MOHAMUD MOHAMED

Mohamud is passionate about issues of social justice, human rights and gender equality. He has been actively involved in various community activities and has combined his passion for human rights and social justice for vulnerable and marginalised communities with his academic studies.

Born in Somalia, Mohamud came to New Zealand as a young child with no understanding of English. Today he works as a policy advisor in the public sector and holds a Master of Arts (Hons) in Policy Studies and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Social Sciences and Conflict Resolution. He is the co-chair for the Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel at Auckland Council.

Mohamud was a finalist in the Kiwibank Local Hero category of the 2018 New Zealander of the Year Awards. He has worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and also taught New Zealand Politics and Co-operative Education at Auckland University of Technology. He served on the Puketāpapa Local Board Youth Caucus and is an alumnus of the Office of Ethnic Communities Youth Leadership Programme. Mohamud also served on the board of Migrant Action Trust and was the chair of Onkod Somali Youth Development Inc.

Mohamud speaks Somali and English.

HAINOAME FULIVAI

Hainoame has over 20 years track history in research, community development, social mobilisation of disadvantaged communities, advocacy and civil rights, entrepreneurship and philanthropy funding. She’s an active techie with game changing prototypes underway.

Hainoame has worked on a number of projects for NZ government agencies, Universities in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and independent projects focussed on Pacific mobilisation at scale. She is an experienced community development leader and social activator who currently Co-Chairs the Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel for Auckland Council and sits on various governing non-government organisations and collective networks.

Hainoame holds a Master in Administration (Hons) in Education from the University of Auckland and is working towards a second Masters in Technological Futures. She is fluent in both Tongan and English, and is learning Te Reo.

FALE ANDREW LESA JP

Fale is an experienced director and an elected representative, winning an election at the Manukau City Council at just nineteen years of age. He would go on to win three consecutive terms at Manurewa High School, serving as deputy chairman over a ten-year period.

Fale is currently a director for ACC, the Real Estate Authority, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health. He recently appointed the newly created Workforce Development Councils for the government and is overseeing the merger of MIT and UNITEC.

Fale has been published by Georgetown University in Washington DC and the Ministry of Health. He is the former deputy chairman of the Auckland Conservation Board (DOC).

In his spare time, Fale is on the boards of Leukemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, Kidney Health New Zealand, Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa, and Emerge Aotearoa. He brings a wealth of experience as a policy consultant for the Asian Development Bank and has worked extensively at the United Nations.

He is a native Samoan speaker and conversational in Te Reo Māori.

DR ALBERT MANUEL

Albert is an ocean lover. He is from Savusavu, Fiji, the first Blue Town model in the world that is merging marine conservation with economic prosperity for the nation and its communities. Albert holds a doctorate degree in Bioresources (Aquaculture and Climate Change) from Mie University in Japan and is currently working in Japan. He has been awarded 3 sets of national and international scholarships and he has studied and published many articles in ecology, biodiversity, and management of aquatic resources. Albert’s most recent research has been on exploring the effects of climate change on the early-stage development of coastal marine species. Having worked in Fiji and Japan, Albert has traveled extensively to other countries and volunteered with many organizations. Being an avid ocean person, Albert has been humbled to grow up under great role models like Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Ocean Futures team.

For sure Albert loves fishing, scuba diving, traveling, and beach volleyball. He speaks Fijian, English and Japanese.

NATASHA LEWIS

Natasha is a senior legal and policy specialist in gender and human rights. She was named one of 100 Future Leaders in Government around the world by Apolitical, a global policy network.

A people person, Natasha enjoys working with kind, inclusive humans of diverse backgrounds and is based in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland, and previously worked in Wellington, London, Bangkok, Melbourne, and New York. She is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Culture and Diversity team at Auckland Council Te Kaunihira o Tamaki Makaurau, following roles as a Senior Human Rights Advisor at the Human Rights Commission Te Kahui Tika Tangata and consultant to organisations including Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori the Maori Language Commission of Aotearoa, and Lexidale, an international consultancy of LSE and Stanford graduates.

