Ruia Te Pākerekere
Kahikatea
FOMA Leadership Programme
About the Programme
Ruia Te Pākerekere Kahikatea is FOMA’s inaugural Leadership Programme, designed to recognise, activate, and supports 11 emerging Māori leaders from 11 regions across Aotearoa to strengthen leadership within the Māori economy.
Over two years, participants will embark on a participant-led journey that moves beyond traditional learning models. Rather than receiving a prescribed curriculum, leaders will co-design the experience together, bringing forward the challenges, opportunities, and aspirations that matter most to their whenua, whānau, enterprises, industries, and communities.
Supported by FOMA’s Executive Committee, regional networks, and experienced leaders from across Aotearoa, participants will have access to mentorship, strategic conversations, and opportunities to engage with the people, organisations, and sectors shaping the future of the Māori economy.
Ruia Te Pākerekere Kahikatea is designed to cultivate confident, connected, and values-driven leaders who will champion innovative solutions, strengthen Māori enterprise, and create lasting impact for future generations.
Meet the Cohort
Joella Tahi
Tūwharetoa Representative
Joella Tahi is an experienced professional who has worked at PKF Doyles Chartered Accountants for the past 14 years, building strong expertise in financial literacy, business administration, Māori enterprise, agribusiness, and governance.
Alongside her professional career, she contributes actively to her iwi and hapū through governance roles as a trustee and treasurer of the Tokaanu Marae Charitable Trust and Nga Puna Wai Ariki ki Tokaanu Trust, as well as trustee and secretary for the Okahukura 2B1A2 Trust.
Joella is passionate about strengthening intergenerational outcomes for Māori and supporting sustainable growth, leadership, and opportunity within communities. She is committed to developing her leadership capability further through the FOMA Emerging Leaders Programme and contributing meaningfully to Māori advancement.
Morgan Te Heuheu
Tainui Representative
Morgan te Heuheu is a lawyer and project manager with expertise in commercial, property, and Māori land matters. She works across complex projects supporting iwi, ahuwhenua, and private clients to navigate regulatory, governance, strategic, and business development challenges.
Based in Taupō, she is known for a solutions-focused approach that blends legal expertise with practical delivery and strong stakeholder engagement.
Morgan is committed to kaupapa Māori and advancing sustainable, intergenerational outcomes, economic development, and community wellbeing.
She has held governance and leadership roles across multiple trusts and organisations. Outside of work, Morgan is a proud māmā to two sons and is often found at sports grounds supporting them in Taupō community
Kaeroeroe Haapu-Wood
Te Tairāwhiti Representative
Kaeroeroe Haapu-Wood is a Technical Business Analyst with experience across logistics, finance, governance, and business transformation, specialising in business improvement, data integrity, and systems optimisation.
He serves on the management committee of Whangara B5 Incorporation, contributing to governance focused on sustainable growth and intergenerational outcomes.
Kaeroeroe is passionate about the intersection of governance, technology, and Māori development, with a focus on economic development, infrastructure, renewable energy, and rangatahi leadership pathways. They are also actively involved in conservation work in the Waitākere Ranges, reflecting a commitment to balancing commercial, cultural, and environmental priorities.
Brandon Cross
Mātaatua Representative
Brandon brings a strong background in Māori agribusiness, leadership development, and orchard operations. Originally from Gisborne, Brandon moved to Te Puke at 18 years of age to join Seeka Ltd’s orchard cadetship programme – an experience that laid the foundation for his career in the horticulture sector and strengthened his passion for supporting Māori whenua and whānau through primary industry development.
Brandon has built extensive experience across orchard management, with a particular focus on Māori-owned orchards and working alongside Māori trusts and growers throughout the Bay of Plenty. His experience spans orchard development, production management, harvest operations, and mentoring cadets entering the industry through the same programme pathway he once undertook himself.
Recognised for his people-focused leadership style and his commitment to developing both capability and confidence within the next generation of Māori leaders.
Vicky Hollywell
Te Ūpoko o Te Ika Representative
Vicki has worked with the Trusts since 2007, building extensive experience across a range of roles. She is General Manager of Hīkoikoi Management Limited, leading operations and providing strategic direction on behalf of Wellington Tenths Trust and Palmerston North Māori Trust. Her role includes oversight of commercial activities and cultural assets such as Te Wharewaka o Pōneke, Te Raukura.
She manages an asset base of approximately $270 million across both ahu whenua trusts, ensuring sustainable returns that support long-term outcomes. Her work is grounded in the quadruple bottom line — social, cultural, environmental, and economic wellbeing.
