Evie O’Brien is returning to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa as kaiwhakatere chief executive after 10 years.
O’Brien will be welcomed later this month, after leaving her role in 2014 as acting Kaihautū National Delivery which she had held for two years, having previously worked as regional manager Tāmaki/Te Tai Tokerau for three years.
Current chief executive Nepia Winiata will retire next month after 15 years’ service.
O’Brien is rejoining the organisation, whose head office is in Factory Road, Te Awamutu, after spending nearly four years as executive director of the University of Oxford based Atlantic Institute: Rhodes Trust, where she was focussed on addressing systematic causes of inequity. She spent the previous two years, from 2018 to 2020, as programme director at the institute.
“I loved working at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and look forward to bringing everything I have learned during my time with the Atlantic Institute back home,” O’Brien said in a statement.
“Being immersed in a kaupapa Māori organisation again after several years away is something I’m excited about. I see this role as an incredible opportunity to build on the successes of the past and to serve and give back to our whānau in recognition of all the support and opportunities I have had over the years, while contributing to better educational outcomes for our people.”
O’Brien sees herself as an experienced leader with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education sector and social justice.
She says, on her LinkedIn profile, that she is, skilled in organisational change and culture, coaching, lecturing, higher education leadership, curriculum development, and public speaking. She has a Master of Business Administration from The University of Waikato.
“Evie’s extensive experience in senior leadership roles across the tertiary education sector, her deep understanding of and strong relationships within our organisation, and her clear passion and commitment to whānau transformation through education, gave her the leading edge,” said Te Wānanga o Aotearoa council chair Vanessa Eparaima.
O’Brien will work alongside Winiata to ensure a smooth transition before his farewell on February 13.
“We look forward to welcoming Evie back to our whānau, this time as our chief executive. We have a strong vibrant future before us, and we are excited by the added momentum and perspective Evie’s skills and experience will bring,” said Eparaima.
