Te Māramatanga ki ngā Tukanga Tūhura: Insights to Actions

“Maretha is the Chief Executive of Diversity Works New Zealand, having taken up this role right in the middle of the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.  She has a background and qualifications in behavioural and business sciences and has held various transformational executive roles in South Africa, prior to her immigration to New Zealand, eight years ago. She has a strong commitment to issues of social cohesion and a deep understanding of the way in which intersectional layers of prejudice have an impact on employment outcomes.”

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Shamubeel Eaqub is an influential economist who makes the complexities of economics both easy and engaging. Currently, he serves as the Chief Economist at Simplicity, bringing over two decades of experience.

His career has seen him contribute his expertise at leading institutions, including ANZ Bank, Goldman Sachs JBWere, NZIER, Sense Partners, and now Simplicity.

An alumnus of Lincoln University, he graduated with Honours in Economics and is also a CFA Charterholder. Beyond his professional role, Shamubeel is an accomplished author and a frequent voice in media, known for his insightful commentary on economic and social issues in New Zealand. His published works include influential books such as Growing Apart: Regional Prosperity in New Zealand and co-authored titles like Generation Rent and The New Zealand Economy: An Introduction, which highlight critical issues affecting the nation.

He balances a dynamic portfolio that spans consulting, public speaking, governance, and family life. Residing in Auckland with his wife and two sons, Shamubeel remains a thought leader who brings clarity and accessibility to the world of economics.

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Professor Barney Glover AO (Officer of the Order of Australia) began his five-year term as Commissioner of Jobs and Skills Australia in 2024.

Professor Glover is a distinguished academic leader, an accomplished mathematician and mathematics educator with significant experience in developing strong relationships with the vocational education sector. He is well respected for his engagement with First Nations Australians and disadvantaged communities.

He was Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University for ten years, from 2014-24, and in 2019 was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to tertiary education, professional associations and cultural organisations. In 2015, Professor Glover was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor for his outstanding leadership whilst Vice-Chancellor of Charles Darwin University from 2009 to 2013. Professor Glover was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Western Sydney University in 2024 in recognition of his decade of leadership. 

Professor Glover has served on the boards of a diverse range of corporate organisations and several state and national centres covering areas such as health and medical research, energy, mineral exploration, and telecommunications.

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Katherine joined ConCOVE Tūhura in May 2022 after two years with the Construction Sector Accord at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. At the Accord, Katherine led the People Development workstream and its five initiatives, including building a Construction Diversity Roadmap and skills strategy. She holds a Master’s in Technological Futures via Tech Futures Lab and has spent time studying design thinking at Stanford University.

Katherine is no stranger to vocational education and has worked for two major industry training organisations before the Reform of Vocational Education. Katherine has also worked in the industry and still declares "her safety boots to be the comfiest footwear I own".

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Eve Prince has been a migrant her whole life and grew up bilingual and bicultural. This has shaped Eve's world view and life experiences, leading to a strong focus on diversity and inclusion.

Eve worked in adult education for her whole career, both overseas and in New Zealand. From ESOL, to settlement, and most recently vocational education and training, Eve has taken the key themes of developing people, growing participation, and reducing barriers to her role at ConCOVE. With first-hand experience in both teaching and delivery, and qualification and standard development, Eve has a broad and deep understanding of the needs and solutions available to help industry and individuals.

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Dr Kate Bryson is a Social Psychologist who has spent the best part of the last decade researching mental health and wellbeing in the construction industry. She pretends to be a farmer on a small lifestyle block in Horowhenua with her teenage son and a collection of farm animals.

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Emmolina May is a registered Quantity Surveyor and adjudicator with extensive experience across multiple sectors. As NZIQS Education Chair and a construction educator, she brings professional insight from active industry practice into the classroom. She is currently leading NZ’s first QS apprenticeship pilot, advancing practical, inclusive, and industry-focused education in the construction sector.

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Karl Hartley is Director of AI Learning Strategy at Epic Learning Ltd, specialising in AI-driven assessment creation and personalisation for vocational education. With 20+ years in digital learning and over 10 years developing NZQA assessments, Karl's focus is on unlocking AI's potential for everyone.

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Brenden has over twenty years of experience in policy, operational policy, and investment, mainly in education, health and research. He is keenly interested in improving public services for underserved populations and bridging the boundaries between the actors in these systems.  

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Hera is the Project Manager for Project Wai. She leads workforce development initiatives that bridge rangatahi into sustainable careers.

Hera brings deep expertise in Māori employment solutions, system design, and stakeholder collaboration. Her work is grounded in manaakitanga, innovation, and restoring the role of whānau and whenua in vocational education.

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Bianca is the General Manager of Education and Employment at Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, with a strong passion for and experience in innovating education to better serve Māori communities. She is currently completing her PhD at the University of Otago, researching the impact of iwi education systems on Māori achievement.

Raised in Takapūwāhia, Bianca brings lived experience, strategic insight, and a bold commitment to system change. She works within existing structures to reimagine them, leading kaupapa Māori, place-based solutions that restore rangatiratanga and create enduring, equitable pathways for whānau.

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Koro (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu) is CEO of Poutama Trust, a producer, former diplomat, and governance leader. He holds degrees in Commerce, Political Studies, and an MBA. Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, he remains deeply connected to Murihiku and serves across kaupapa Māori, creative, and public sectors.

