Our People

Ko Taupiri te maunga
Ko Waikato te awa
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Pootatau te tangata

Koroneihana Cooper is a well-regarded Kaumatua hailing from the hapuu of Ngaati Whawhaakia, Ngaati Naho, Ngaati Pou, Ngaati Amaru, Ngaati Mahuta, Ngaati Hikairo, Ngaati Wairere, Ngaati Te Wehi, Ngaati Hinetu.

Koroneihana provides cultural support to a number of organizations, including NZ Police, Hospice and Hamilton Boys High School.

Kim Hill is a top level business strategist, coach and consultant who is widely sought after throughout New Zealand for her expertise and skills in all areas of running businesses. For over two decades, Kim has provided strategic and professional consultation in the areas of marketing, communications, branding, structural efficiency, business performance management and the evolution of business opportunities. She has established a reputation for solid, grounded and shrewd sense that gets results efficiently and expertly, whether she is working with individuals launching their own businesses or corporate clients. Kim facilitates and leads training sessions on all aspects of business across the country, as well as delivering conference addresses to teams in business.
Frequently called in to troubleshoot in situations of negotiation and conflict, Kim is respected for her capacity to cut through to the essentials, keep it real and achieve optimal outcomes for all involved.

An entrepreneur herself, having owned and operated businesses, Kim draws on her extensive background in and experience of commerce, growth, marketing, sales and more … She knows what works and what doesn’t. Kim is passionate about paving the way to success for others, helping them define and achieve their goals and creating opportunities for individuals and businesses alike.

A wide range of clients look to Kim for a sounding board to help define their goals and clarify priorities, knowing that whatever is offered adds value to their business. Her remit is business consolidation, growth and improved productivity and she gets consistent, solid and significant results.

A longstanding contracted business mentor to Te Puni Kokiri, Kim is dedicated to promoting Maori economic development and entrepreneurship. One of her unique strengths is that she walks within both Maori and non-Maori worlds to the enrichment and benefit of both.

Kim derives great satisfaction from helping companies grow and build their capacity to become high-performing: “It’s the most fun job in the world,” she puts it. And, she points out:

It’s interesting, the issues are the same whether you’re a big or small business: the only difference is the scale. Whether you’re a small- to medium-sized business in the Waikato or a US company turning over tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, the solutions are the same, too.

Aidan is an accredited Mediator and a member of AAMINZ and LEADR. Aidan is also a member of the Rotary Club of Apia, a long standing member and current Co-President of Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (Māori Law Society).

Aidan is dedicated to Māori success and is a strong believer in building long term relationships with people and ensuring that advice is culturally appropriate.

The practice covers a wide range of clientele with up to 70% Maori clientele dealing in SME’s, Trusts, Social Providers and other similar type entities. The practice has a large audit clientele. We are also a preferred provider under the MBFS mentoring programme with Te Puni Kokiri.

If I wasn’t doing accounting I would probably be running around a rugby field barking out orders to kids or players as a coach. I am a community person who has served 12 years on Board of trustees and involved in touch as a referee and now just recently as a coach.

I currently hold a government appointment on the Community Reponse Forum for the Waikato District which is a voice for the community regarding how they think they could get better value from the Ministry of Social Development.

Married to Soph – 4 children 7 moko.

Prior to working at Te Puni Kokiri, Michelle worked in the Social Services sector as a Funding and Policy Analyst.

Michelle’s affiliations are to the East Coast, Ngati Porou, and Rongowhakaata, and she moved to the Waikato in 1995 to pursue her academic career. Michelle is motivated by her three children, who inspire her to work in the space of “Māori potential”.

Michelle’s interests include; Māori SME and Economic Development, Governance, Creative Sector and Youth Unemployment. Michelle is currently a Board Member of Smart Waikato, a Charitable Trust dedicated to addressing youth unemployment in the Waikato, she is a current Trustee of Tainui Waka Tourism and is a founding member of the Te Humeka Waikato Māori Business Network.

Working mainly in the area of Economic Development, Michelle engages with Māori businesses and sees this work as a positive contributor to NZ’s economic prosperity.

With 20 years’ experience, Tracey is the Executive Director of Finance for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, one of the largest education providers in New Zealand. Prior to her role at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Tracey was Acting CFO for Waikato-Tainui and Tainui Group Holdings Limited, one of the country’s largest iwi (tribe) owning just over $1 billion in assets at the time.

Tracey leads a team of 40 employees who provide financial business partnering, financial transactions, procurement and student resource distributions to around 30,000 students.

Also a member of Audit and Risk Committees for both Te Tumu Paeroa and Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Āpa, Tracey has significant Māori sector experience in corporate financial services.  Tracey is also a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand trans-tasman Corporate Sector Advisory Committee.

With three lovely children, Tracey enjoys the semi-rural living in Whatawhata and also tries to keep healthy and fit.

Norm is a competent qualified environmentalist with over 19 years’ experience in a wide range of projects including environmental strategy, management and research, environmental compliance law enforcement and best practice corporate-cultural partnership.
Norm’s technical expertise is complemented by a range of governance roles for both iwi and community organisations. These roles include being a trustee of Kaitumutumu Marae, and a strategic governance advisor to a number of community organisations, including Tainui Waka Tourism and Graeme Dingle Foundation. He also facilitates a cultural mentoring programme at Huntly College and Waikato Diocesan School.