Marian Ruri, a proud descendant of Waikato-Tainui, Raukawa, and Tuhoe, grew up in Ngāruawāhia, a place she considers the centre of her universe. Now residing in Kirikiriroa with her daughter, Marian is the owner of the Kō Group, a Māori consultancy that collaborates with iwi, hapū, marae, and Crown agencies to support Māori aspirations. She also runs Ko Au, a Māori leadership and mindset growth company, and co-founded Rangaranga, a kaupapa aimed at empowering whānau to exercise their mana motuhake.
Marian’s strengths lie in her generalist skills, allowing her to tackle various tasks and get things done efficiently. Her upbringing in the Kingitanga movement instilled in her a strong sense of self-determination and the drive to create her own destiny. Despite her competitive nature and love for challenges, Marian acknowledges that being a generalist can sometimes prevent her from delving deep into specific areas.
Her career aspirations were initially driven by a desire to escape poverty and achieve financial stability. Leaving school at 15, Marian pursued various training schemes and eventually moved to Perth. As an adult learner, she completed her master’s at the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development in partnership with the University of Waikato and graduated with an MBA in 2016.
Marian’s journey has been marked by resilience and adaptability. From working in sales teams in Sydney to starting her own business, which ultimately led her back to Aotearoa, she has continuously sought growth and healing. Her story is a testament to the power of embracing one’s strengths, learning from failures, and staying true to one’s cultural roots and aspirations.
The six pou of Mata Ārahi Manomano drive the questions we have used to profile Māori & Pacific role models, in the Service sector.
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Representing the levels and forms of aroha that can be found throughout our lives across our many communities. We acknowledge the wide range of obstacles and the journey it takes to overcoming everything that stands in our way to expressing aroha within.
Ko Marian Ruri tōku ingoa.
He uri ahau no Waikato, Raukawa me Tuhoe hoki.
I tipu ake au ki Ngāruawāhia, Turangawaewae Marae
Engari e noho ana ahau inaianei ki Kirikiriroa
I was born and bred in Ngāruawāhia, the centre of my universe, which is where my mum’s whānau are from. I’m now in Kirikiriroa with my daughter. I’m the owner of the Kō Group, a Māori consultancy that collaborates with iwi, hapū, marae, and Crown agencies to support and empower Māori aspirations. I also own Ko Au, which is a Māori leadership and mindset growth company, and I’m the co-founder and co-director of Rangaranga, which is a kaupapa we set up with whānau from Turangawaewae Marae, Maniapoto, and Te Arawa, empowering them to exercise their mana motuhake.
I think one of my biggest strengths is that I’m not a master in anything. I’m a real generalist, and I do think that’s a skill I’ve honed, so I’ve been able to really just get things done. I’ve always had a dream to be an entrepreneur. I just love the freedom around that, and my whole ‘why’ is grounded in mana motuhake.
I was brought up in the Kingitanga. Our tipuna remind us that we have the power to create our own destiny. That really drives me, and I’m very driven and very competitive. I don’t like giving up on things. With any gaps I have, I ask experts, and we all just have a power korero session.
Seeking guidance from our kaitiaki Hiwa-i-te-rangi, we take a journey through our different aspirations, goals and dreams. This tohu acknowledges hard work, wisdom, the reach of ones goals and the desire that comes from this mahi.
I’d watch Neighbours and Home & Away because Australia was the place. Yeah, that was paradise. That was literally my dream right up until I was a teenager. I was just focused on moving there, being rich, and having a job! I didn’t know what job it was. So anyway, I ended up getting there, and I think, yeah, that was the inspiration.
We all know what it’s like to be pōhara; it’s yuck. It’s ratshit, and I just didn’t want to experience it anymore. I just wanted to make money, and I wanted to work. That was literally my career aspiration. Just get me into mahi.
On the day I turned 15, I turned up with a letter to my teachers to say I was leaving high school. I then did some computer courses, back in the day when all the trade training schemes were out.
Computers and hospitality were all completed at Hopuhopu, just up from Ngāruawāhia. I completed that and ended up moving to Perth.
As an adult learner, I’ve completed my Masters at the Waikato-Tainui College for Research and Development in partnership with the University of Waikato. In 2016, we graduated with our MBA.
