Our Team
Our team of enthusiastic professionals have a diverse range of skills and industry experience. We work collaboratively to understand your needs and expectations creating solutions and positive outcomes
Directors
Leaupepe Ta'ala
Ralph Elika
BA/LLB, MInstD
Leaupepe has a passion for people, leadership and innovation which has allowed me to create and maintain a strong network in both the public and private sectors in NZ, the Pacific and Asia. He has a diverse career, from civil litigation and NZ foreign affairs to business strategy, evaluation and communications. As a transformational leader, Leaupepe can quickly assess issues and create immediate and sustainable solutions for different clients which are customized for their specific sectors and industries.
Leadership:
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Asia NZ Foundation - Leadership Network Member 2018
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NZ Delegate. Inaugural Emerging Leaders Dialogue Asia (ELDA) in Malaysia (Johor Study Tour) 2016
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NZ Delegate. Pacific Leadership Foundation (PLF) Emerging Pacific Leaders Dialogue. Established under the auspices of Commonwealth Study Conferences (Australia) Incorporated (PNG Study Tour)
Governance experience:
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Co-Chair Pacific Cooperation Foundation as a Ministerial Appointee 2020-2022
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Sport NZ Integrity Working Group, Ministerial Appointee 2021-2022
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Board member on the Commonwealth Study Conferences (CSC) NZ Charitable Trust, 2019-2022
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Board member, Association of Emerging Leaders Dialogues (Commonwealth) 2019-2022
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Chair- Pacific Peoples Advisory Panel for Auckland Council, 2017-19
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Chair of Liston College (Auckland) 2016 & Board member 2016-2022
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Founding Board Member, Tuputoa Trust: 2016-18
Sara-Jane Elika
BA(hons),BA/LLB
MInstD
Sara-Jane is an admitted Barrister and Solicitor to the High Court of New Zealand and a strategic management consultant with a background in media, creative enterprise, education. For over 20 years her passion for contemporary Pacific music has gained national and international recognition including published academia in ethnomusicology. She values stakeholder engagement and through innovation applies best practices to enhance inclusive relationships and create engaging solutions.
Leadership:
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Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference (CSC), Canada; 2023
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Celebrity Speakers; 2023
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Breakthrough Leaders programme, Global Women: 2022
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NZ Women of Influence - Arts and Culture: 2021
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40 Under 40 Business Leader, University of Auckland Alumni: 2020
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Leadership New Zealand Alumni: 2018
Governance experience:
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Board member, Ministerial Appointee - Foundation North: 2021-2024, Member Audit, Finance, Risk and Compliance
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Director, Good Shepherd NZ, 2019-2022
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Board member, Ministerial Appointee, Pacific Media Network / National Pacific Radio Trust: 2017-2021
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Chair, Community Law South Auckland: 2017-2022
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Trustee to Community Law Aotearoa’s national body: 2020-2022
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Chair, Failoa Famili Charitable Trust: 2019-2022
Consultants
Dr. Charmaine 'Ilaiū Talei
BAS, BArch(Hons I), MArch Research (Hons), PhD University of Queensland
Research and Evaluation Consultant
Dr Charmaine 'Ilaiū Talei is passionate about action and transformative research that benefits Pacific peoples here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and the wider Pacific region.
As a registered architect (NZRAB and BOAQ), Charmaine brings diverse experience in corporate leadership, project management, client and stakeholder engagement, brief and report writing, codesign with Indigenous communities, and applying architectural design to solve sociospatial problems. Coupled with over 17 years of academic research, Charmaine brings honed skills in research design, data analysis, writing and communication.
She has worked as an architect and researcher across the South West Pacific Islands, Aotearoa, and Australia. Charmaine proudly traces her Pacific ancestry to the kāinga of Tatakamōtonga, Houma, Ha'alalo, and Pukotala, Ha'apai in the Kingdom of Tonga, and the Moana beyond: Sāmoa, Uvea (Wallis and Futuna) and Fulaga, Lau Islands, Fiji.
Jennie Tusani
Consultant
A Proud Samoan with a genuine passion for people driving her purpose to inspire, empower, care, enable and encourage people to live their best self authentically, especially our Pasifika Women. With more than 20 years of experience in the Aviation and Corporate Industry, her strengths and experience are varied from Operational Excellence, Team Leadership, Learning and Development, Coaching and Mentorship, Consultancy, Emotional Intelligence, Diversity and Inclusion and Business Development.
Project Management
Vaiola Tauti
Media and Communications Lead
Vaiola has a background in social media and communications. She has previously worked with UN Youth NZ, Multiethnic Young Leaders NZ focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2022, she was also a part of the Official NZ Government Delegation to the UN CSW66 as a NGO representative.
Vaiola's contributions to the Pacific community was recognised when she was selected as a recipient of YWCA Y25 2021 and the 2022 Sunpix Pacific Peoples Awards as a recipient for the Young Emerging Leader Award, which she says are some of her proudest achievements.
Galumalemana Latafale Leavasā
BMus/LLB
Project Lead and Administrator
Latafale has worked in a range of positions involving foreign policy, management, leadership, modelling, community work and performance. A scholarship student at Otago University, she graduated with a double degree in Law and Music and was admitted as a Solicitor in 2017.
She’s worked in various roles across sectors: care-working in the social services, case managing in family law, Marketing for the Samoan Tourism Authority & she has represented New Zealand & Samoa on a national and international level for singing, sports and modelling.
Now a mother, she is excited to begin the diverse and rewarding work with ECG.