Our Manutāiko (Cultural Advisors) hold leadership roles as kaikōrero/kaikaranga for our Marae and Iwi. We are former Secondary School and University Lecturers, and Experienced Facilitators.

We also bring big picture senior management expertise to our mahi as former or current, Tumuaki, Chairpersons, Board Members, CEO’s and Iwi Leaders.

Our teaching, learning, experience comes not out of a textbook but straight off the Marae. We are a TIRA (group), set on the goal to “Whakatira,” which means to bring people together.

To do this we provide Cultural Advice and Guidance to organisations who are wanting to include te ao Māori in workplace practices.

our teAM

Wairangi Jones

Pou Matua - Principal

Te Arawa I Ngāti Tuwharetoa I Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga I Ngāti Maniapoto.

Blanche Reweti

Hāpai-ō - Executive Assistant

Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa

Blanche comes from an administration background, having worked for her Iwi authority for 10 years as the office manager she has experience working with corporate and government sectors and in maintaining relationships with surrounding iwi. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Business from WINTEC she returned home to work for her people and has seen her skill set grow and expand into the area of governance. She is looking forward to adding to her kete of knowledge whilst working for Tutira mai and expanding on her knowledge of te reo with those who are proficient.

In her spare time you will find her on the tennis court, in her gardens or spending time with her whanau.

Cherie Ladkin

Kaihautū - Operations Manager

Ngāti Pākehā

After 40-years of business administration and management support experience, Cherie completed a Certificate of Small Business Management course in 2015 and undertook virtual assistant training and has continued her professional development to improve her knowledge and understanding of te ao Māori, te reo, and to gain cultural confidence.

Based in her hometown of Tauranga, Cherie has worked with many small businesses and entrepreneurs helping to streamline their operations, improve productivity and profitability, and grow their business. Cherie has strong organisational skills and enjoys collaborating in a team on projects, utilising office automation to achieve successful outcomes.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle balance, Cherie enjoys many outdoor activities including walking, gardening, being out on the ocean and travelling.

Nuku Jones

Kaiwhakahaere Matua Pūtea - Financial Controller

Te Arawa  I Ngāti Tuwharetoa I Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga I Ngāti Maniapoto

Nuku is responsible for overseeing all our finance and accounting functions. He has a finance and accounting background, stretching back many years. As a Chartered Accountant and member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA), he brings a depth of financial experience and expertise to our business. With more than 40 years working across a diverse portfolio of businesses, his financial perspective and input plays an important part in our operational effectiveness and strategic direction.

Nuku holds a Bachelor of Management Studies (Accounting) from the University of Waikato, and this provided him with the foundation for his mahi in finance and accounting. His experience includes working in senior leadership roles across a variety of industries both within Aotearoa, New Zealand, and in the Pacific. Nuku spent a number of years in senior financial roles in New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Samoa, working in regional intergovernmental organisations including the South Pacific Commission, the Forum Fisheries Agency, and the South Pacific Environment Programme. These organisations are responsible for providing assistance at government level to the sustainable development of their Pacific Islands members and territories. At home in Aotearoa, New Zealand, his roles have included senior financial positions in the Northland Regional Council, the Far North District Council, and kaupapa Māori organisations Te Rūnanga Ā Iwi O Ngāpuhi, Te Pūmautunga O Te Arawa Trust, National Hauora Coalition, as well as various entities providing services in the mental health space.

As a valued member of our Tira team, Nuku is enthusiastic and very happy playing his part in contributing to our mahi of guiding organisations on their cultural leadership and capability journeys.

In his spare time, Nuku enjoys spending it with whānau, and tags along with his lovely wife to catch up with their growing number of young moko that are spread around the motu. Nuku is a keen motorcyclist, and enjoys riding the beautiful coastal roads that the Taitokerau has on offer. He also makes a special effort to find time to ride his electric skateboard and longboard, do some energetic walking or cycling, get in a few rallies on the tennis court, and also revitalise his interest in learning te reo Māori and mātaurangi Māori.

