 and is constantly ensuring Te Reo me Ōna Tikanga is a part of his journey in life.

Staughm is a Communications Studies graduate fresh from the University of Otago, with a passion for all things sociological. A longtime resident of Ōtepoti Dunedin, he was drawn to Tāmaki Makaurau by its diverse arts scene. His interests lie in learning and sharing others’ stories through a variety of mediums, and promoting the accessibility of information through good communication design.

Sandy is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Maori and Indigenous Studies, University of Waikato. Her scholarship focuses on indigenous models of development partnerships under the Treaty of Waitangi as well as education for sustainable development. She is also the winner of the National Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award for Sustained Excellence in a Kaupapa Māori Context. She is the current President of the International Council of Adult Education and was admitted to the International Adult and Community Education Hall of Fame, Oklahoma University in 2009. Tribally, she descends from Te Arawa, Maniapoto and Te Tau Ihu o te Waka a Māui.

Dr. Roa is the former chief negotiator for Waikato-Tainui, a former chairman and current member of both the Waikato-Tainui Executive committee (Te Arataura) and the Waikato-Tainui tribal parliament (Te Whakakitenga o Waikato). He is an esteemed kaumātua and orator within Tainui waka. His principal interests include Waikato-Maniapoto oral and written history and traditions, the Kīngitanga, Māori-English translation and Māori traditional knowledge relating to flora, fauna, marine resources and also to land.

Bill’s relationship building skills are his greatest strength combined with a high level of strategic and management thinking and style. He has extensive networks nationally and internationally. Having over 20 years experience in governance and senior management, and vast expertise in operational matters including reporting, monitoring and risk management, he has a proven record of achieving a high standard of outcomes.

He prefers an inclusive collaborative working style and has a proven record in teaching, training, facilitation, mediation and resource development. He has contributed to specific successful relationship building with iwi over many years. He has a sound knowledge of Tikanga Maori and mid-level competency in Te Reo Maori. He is strongly supported by his iwi, hapu and whanau. His written and oral communication skills are well developed and is highly skilled in weaving the Treaty of Waitangi into business management and community development, the latter being a passion for him. He has experience working at local, regional, national and international levels.

Kate worked as Strategic Planning Director for Saatchi & Saatchi for 9 years during which time she worked for several clients in the public and social change area including the Land Transport Safety Authority and the Retirement Commission. Now running her own consultancy, she works with a range of clients from large corporates to not-for-profit organisations.

Tracey has 25 years’ experience working in social marketing and behaviour change in New Zealand and Australia. She has worked on programmes across a range of topics, including financial literacy, family violence prevention, injury prevention, alcohol moderation, sexual health, biosecurity, smoking cessation, water safety, conservation, mental health, child protection and road safety.

Founder and principal consultant at the Diversity Institute. As published author, trainer, consultant and leadership coach he has helped many clients to build healthy, productive teams and organisations in a diverse environment.

Rongo Kirkwood is of Ngāti Mahuta descent, and draws strength from her whanau, hapū and iwi. She works closely with community and iwi groups that are seeking Trust Waikato funding in the areas of Significant Capital Projects, Impact Grants, Māori, Pacific and environmental initiatives. Rongo also delivers marae-based funding workshops throughout the Waikato region.

Experienced values-driven leader with a proven track record in innovative service provision in Private, Public and Non-Profit sectors working in collaboration with others and building productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Dennis’ significant senior management experience puts him in good stead, as Trust Waikato’s Chief Executive, to provide vision, direction and support to the Trust. He also plays an important part in the philanthropic sector at a local and national level, representing the Trust’s views on sector issues and dialogue, and upholding the interests of the communities it serves.