Māori Economic Development Forum

The role of the Māori Economic Development Forum is to provide assistance to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to:

• Identify the need for any qualifications that will lead to accelerated Māori economic capability
• Consider the relevance of current qualifications in the context of Māori economic growth
• Recommend areas for development

Tipa Mahuta - Chairperson 

Ngāti Mahuta, Waikato, Ngāti Manu, Ngā Puhi

Tipa Mahuta has served on a number of governance entities including the Waikato Conservation Board, Te Reo Irirangi o Tainui, Waikato Raupatu Lands Trust and Tainui Group Holdings.

Tipa has held tribal development roles in education, policy and research.

Ms Mahuta is a passionate advocate for rangatahi centred development and currently trains mentors and coaches to support this kaupapa.

Tamati Cairns

Ngāi Tūhoe

Tamati Cairns is the director of Cairns Consulting Group Ltd, a company offering strategic services and advice to the public and private sector on a range of disciplines/fields.

He has an education/administration background and held a Senior Lectureship in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at Victoria University for 15 years. Tamati is the Chair of Tūhoe ki Pōneke, Te Ata Hou Trust (PTE), Tūhoe Fisheries, Te Pūtahitanga o Ngā Ara Trust and Te Upoko o Te Ika Radio.

He is one of the three negotiators for the Tūhoe Raupatu claim. He was a member of the Māori Reference Group commissioned to develop the NZQA Te Rautaki strategy. Tamati is the kaumātua for NZQA.

Marcus Grant  

Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Ngā Rauru

Marcus Grant was nominated as a representative of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Marcus is an Analyst with the Marautanga Directorate at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. 

He leads several new initiatives (with a continuous quality improvement focus) and contributes to new programmes and resource developments in the digital arena.

Sandre Kruger  

Ngāi Tahu

Sandre, as CEO of Te Pu Wananga o Anamata, represents Tuhoe interests in tertiary education. 

Located within the Tuhoe rohe, the team at Anamata develops programmes, underpinned by culture, language and identity, producing professional graduates ideally suited for working within an iwi context in schooling, social work, and health.  

Richard Orzecki  

Ngāti Raukawa ki te tonga, Ngāti Wehiwehi

Richard Orzecki holds a number of governance positions in the government, business and iwi sectors and has been involved in the education sector since returning to New Zealand in 1998.

Richard is the current chair of the Governance of Māori Authorities Whakaruruhau. He is also the Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Māori Council and an Executive of the Federation of Māori Authorities.

Richard was appointed in November 2010 to the Whanganui and MidCentral District Health Boards in May 2011.

He was also appointed to Ngā Pū Waea to work with the roll out of broadband in both rural and urban areas.

Victoria Werohia

Te Arawa, Ngāi Te Rangi

Victoria is a trustee and a member of the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee of Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa.

Victoria has a background in risk based process improvement and risk consultancy for a major chartered accounting firm.

Victoria has broad experience working with Crown Entities, core Government departments and the private sector.