Taku-Anne Jones

Hāpai-ō | Marketing Director | Strategic Planning

Te Arawa I Ngāti Tuwharetoa I Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga I Ngāti Maniapoto

After receiving her Bachelor of Communications from the University of Waikato, Taku-Anne entered into the private sector. She has since spent several years in Australia working in marketing and leadership roles for multi-nationals and SMEs. Taku-Anne's experience systemising business processes, planning and executing marketing strategies, and developing brands within corporate and Māori contexts provides valuable capability to our experienced team. Taku-Anne manages the growth and development of our business and is also able to provide consulting advice to weave Te Ao Māori and tikanga into strategic plans and marketing campaigns. She is passionate about developing our business and supporting our Manu Tāiko to achieve meaningful change within the organizations we work with.

Outside of work, you will find Taku-Anne getting active both outdoors and in the gym, completing her Masters Degree, and spending time with family and friends.

Moana Whatarau

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Ngāti Kahungunu

Moana has been in the education field since gaining his BA and teaching qualifications from the University of Waikato and Hamilton Teachers College. He taught Māori in secondary schools in Auckland and Tokoroa for 12 years before leaving Aotearoa to teach for the next 23 years in various International schools in China, Malawi, Switzerland and Hong Kong. While residing in Hong Kong, Moana also ran Tikanga Māori seminars for the NZ embassy and consulates in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Moana has also been involved with kapa haka since childhood and has performed in, and helped tutor, groups both here in Aotearoa and overseas. 

In the time Moana has been away from Aotearoa, there has been a positive shift by the general population in their attitude towards incorporating and accepting elements of te reo and tikanga. It is his belief that this impetus needs to be further maintained and vigorously  encouraged. Moana sees the utilisation of his strengths in teaching and presentation skills, which he brings to the team, as being his way to contribute to the further normalisation and application of Māori values and thinking into everyday life in Aotearoa’s future.    

Moana has participated and coached in a wide range of sporting and physical activities ranging from team sports of rugby, touch and volleyball to the more individual pursuits of athletics, tennis, skiing and scuba diving. He likes to maintain a healthy lifestyle through cycling, swimming and going to the gym when possible. Other interests include reading, singing and upskilling himself in Te Ao Māori.

Thomas Te Whanake Tumai

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Waikato-Tainui | Ngāti Naho | Ngāti Makirangi

“Mahia te mahi, hei painga mo te iwi” - work for the betterment of people. This dictum of Te Puea Herangi has guided Thomas for 40 years as a teacher, educator, change manager and leader. Over this time he has adapted to the many changes in education and leadership by continuing to learn and challenge himself.

His career spans from mainstream schools in the communities of Huntly, Taumarunui, Murupara, Kaitaia and Te Kūiti.  As a teacher, a manager and especially as a leader, he saw his role as one of developing and strengthening Te Reo me ōna tikanga Māori as he worked towards what he came to term as ‘He Māori, te maori’ - (Maori is normal), to improve Māori educational achievement.

Upon retiring in 2021, he and his wife took up permanent residence at the bach they’ve owned for 20 years, in a little piece of paradise called Pukehina. Retirement however didn’t last long and he soon found himself teaching te reo me ōna tikanga Māori to adult students at a private learning academy. He also went back to his roots, teaching one day a week at Pukehina Primary school, with students ranging from new entrants to year 8. Thomas now gives time to Tūtira Mai as a valued Manutāiko.

Partial retirement has also brought Thomas valuable time. Time to sit on the paepae of his own marae, after speaking on the paepae for many other iwi. He has time to go back to his roots as a pononga of the Kingitanga. He also enjoys time with his 11 mokopuna and 2 mokopuna tuarua. He’s able to pass on knowledge and experience of Te Ao Māori to those willing to listen. Thomas enjoys walking along Pukehina beach in his spare time, taking time to reflect on a career of ‘Mahia te mahi hei painga mo te iwi’.

