• "All my friends and whānau (family) were in the Waikato. In Wellington, I didn't know many people or have any whānau, which really made me grow as a human being and reach out to others. I adopted a mentality of keeping an open mind and finding opportunities."

  • "I also learned a valuable lesson from a Prime Minister who said, "if you can't provide your free and frank advice on one page then you're wasting my time". This taught me to be quite economical, cutting to the chase about the issue, solutions, options, and what's in the best interest of the Prime Minister and all New Zealanders."

  • "I believe in succession planning and that as a leader, you reach a point where an organisation needs new ideas."

  • "I was drawn to this role (at CCRC) because as a leader, there aren't many opportunities to start up a new organisation, which this offered. I also deeply understand the kaupapa (platform) of miscarriages of justice on a personal level, thinking about colonisation and the unlawful imprisonment of many iwi rangatira at the time, and high-profile contemporary examples."

  • "I believe that having both executive and lived experience is important on a board, as you often get people with deep subject matter expertise, but you also need different perspectives at the table."

  • "Probably most importantly, it's been fulfilling my parents' and grandparents' dreams. They never had the opportunities, such as education, that I and their children have had; they were very humble people. Seeing their sense of pride has been quite special."

  • "It's having a strong work ethic. Some of the areas I've gone into, I knew nothing about, so I've had to really apply myself, get up to speed, and reach out to subject matter experts for support."

  • "It’s my spiritual practice - Te Whare Tapa Whā which means looking after my whānau (family), tinana (physical), hinengaro (mental) and wairua (spiritual) health."

  • "You realise how amazing Aotearoa (New Zealand) is once you see the rest of the world."

  • "Don't necessarily expect to immediately get into a public or private sector governance role."

  • "I encourage people to be clear about their financial goals such as where they see themselves even at retirement, because that should be what you're working towards."

  • "It's important for everyone in Aotearoa to embrace Te Reo Māori – its core to our nation’s identity."