Before returning to Aotearoa, Natasha had a global role at CARE International UK as Senior Advocacy and Policy Advisor on Gender in Humanitarian Crises in London, building on her passion for gender equality – honed at the start of her career as a consultant at UN Women (the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) in Bangkok and New York. She also worked in a senior policy role leading pay equity law reform at the Ministry for Women Manatu Wāhine in Wellington, following roles at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Hikina Whakatutuki, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Manatu Aorere.

Natasha continues to consult with Equalis, a gender and inclusion consultancy founded by development specialists in Australasia. As a proud Indian migrant New Zealander, she is delighted to be working with ImpactDev360 and creating a more diverse, inclusive future for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Natasha has a Master of Laws (Distinction) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she was the Lauterpacht/Higgins Top Scholar in International Law and New Zealand’s Chevening Scholar for 2014 (a UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office scholarship). She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Distinction) in Political Studies and Development from Massey University, and Law (Hons) and Arts degrees from the University of Auckland.

SANJANA SINGH CHAND

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT

Sanjana is an inspiring consultant and mentor to executive boards, senior leaders, and high potentials. She has over 13 years of experience in general Business Management, Human Resources, Payroll & Bookkeeping. Sanjana specializes in customer and people transformational change from design to implementation, engaging colleagues to deliver better business strategy, goals, and company performance. She has a strong action-oriented approach that focuses on developing innovative and practical solutions for clients.

Sanjana’s career began in accountancy, then joining Westpac Banking Corporation where she quickly progressed to assist clients in securing personal loans to home mortgages. As a human resource advisor, she provides functional leadership in customer experience, human resource management, organisational health and safety oversight, project management and guidance, and bookkeeping and finance support. Her vast background enables her to bring a big picture perspective with deep knowledge to helping businesses succeed.

Sanjana holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management majoring in Human Resources. She has been a Board of Trustee for Tikorangi School for 3 years and she is committed to building strong relationships and supporting diversity.

During her spare time, Sanjana loves reading and playing golf.

Sanjana is bilingual. She speaks Hindi and English.

SUSANNAH LEOTA

With over 20 years of working experience both in New Zealand and the Pacific, Susannah is a generalist specialist with particular focus on law, public administration and governance, banking and finance, human resources development, and policy and planning.

Susannah’s extensive experience has been gained from very reputable and recognised organisations such as the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Department of Labour (now MBIE) in New Zealand. She has been the lead Legal Counsel for the Samoa National Health Services (Health Services in Samoa) as well as the Samoa Public Service Commission which oversees the entire public service workforce in Samoa.

With her vast experiences, Susannah is currently serving as an independent director on the Board of the Samoa Commercial Bank (SCB) in Apia, Samoa. She is the first woman to be selected to be on the Board of SCB giving advice on governance, legal as well as policy and banking issues. SCB is a boutique bank. It is one of the fastest growing Pacific-owned banks in the region that is entrenched with developing the Samoan Business Community as well as supporting local NGOs to thrive and develop in all environments.

While Susannah has a vast set of skills and expert areas her expertise per se would be in the area of law and human resources development.

Susannah has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws degree from The University of Auckland. At present Susannah is admitted in both the New Zealand, and Samoa Bar to practice law.

SHERYL ROGE

Sheryl is passionate about education and has a love for mentoring students in ensuring they are able to have equal opportunities to achieve a good education.  With 14 years industry experience, Sheryl has worked in managerial capacities in different industries within the banking industry, diplomatic mission and with a managing contractor for education.  She is currently in business advisory and has proven experience working on various engagements from business development to project completion across different sectors.

Sheryl is a Massey University alumni and holds a Masters in International Development, achieved through the NZAid program. Sheryl is from Papua New Guinea, and speaks fluent English and Pidgin (local Papua New Guinean dialect). She enjoys volunteering in community spaces, promoting health equity,  social inclusion and learning about global issues in the development arena.

Sheryl enjoys reading, travelling and spending time with her young family.