Senior Adviser Māori Health

“The Postgraduate Diploma in Business - Māori Development has lifted my thinking and challenged me to explore other avenues, which I feel will enhance my skill set over time. The whanaungatanga with my cohort has been so valuable. The environment has meant that I don’t confine my thoughts or perceptions, I’m always looking to see how I can improve and extend what I’m doing at work because my learning environment is so challenging.

“My experience as a postgraduate student has been awesome and eye opening. From the lecturers to our cohort, there is a wealth of experience to draw on. It’s highlighted to me that there is more than one answer to most problems and, in our diversity, we can craft some exciting responses. My cohort has really made this experience valuable to me."

During the course of his study, Witeri was nominated for the Sir Hugh Kāwharu Foundation PGDipBus Māori Development Award, which aims to encourage and support Māori students to undertake the programme.

“It was an honour, and a welcome surprise, to be named a recipient of Tā Hugh Kāwharu scholarship for our cohort. It made me consider what sort of pathways I could create as I advance and how I could shape the environment for the next cohort or work colleague. If I leave it in a better state than when I found it, then hopefully that starting point gives them the chance to advance the kaupapa further."

Witeri works as Senior Adviser Māori Health at ProCare Health (PHO) Limited. His mahi focuses on supporting general practices to improve health outcomes for Māori whānau. He also sits on the Tapuika Iwi Authority as a tāwhahi representative, a role he secured just before he embarked on postgraduate study.

“Postgraduate study has definitely been of value to me in both my professional and personal life. I hope I can be an example to my tamariki that learning is a lifetime activity – not merely confined to school and you’re done. If you keep honing your interests, you can become high skilled over time.”