“Tolerance is not enough”
Kari started her working life serving drinks behind a bar. Since then, she has been lucky enough to take on a series of operational and consulting leadership roles in the UK, US and Asia across the breadth of the Services sector. After moving to Aotearoa in 2010 she begun working primarily across Government, latterly specialising in the startup of new entities. As the Tumu o Ringa Hora Services Workforce Development Council she now gets to work in an area she is passionate about every day – developing peoples potential at work.
In addition to building up the capabilities of her own team at Ringa Hora to better serve industry, she enjoys working across organisations and communities to influence change across the vocational educational sector.
Kari spent her formative years in Australia but was Norsk raised (takk til min mor) and now living in in Te Whanganui-a-Tara with her husband Michael and two kids, Kari attempts to balance out her misspent youth by treading a lot less lightly on the planet. While not yet able to remove the gas heating from her house, she is a staunch believer in buying second hand, reducing waste and supporting local where possible.
“Piki, eke, te mutunga he aiō – No matter the ups and downs of life, in the end all shall be resolved”
Ben joined Ringa Hora because of its vision and kaupapa and what Ringa Hora aspires to achieve for the betterment of Aotearoa. Ben feels that our kaimahi are at the heart of the organisation, and the quality of what we do is due to the values, skills and commitment of our people. He has learnt so much from the kaimahi and is excited to be a part of the Ringa Hora journey.
Ben’s main passion is Te reo Māori and tikanga as it pertains to his people. This passion has guided Ben in his professional career where his roles have primarily been underpinned by Mātauranga Māori, including te reo Māori education publishing organisations, tertiary providers and government education entities, and post-treaty settlement trusts.
Ben is from Waikanae and is affiliated to Te Āti Awa. He was raised in the Wellington region for much of his life, and now resides in Te Awamutu. Ben is married to Mania and they have two sons, Te Rongomau and Te Waiaruhe. He enjoys sports and fitness, and regularly runs and exercises at the gym. He can be found regularly frequenting the RSA with whānau and friends to watch rugby.
“Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.”
Leo comes to us from KidsCan, where he was the General Manager Programme, Partnerships and Fundraising. His extensive experience in the field of strategy, public policy, co-design and data analytics, along with retraining as a service and system designer, has shaped his thinking about public policy and the importance of creating value add solutions for communities.
Leo is interested in translating big picture, strategic vision into streamlined processes to deliver desired outcomes. He looks forward to the challenge of consolidating valuable, diverse industry insights into relevant skills and education policies which will improve outcomes for all learners, especially priority learners including Māori, Pacific and people with disabilities.
Taiwan-born and now living in Tāmaki Makaurau with his wife and three kids. You might see him fishing on his kayak, paddling out to the Rangitoto channels in the early mornings or driving the kids around for weekend sports.
“Do or do not, there is no try.”
Te Oho has immense experience in the qualifications space, with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) being where she gained 22 years experience.
Te Oho is excited about the opportunity to work with NZQA on the review of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework and is motivated by the positive impact Tertiary Education can have on the lives of individuals and their families. She hopes to contribute to a more flexible, inclusive, sustainable and agile education framework that enables success for all learners and services industries.
Te Oho was born in Wellington but attended early schooling in Christchurch and Dunedin. She now lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara again with her husband and Quinn, the parrot. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, going on road trips, watching documentaries and gaming. You might also spot her out and about trying to improve her fishing and gardening
“O le ala ile pule ole tautua – the pathway to leadership is through service and reflects my own values and upbringing”
With a career spanning 24 years in the public service in range of diverse roles from frontline service delivery to senior management, Mel brings a plethora of skills and experience into her role as General Manager, Partnership and Engagement.
Mel is excited to have the ability to influence change and deliver on RoVe promises, particularly in addressing the inequities in the education system.
Samoan-born, with roots from the Villages of Sinamoga and Vaivase, Mel has two children and lives in Wainuiomata with her husband. Mel enjoys hill walks and hiking with her kids on nice days, and you might even find her boxing.