With adventure comes challenges as well as obstacles to overcome. We stand proud as we overcome these obstacles. This tohu draws inspiration from the Niho Taniwha and Aramoana patterns. We acknowledge reaching our destination and preparing ourselves for the many new adventures ahead.
My whole journey has been wīwī wāwā, and it will continue to be, and I’m all good with it because there is no strong linear path.
After I got to Australia, worked at a New Zealand Natural ice cream shop – I I think they hired me because I had a Kiwi accent – and then I worked in reception at a gym. I ended up getting pregnant and being a single mama, so I returned to Aotearoa. Home has always been my healing place.
I ended up going back to Sydney and got a job temping in admin for an energy company. While I was there, I remember being inspired to work in the sales team.
Oh, they were gangsters in their suits with their business cards and laptops. They were in and out of these high-powered meetings, and I was like, “That’s what I want to be.” I spoke to the sales manager and said, “How do I get one of those jobs?” So, he taught me a pathway, and that’s really what set me off in the corporate space.
I worked there for a few years and then moved to Goodman Fielder, where I was in corporate sales. Then I started my own business, but it failed, and that’s what brought me back home again. That’s when I came back and started working for my iwi.
My boss at The Waikato-Tainui College for Research & Development, Dr. Sarah Jane Tiakiwai, encouraged me to pursue higher education. That’s when I got into the MBA space and wanted to really accelerate my leadership. I worked for Waikato-Tainui and then I moved over to Raukawa, where I ended up leading and was the GM for their Taiao environmental group.
Again, my leadership went to another level, but I always, always wanted to be an entrepreneur. That was my next level, to fulfill my heart’s desire. I ended up starting full-time on the Kō Group, which I had been running on the side as a part-time consultancy.
I ended up leaving Raukawa in November 2022 and went full-time in my business, pursuing my dream. So, where I am now, this has grounded me – being an entrepreneur, having this career, and being able to earn for my family.
These patterns represent bravery and being strong in the face of adversity. We strive to be persistent and positively challenge anything that threatens to alter, restrict, and put a barrier in the way of our desired pathway.
In my younger years, it was just wanting to be rich and just wanting to mahi. One of those milestone experiences was being poor and going without, and having the traumatic childhood experience of when other kids got something, and I didn’t because we just couldn’t afford it. And I became a single mama.
One of the biggest change moments for me was when my business failed. At the time, I was gutted, humiliated, and shamed out. I literally had to start over again. But the impact of that on me was, I lost my confidence, and that, along with guilt and shame, can really impact you. That would have been a good 7 to 8 years, you know, finding my confidence again.
In saying that, being supported and working in an environment that really allowed me to flourish helped me to discover my competitiveness again.
If anyone else is entering into this domain of entrepreneurship, the thing with failure is you need to welcome it and learn from it and go, “Okay, this is what I’ll do differently,” and then implement that change and be OK with it. Embrace failure!
Here we are drawing inspiration from the Pūhoro pattern. The pūhoro is used here to represent the strength, speed and agility needed to move forward and accomplish ones goals.
It takes courage because most of us have been conditioned to work for the man, in a 9-5. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. But if this is your pathway, then it’s about the networks, feedback, and entrepreneurship. It takes courage. It takes guts, bravery, and discipline as well.
Don’t underestimate discipline. All the positive affirmations in the world won’t work if you’re not willing to be disciplined and build really strong systems, structures, routines, and habits into your life around that.
Success, best mentioned in the whakatauki “Tūwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitū!” Feel the fear and do it anyway!
The MBA was one win for me. I finished school at 15 and then went straight into my master’s and passed it. I started to surround myself with like-minded people, like those from our cohort – we’re lifelong brothers and sisters.
Being able to work for my iwi and discover my love for our people always gets me emotional. Also, starting my own business.
I was this little Māori kid from Ngāruawāhia and pitched to my boss – he’s a CEO for big multi-organisations across the world – and he was like, “Yeah, I’ll invest in it.” And you know what he told me? He said, “I was investing in you.” This guy saw my potential.
I have been able to generate income for my whānau. My daughter works for the business as well, and we live a beautiful life. Our whare is a sanctuary. It’s got beautiful energy through it; it’s important for me that our children are safe in our home. So that’s my responsibility for my family. We travel the world. We can still do our mahi while travelling the world.
