WHO WE ARE
THE NEED
TupuToa’s research shows that only 17% of New Zealand’s top 60 firms have an executive who identifies as other than European/Pākehā.
Although Māori and Pasifika comprise around 22% of the general population (a figure which is projected to rise to 30% by 2033), they are conspicuous by their absence from the leadership of corporate New Zealand.
No NZX listed company has a Māori or Pasifika CEO. This lopsided demographic creates a knowledge gap, deprives businesses of the well-established benefits of diversity, and inhibits business growth. Our future economic and social prosperity requires the development of a new generation of Māori and Pasifika business leaders who are able to recognize and seize opportunities in increasingly diverse markets, both nationally and internationally.
THE BARRIERS
There are some formidable obstacles to change
Tertiary performance
The number of Māori and Pasifika students completing tertiary studies compares unfavourably with other student groups. Prospective employers struggle to find Māori and Pasifika students whose grades enable them to compete for graduate placements.
Entering the corporate world
Māori & Pasifika students are hampered by a lack of connection and understanding of the corporate sector, while prospective employers may struggle with limited cultural understanding and unconscious bias
Succeeding in the corporate world
Needing to find an inclusive culture that values diversity and allows them to work with cultural integrity, young Māori and Pasifika all too often encounter the opposite. Employers wonder why their efforts to attract and retain Māori and Pasifika staff are chronically unsuccessful.
THE BENEFITS
Tupu Toa is an innovative investment partnership between partner organisations, interns, tertiary institutions, whānau and Māori and Pasifika communities. It is facilitating a future corporate landscape that will embrace:
Tupu Toa is an innovative investment partnership between partner organisations, interns, tertiary institutions, whānau and Māori and Pasifika communities. It is facilitating a future corporate landscape that will embrace:
Māori Communities
Grow talent from within to build business and community growth and increase the prosperity of the Māori community overall
Pasifika Communities
Achieve greater equality of outcomes for Pacific people and build social and economic prosperity
Interns
Achieve full career and community leadership potential consistent with their identity and values
Corporates
Increased access to diversity of talent and experience, deeper insights into an evolving marketplace and closer connection to Māori and Pasifika communities