Vicki is committed to delivering value for her iwi and whānau, while ensuring mana whenua history and significance are recognised. She is married to Roger and a proud mother of three sons. Outside work, she enjoys Cuban dancing, hockey, supporting her tamariki, and spending time at her Wairarapa olive grove.
Maia Te Hira
Tākitimu Representative
He kāwai heke a Maia i ngā whakapapa o Wairarapa (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne) me Muriwhenua (Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto). Maia is a lawyer, director and advocate with a passion for sustainable Māori futures.
She has worked in management for small businesses and Māori NGOs, in legal teams across the public service and is now representing various whānau, hapū, iwi, organisations and individuals as a litigation solicitor in private practice. She has gained valuable governance experience through her iwi’s PSGE, her regional community trust, and various kaupapa Māori education institutions. Maia’s strongest motivator is her whānau.
She is interested in equity in the law, indigenous economic development, and ensuring a Tiriti-based Aotearoa. She is a proud graduate of Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori Aho Matua and Whare Wānanga. Outside of mahi, Maia is a māmā who is raising her 3 tamariki alongside her partner to be grounded in te ao Māori.
Peter Prime
Te Taitokerau Representative
Peter Prime (Ngāti Te Tārawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is a Māori business leader whose leadership is deeply grounded in whakapapa, whenua, and kaitiakitanga. Raised beneath the shelter of Maunga Motatau and alongside the sacred waters of Kaitoki and Taikirau, Peter carries a strong commitment to protecting the resources and opportunities entrusted to his generation.
For more than a decade, he has led Prime Holdings Ltd, the beef and forestry business established by his grandfather in 1967. Building on the legacy of his father, who spent forty years strengthening the enterprise and securing the future of the whenua, Peter continues to champion the principle: “Me pupuri tonu te whenua, me tiaki ngā wai, me tiaki te whenua mō ngā hunga āpōpō.”
Peter believes strong pākihi Māori are vital to achieving the aspirations of whānau, hapū, and iwi. Alongside his business leadership, he serves a range of community, cultural, sporting, and educational kaupapa throughout Motatau and the wider Ngāti Hine rohe.
Tana Luke
Te Tau Ihu Representative
Tana Luke is Ngāti Rārua and Ngāi Tahu, and a proud product of Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori.
Tana is currently Māori Strategy Manager at Fonterra, where he works to strengthen iwi relationships and support the integration of te ao Māori across the Co-op. Alongside his professional role, Tana holds a number of governance positions, including Trustee for Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua, Trustee for Whakarewa, and member of the Board of Trustees at St Thomas of Canterbury College.
Tana has been fortunate to spend time with, learn from, and be guided by many kaumātua whose service to their iwi, whānau and kaupapa has been a strong example for him. Their guidance and the values they have shared continue to shape the way he serves and leads today.
Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Tana is passionate about Māori leadership, intergenerational wellbeing, and creating pathways for Māori to thrive across business, governance and community spaces. He is guided by whakapapa, service, and a strong belief in the power of kaupapa Māori to shape a better future for our people.
Awatere Douglas
Te Arawa Representative
Awatere Douglas is the General Manager of Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, where he leads one of Aotearoa’s most iconic tourism attractions. His role focuses on delivering strong commercial performance while ensuring authentic, culturally grounded visitor experiences that reflect the stories of the whenua. With over a decade of experience in the hospitality and tourism sector,
Awatere has developed a well-rounded leadership style across operations, financial management, and strategic planning. He progressed through a range of roles within Sudima Hotels, most recently as Hotel Manager at Sudima Lake Rotorua and held the role of Cultural Advisor for the parent company, Hind Management.
Awatere contributes a strong cultural perspective to leadership, supporting effective iwi engagement and embedding kaupapa Māori into organisational strategy and operations.
Awatere holds a Bachelor of Tourism Management, majoring in Hospitality and Te Reo Māori from the University of Waikato, and is a proud raukura of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu.
Dan Buchanan
Te Waipounamu Representative
Daniel Buchanan was born in Hokonui, Gore, and raised on marae and Māori land blocks of Murihiku and Moeraki.
He has 25 years’ experience in hospitality ownership in Tāmaki Makaurau, including Grand Central, Cork Gin and Whiskey Bar, and G Spot Nightclub. He holds qualifications in horticulture, small business, project management, audio engineering and music production, and a Master in Māori and Indigenous Leadership with distinction.
He is a trustee of Kānuka Charitable Trust, Whakaraupō Carving Centre Trust, Moeraki BLKXVI Trust, and Waimumu Trust, and Treasurer of Te Pao a Tahu kapa haka group.
With his wife, he is Director of Bloom Outdoors and Bloom With Jess, delivering wellbeing and rehabilitation programmes at Christchurch Women’s Prison supporting reintegration into community.