Our CEO/Te Tumuaki - appointment & trip around the motu

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CEO/Te Tumuaki – Appointment and Trip around the Motu

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In Hui Tanguru (February) 2023 Ngā Kaiwhakahaere were very pleased and excited to appoint Dr. Claire McGowan as Te Tumuaki of Literacy Aotearoa.

Claire’s whakapapa is to Te Arawa and Ngati Pikiao.  

She has work experience across a range of different areas – Iwi, education, community, not-for-profit charities, business and research.

Claire says:

"I enter the role of Te Tumuaki aware of the long history  of the organisation and committed to the importance of maintaining and strengthening the core Kaupapa and values of Literacy Aotearoa as a strong and successful Tiriti-based organisation. These values and kaupapa have been at the core of Literacy Aotearoa since its establishment some 30 years ago. I am excited by the mission of the organisation to enhance people's well being through literacy and our goals to reach people and communities underserved in the past."

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Claire brings to the role of Te Tumuaki strong strategic, business, management and leadership skills and a wide range of leadership experiences. She comes to Literacy Aotearoa from her role as the CEO of Pledge Me, with previous CEO roles at Science Alive Charitable Trust and Soda Limited (an organisation providing business growth services). Claire also has considerable governance experience, her roles including Ministry of Awesome (which provides new enterprises with advisory support and mentoring); AUT Enterprises Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of AUT University), Te Arawa Management Ltd, and the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited.

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Trip around the Motu

Throughout Pipiri (June) Claire has undertaken a road trip to visit our 30+ sites around Aotearoa, to introduce herself, connect with staff and to get a closer understanding of our sites and their communities. Our sites are spread from Kaitaia to Invercargill, our people have experienced long periods of covid19 - related isolation and recent weather incidents have made life challenging for many ... these visits from Claire, along with our Cluster manager Chris and Finance Manager David are an important reconnection.

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Here are a few of the comments people have made after the visits:

" there were about 18 of us in total and we had a good day out mixed with laughter, kai, and time to kōrero and talanoa."

" ...positivity...past few years in limbo...people are excited about the changes and still changes to be acted on."

​​​​​​​" It was great to see people in the flesh after Covid 19, Cyclones and Storms."‍

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