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Mike Crossan is a Strategic Adviser - Programme & Product Portfolio at the Open Polytechnic, he has held GM roles in a WDC, an ITO, a learning design company and a PTE. He has been in the tertiary education sector for 23 years starting out as an Automotive tutor.

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Phil is a Co-Chair of ConCOVE. He is currently a director of Vertical Horizonz New Zealand, a Private Training Organisation, for the last 18 years.  The company delivers tertiary qualifications throughout New Zealand.

Phil comes from a military background, completed 23 years of service in the NZ Army. Phil supports Iwi aspirations and is currently a director for Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust and Toitu Tairawhiti Housing Limited. He has two advisory roles with Offsite Onsite Strategic Reference Group and Te Waihanga Infrastructure Commission.  

He is committed to developing innovative training pathways that provide real training that saves and changes lives. 

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With over 20 years of strategy development and programme management experience in public and private sectors in New Zealand, the UK and Europe, Neil specialises in organisational strategy, large scale transformation, governance, and co-design.

In the past five years, Neil has created a niche capability in the codesign of data governance frameworks, democratizing data so that information flows to and insights are shared with those who need it most.

Neil bridges the gap between strategic intent, decision flows, and operational delivery, i.e. ‘getting it done’.  He is adept at crafting compelling arguments about the right strategies and interventions for board-level consideration, backed up by evidence and how to deliver on ‘the promise’ through the creation of governance frameworks and the application of project disciplines.  In addition to hands-on engagement, design and delivery, Neil is a coach and mentor to Senior Responsible Officers and Programme Managers.

His current roles include Independent Chair and board member governing a major transformation programme for a Crown Entity.  

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Sarah Baddeley is Partner at New Zealand owned consultancy MartinJenkins.  Originally trained as a commercial regulatory economist at the New Zealand Treasury, Sarah has accumulated a wealth of experience across both the public and private sectors. Her portfolio spans industries such as water, energy, transport, labour markets, healthcare, and social services. Sarah oversaw the recently work undertaken on policy settings for apprenticeships for Concove.

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 I bring a grounded perspective to my work in connecting education and industry, focused on creating pathways for learners that are relevant, inclusive, and future-focused.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked across vocational education, work-based learning, and industry partnerships, always striving to align education with the evolving needs of the workforce. I’ve led innovative projects, developed strategies for bridging gaps between education and industry, and contributed to initiatives that enable learners and organisations to grow together.

What excites me most about ConCOVE is the opportunity to break down barriers and create scalable solutions that benefit not just individuals, but entire industries. I’m passionate about empowering people and fostering collaboration to ensure that education systems deliver real opportunities for learners and whānau.

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Dr Adam Barker is the founder of Scarlatti, a research, evaluation and analytics company with 30 staff and four offices around the country. Despite the company’s growing size, he is still hands-on at the wheel, with his work spanning most of the areas that Scarlatti operates in including programme design, social and market research, workforce research, impact modelling and more recently, AI in education. 

Before this, Adam was Chief Operating Officer of Celentis, a commercial science company owned by AgResearch, and before that a consultant for leading strategy consultancy McKinsey & Company, based in London. Adam holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland and a Doctorate in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

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Sean is a Senior Consultant at Allen+Clarke, specialising in system design and all the things that go into that. Sean’s work spans secondary, vocational, and higher education in both Australia and New Zealand. He has a particular interest in ensuring that the interfaces between these education sectors function effectively and efficiently. He has a particular interest in workforce development in New Zealand’s construction and infrastructure industry, given the significant systemic challenges faced by individuals and organisations in the industry.

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Erica leads the Strategy and Engagement team at Waihanga Ara Rau, is actively involved in promoting and supporting women in the trades, and previously held the role of Advocate for Women at BCITO | Te Pūkenga.

She was involved in the establishment of Waihanga Ara Rau (and other Workforce Development Councils) and has enjoyed a longstanding career within the vocational education sector. Previously she was Chief Executive Officer of the NZ Hair & Beauty Industry Training Organisation Inc (HITO) and has held various governance roles on a range of Boards, including WorldSkills New Zealand and was Chair of the International Professionals Standard Network, which benchmarks qualifications and recognises mobility of industry professionals.

Erica has re-engineered organisations, reshaped strategy, and strengthened governance functions. Having started her working career as an apprentice,  she is passionate about mentoring learners, employers and staff to achieve their goals.

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Roger Smyth is an independent advisor, researcher, consultant and commentator with over 30 years of experience in tertiary education. His focus is on improving the performance, effectiveness, and equity of higher education systems.

Roger’s expertise includes linking policy to evidence, data-driven insights, and advice on governance. At the Ministry of Education, he was responsible for developing the ministry’s frameworks and systems for monitoring the performance of the tertiary education sector.

From 2013 to 2017, he was Group Manager, Tertiary Education Policy at the ministry, leading policy, research, and analysis programmes. Before joining the ministry in 2002, Roger held senior management roles at Lincoln University.

As an international consultant on tertiary education, he has worked for the OECD and advised governments in Japan, Greece and Fiji.

His recent work on vocational education includes a major analysis for ConCOVE Tūhura of the funding system for vocational education

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