TE Nehenehenui group chief executive Sam Mikaere.
AS the dust settles after more than 30 years of negotiations in completing the settlement process of Maniapoto, the work load intensifies as planning for the success of future generations gets underway. Editor heather Carston chats with new Group CE Sam Mikaere. THERE is a sense of rolled-up sleeves in the hallways as Te Nehenehenui, the new Post Settlement Governance Entity that just transitioned from the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and a legislative necessity, gets underway in earnest. That’s not to say they haven’t already been working hard. Group chief executive Sam Mikaere said there had been real pleasure in welcoming “the fantastic team” onboard. “I want to highlight my fantastic team, all thoroughly skilled and highly capable people from the region, giving us the ability to do what we need to do at a board level, and a strategy level. “One of the main focus areas for my team is to help Te Nehenehenui design the strategic intent of the next five years,” he said. “To do this, we’ve gone about the country, and held 15 hui across the motu, putting questions to the whānau, asking them, what do you think of the values we currently use, what do you think of the kaupapa that we have looked at, and thought of, and what do you think we should be looking at? And the final one is, how would you like Te Nehenehenui to spend/invest $200 million?
WHĀNAU FEEDBACK “Which is always an interesting question, because we then give them examples of how it can be done,” he said. “My team will gather whānau feedback and convert their thinking into meaningful strategy that we can deliver to Te Nehenehenui and all whānau under that umbrella.” It’s an intricate system though, because Sam said the role was to deliver on Te Nehenehenui’s strategic intent for the rohe taking all that kōrero into account. “This means developing programmes for whānau that are not only based in the rohe, but across the motu as well as whānau members who live abroad. “It’s believed about 90% live out of the rohe. So when you have [that], and you have a settlement which is predominantly cash, along with deferred settlement properties there, you’ve got to look at how do you bring together those two concepts – one that is supporting people who live inside the rohe and one which supports those [who don’t].
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS “We need to look at our infrastructure both within Te Kūiti and the Rohe Pōtae to make sure we are finding the best investment places and then, how do we do that in a collaborative way to make sure that all the views of the people are heard; that’s why the roadshow hui were so pivotal. “Iwi consultation leading to today, has been critical in shaping the path we have walked so far. Every step we take needs to be guided by whānau, for whānau,” he said. All this work has gone on quietly in the background. “We’ve been hard at it for four or five months trying to make sure we are prepared,” Sam said. “The whole focus of all the mahi we have been doing was to get ready for the third reading and then to look at how we evolve during the next 25 years or so. “Our next plan is to make sure our annual and five-year plans are always updated and you can’t do that without getting the right people on board.” Sam was very clear about the trust having followed the required hiring practises, which includes advertising for strategic senior roles to make sure the right people are on board. Sam’s role as group CE, was a transition from his previous role as establishment director, as it was with all MMTB staff.
DILIGENT PROCESSES Diligent hiring and advertising processes will be applied when Sam’s fixed term role comes to an end. “Then there were those already well versed in what is happening – the staff of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, as assets in themselves,” Sam said. “It was awesome just to be able to transition MMTB kaimahi across to the new PSGE; we didn’t have to do much more than let them know ‘we’ve got you sorted’. “Te Nehenehenui has been focused on bringing people across and that we set ourselves up to be able to manage the $220 million in total – $165 settlement, between that and the interest from it equating to a total of $177 million, and the MMTB assets bringing the entire figure up past the $220 million mark.” This total does not include properties, both existing and those that will be handed over at the time the settlement is completed. “Next steps for us are to build in what do we need? We’ve created this month two entities, one commercial and one charitable,” Sam said.
TWO MAIN ARMS “The whole point is when the assets transition, they will get split. There will be cash in the commercial arm towards transacting activities, while the charitable arm gets most of the assets.” There will be other arms within the groups and other entities created – and these will mean more jobs that also will need to be created. “Realistically, there are aspirations, particular roles, more people looking after governance components, others who will work with how we work with charitable entities, so yes, there are new roles being advertised shortly as well. “At this point, we are just structuring up the charitable entity senior roles.” There is a lot of work done, but a lot more to go. “I don’t know if there will ever not be a lot of work,” Sam said.
STRATEGIC ENTITIES The next 12 months will see the setting up of strategic entities, Te Nehenehenui’s investment portfolio review, establishing where Te Nehenehenui wants to focus the most change within the region, and its charitable arm. “New trustees and directors of each entity – these have to be established, the people coming through whakapapa here, and are strong in their background.” He balances all this with using the experience of those who have gone before, and in utilising not only their experience but the groups aligned specifically with settlement trusts to help create a vibrant, robustly healthy asset base which in today’s times, is very much part of the landscape of the country’s economy and GDP.
STRONG BENCHES “The impressive big four accounting groups have strong benches of capable Māori, to help us understand the landscape we are now in. “It’s been really enjoyable to see that happening. “We also need to look at a place to put our staff with its increased numbers – and then we will be holding our first elections next year; it’s really important to determine the first group to come on as trustees as well, and we need a little bit of time to look into how our systems are when dealing with such things as our tribal register, making sure our systems and infrastructure are fit for purpose,” he said. The unique ability of Māori to share their strengths and experiences at the board table level is also happening with collaboration with other iwi, learning from the experiences others who paved the way earlier, have had. “It’s very open, evenly shared and very enjoyable.”
