Ngāti Kahungunu / Ngāti Raukawa / Whakatōhea (Owner / Director / Senior Consultant):

Mara has many years of experience associated with indigenous development across a variety of spectrums. She worked for the former Central Health Authority and Health Funding Authority (HFA) in the Māori health and Personal health divisions during the 1990’s. She left the HFA in August 2000 to form Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Ltd. Prior to the HFA she worked for the former Department of Māori Affairs (DMA), Māori Land Court, Māori Trust Office, Iwi Transition Agency and Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Maori Affairs).

Mara has an MBA from Henley (United Kingdom), a Diploma in Business Studies from Massey University (Majoring in Health Management), and is now in Massey's PhD programme. In addition Mara is a World Health Organisation (WHO) Fellow (1999). She has many years of experience managing projects and working in a policy environment both in indigenous / Government settings and other settings.

Lisa Pohatu

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Ngāti Kahungunu | Ngāi Tāmanuhiri



Lisa is very passionate about being active, in any form possible for an individual and a keen enthusiast in CrossFit. As a Master of Public Health graduate at the University of Otago her thesis was understanding the motivation of Māori participating in Iron Maori, an indigenous led triathlon where the aim is to complete and not compete.

Her experience has predominantly been in the health sector having worked 5 years at the Hawke’s Bay District Health in Population Health as an advisory role in Smokefree, Injury Prevention, Sexual Health and Housing. She has come to Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Ltd after a short stint at Te Puni Kōkiri / Ministry of Māori Development where she focused on intersectoral relationships and evaluating funding streams and programmes.

Her passion for health has since opened opportunities to experience the roles of governance where she was a Board member for the New Zealand Health Promotion Forum and supported the international union of health promotion and education conference (IUHPE) in Rotorua in 2019. 

Ngāti Raukawa:

Cain Kerehoma has been employed by and associated with Kāhui Tautoko Consulting for many years – since 2008. His focus has been on Indigenous Development specializing in research and evaluation, community engagement and facilitation, strategic planning, capacity assessment and development and cultural competency. Prior to working for Kāhui Tautoko he worked as a Policy Analyst for the Ministry of Education. Cain is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand (2010) and earned his Law Degree at Waikato University. He works as an Associate to KTCL through Kia Ora Consulting.

Ngāti Paretekawa, Ngāti Unu:

Mania attended Victoria and Massey Universities and has worked with and alongside Kāhui Tautoko Consulting in both New Zealand and Canada. She brings in depth experience primarily in the tertiary education sectors and the health sector, providing a a range of skills to ultimately ‘support our people to help them to achieve their goals and dreams, for their own people’; in ways that uplift, enhance and acknowledges who they are.

Her personal endeavours include language and hapū development, and whānau transformation through negotiated and multi-medium formats. Her professional endeavours include community and organisation development and quality assurance, including strategic support, relationship management, project management, research, facilitation, capacity building and evaluation in alignment with cultural and social values and principles across a range of sectors. She works as an Associate to KTCL through Aiorangi Consulting.

Cook Island Māori, Rarotonga Manihiki 

Caren Rangi has served as a Senior Consultant and Director for Kāhui Tautoko Consulting. She is an experienced governance practitioner applying her professional, community and cultural skills to a range of roles, ensuring a Pacific voice is heard at decision-making tables. She is first Pacific woman to be appointed as Chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand (Creative New Zealand), and is a member of the Boards of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Radio New Zealand , Pacific Co-operation Broadcasting Ltd and Pacific Inc. she chairs Pacific Homecare Services and is a Director of the Cook Islands Investment Corporation in Rarotonga. As an associate of the Centre for Social Impact, Care works with communities to strengthen their organisational capability, specialising in governance. She works as an Associate to KTCL for specific projects.

In addition to the staff mentioned above, the organisation is supported by a dedicated team of Kaumātua / Kuia who work with our staff on a variety of projects.

The company is also supported by a network of high quality subcontractors who specialize in information technology; statistics and demography; social needs analysis; research and evaluation; French translation services (in Canada) and auditing. This group of associates is often called upon to help the team. Key associates who have supported our work over the years include:

• Emily Le Compte, French translator, Canada
  
• Duncan Anaru , Kaumātua, New Zealand
• Te Maari Joe , Kaumātua, New Zealand
• Chief Ian Campbell , Squamish Nation, Canada
• Lisa King , Hei Tauira Consulting, New Zealand
• Tania Simpson , Kōwhai Consulting, New Zealand