Reflections on the Highs and Lows of Recent Months
Team Dragon with Air NZ Execs, Richard Thomson and Alex Marren, JBHIFI GM Tim Edwards. Photo credit: Shyamal Ram
The past few months have been marked by a mix of contrasts, moments of deep pride, learning, and connection, alongside periods of grief, challenge, and introspection. In many ways, it feels like the lived experience of intersectionality I’ve written about earlier: multiple realities overlapping at once.
A High: Strategy in Action
One of the proudest moments recently was the 2025 EMBA Live Case Competition for Contemporary Strategy. Our team, Team Dragon, consisting of Jos Kerr, Michael Hicklin, Candice Wilson, Erin Wirihana, Debbie Te Puni, and me, reached the finals and were named runners-up, presenting our work directly to Air New Zealand executives and industry leaders.
This mahi was the culmination of weeks of analysis, collaboration, and sharp strategic thinking, captured in our presentation.
Together, we delivered a 10-year strategic management plan for our recommended strategy to Air New Zealand called "Backing Your Journey", which combines regional expansion, improved fleet utilisation, and digital gamification to balance affordability, sustainability, and customer engagement.
“I left humbled by the talent in the room and inspired by the power of bold, strategic thinking.”
Being recognised alongside such outstanding peers, and now having won the opportunity to present to the Air New Zealand Executive Team, is a privilege I will not forget in the near future.
A Low: Loss and Challenge
Alongside these highs, there have been more challenging moments. Frankie and Hiwa have spent time in and out of the hospital, and our whānau has felt the heaviness of loss. We have farewelled loved ones, including a mentor and role model who shaped much of my journey and thinking.
“Grief has a way of reminding us not just of what we’ve lost, but of the values we must carry forward.”
These moments are grounding. They remind me why equity in health and leadership is not an abstract idea, but something tied to lives, families, and futures.
Work that Matters
Frankie Karetai-Wood-Bodley and I also completed significant mahi together with a bunch of others from around the country:
The Technical Advisory Group for the Maternity Commissioning Framework
The Bereavement Care Pathway for Perinatal Loss
Both projects underscore the importance of incorporating diverse voices into the design of care. I was especially grateful to meet with midwifery leaders across Te Waipounamu, where deep and rich conversations emerged from this work.
“When those most affected are in the room, the solutions change, and so does the culture of the conversation.”
Holding Both the Highs and the Lows
These months have shown me the importance of balance: celebrating wins, honouring losses, and carrying lessons forward. For me, leadership is about holding these tensions without diminishing either one.
As always, I remain proud to walk the path of ngā matatini, the many faces, nuances, and energies people bring into spaces.
Please feel free to follow me for more reflections on systems change, equity leadership, and human rights diplomacy.
Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata. Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna. | Seek out the distant horizons so they may become close. Hold fast to the close horizons so they may be secured.