Meet our team

Our Māori and Pacific Career Development and Employability Services team is devoted to helping you discover who you are and where you are headed in your future career path.

We support you to make informed decisions and gain experience in the workplace so you can leave university and walk into a job that fits your career goals.

Talofa lava, I’m Pepe, the Career Development and Employability Team Leader, Māori and Pacific working in CDES at the University of Auckland. I’ve worked in a number of different industries and in HR recruitment.

My main goal is to make sure that our Māori and Pacific students have the opportunity to explore their career ideas, discover opportunities and be exposed to careers they didn’t even know existed. We want students to see the enormous value of their cultural identity within the profession they choose, and to know that this is hugely beneficial to organisations.

I’m really passionate about empowering young people to realise their potential, to be able make informative career choices that fit with their personality and maximises their strengths, which I believe not only provides fulfilment but also a sense of purpose in life.

It is exciting to see people reach their potential and dream big. I support them to get where they want to go and introduce them to potential employers through a range of opportunities within and outside the university.

CDES provide a range of programmes that enable students to be exposed to opportunities and gain valuable experience in the workplace to build confidence and gain an understanding of different jobs and where they best fit."Employers are keen to meet students for their future graduate roles and I am the first port of call. This allows me to ensure that students network with key employers of choice.

I strongly encourage you to come into CDES to meet with me and join our Māori and Pacific programmes. Our programmes are designed to meet the specific needs of different year levels and study areas. We help make sure that our Māori and Pacific students can make informed decisions and gain experience in the workplace so they can leave university and walk into their first job that fits their career goals.

Visit us: We're located in Room 151, Level 1, Kate Edger Information Commons, 2 Alfred St.

Email us: cdesmaoripacific@auckland.ac.nz