Niheta Jacobs

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Te Arawa | Ngāti Whakaue | Ngāti Ngararanui | Ngāti Kearoa | Ngāti Rangithi | Ngāti Awa

Niheta has a strong background in Mental Health and Addiction Services. She has been an integral member of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) team; the Mental Health Inpatient Unit; and the Community Mental Health team based in the Whakatane hospital. She is a skilled consultant and lends her experience to implementing mātauranga Māori and indigenous interventions within the health sector. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Mātauranga, Bachelor of Arts Māori Studies and Education, Diploma in Teaching Māori Language, and Te Tohu Whakatairanga i te reo Māori (Taura Whiri i te reo Māori).

Furthermore, Niheta’s cultural knowledge and expertise extends from her work providing feedback and research information for organisations servicing indigenous people in the Northern Territory. Her recommendations have assisted organisations to formulate better outcomes for indigenous people, with a specific focus on housing and wellbeing. Niheta is committed to helping clients be the best they can be and is passionate about mana wahine and hauora wahine.

Outside of work, Niheta enjoys walking, waka ama, writing and off the grid camping. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her mokopuna and tamariki.

Mercia Yates

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Te Arawa | Tūwharetoa | Te Aitanga-ā-Māhaki | Rongowhakaata | Ngāti Maniapoto 

Mercia holds extensive experience as an educator, an advocate for te reo rangatira me ōnā tikanga, business management and leadership, and governance. Her roles in local government have equipped her with a unique skill set. She is described as an advocate of equity and equality and has brokered partnerships that ensure mana whenua and tangata whenua hold space in a variety of environments. Mercia has advised, and when requested, designed Māori-led strategies for mainstream organisations to create their Māori capability. She has developed and built her interpersonal skills to reflect the values of her whānau of tika, service, pono, equity, manaaki mahaki, strength and aroha. Mercia’s qualifications include a M.Ed, B. Ed, and Diploma of Teaching.

Mercia is a critical thinker and is passionate about being challenged through experience and learning. She thrives on the pursuit of knowledge and the analysis of data and information. Mercia is also committed to embedding continuous improvement in her practice and in the practice of those she works with. She seeks to contribute to strength and wellbeing both of business, and of the people she works with and for. 

Mercia believes and values inclusion and diversity in the people, perspectives and experiences, knowing that it facilitates stronger outcomes and better value. Mā te kite, mā te hanga, ka puāwai āpōpō ~ With vision, with strategy, tomorrow will blossom.

Te Ururoa Flavell

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Ngāti Rangiwewehi | Ngāraranui (Te Arawa) | Ngāti Raukawa | Ngāti Te Ata (Waikato-Tainui) | Ngāpuhi

Te Ururoa’s mission is to contribute to building the confidence and capacity of individuals, groups, companies and organisations to walk across the bridge of cultural understanding to work in alignment and in partnership with “te ao Māori”, the Māori world. He believes it is essential that the public and private business sectors form working relationships with Māori based on cultural understanding, a critical consciousness, and a genuine desire to work together to build a better future together. Across the country, all sectors must lift their capacity to work in partnership with Māori in enduring and consistent ways.

Te Ururoa has extensive experience in executive management and is a former member of parliament. His professional experience extends from executive officer roles at Te Wānanga ō Aotearoa and Te Wānanga ō Awanuirangi, to parliamentary leadership as the co-leader of the Māori Party. He also holds qualifications in Teaching and Arts including a Master of Arts (Māori Studies) from the University of Waikato.

Rangitihi Pene

Manu Tāiko - Cultural Advisor

Te Arawa I Mātaatua I Whanganui I Ngāti Tūwharetoa

After teaching Te Reo Māori for 30 years in secondary and tertiary institutions, Rangitihi worked advising school, kura boards and principals on issues of education, curriculum and performance.

He sits on the paepae at Te Pākira and Hinemihi Marae and has researched tribal history, whakapapa and mōteatea for over 30 years. He is both a composer and an author.

Rangitihi has been involved in kapa haka composition for the last 20 years at senior and secondary school level. In addition, he is currently a trustee for Tūhourangi Tribal Authority, Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Te Pūmautanga o Te Arawa.