Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Zachary Katene
Borrin Foundation - Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga postgraduate scholarship
About Zachary
Ngāti Toarangatira, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Zachary grew up in Hamilton, where he attended high school at the Church College of New Zealand. His first job was milking cows with his uncle in Pio Pio during the school holidays. Then when he was 19, he served a volunteer mission in Australia.
Driven by a desire to solve problems that affect people’s lives, Zachary decided to study business and law. While at law school he discovered a passion for advocacy and negotiation, achieving first place in the Waikato regional negotiation competition, an Australasian Universities negotiation competition, and the National Kaupapa Māori Moot. In 2017, he graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Management Studies (Hons) and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons).
Zachary started his legal career at the Auckland office of Simpson Grierson. While there, he spent time in the tax and construction law teams and had the opportunity to work with several iwi and Māori-owned companies on a range of projects.
Zachary and his wife, Nadia, have four children: Quinn, Tairua, Kauri and Stanford.
What Zachary is studying
Zachary is pursuing a Master of Laws in Corporate Governance & Practice at Stanford Law School in California, USA.
During his time at the University of Waikato and Simpson Grierson, Zachary learned of the growing Māori economy and the commercial possibilities this is creating for Māori. In this, he has seen the need for greater governance and leadership expertise within Māori-owned businesses to take full advantage of these possibilities.
In his programme at Stanford Law School, Zachary is examining the most pressing challenges facing large businesses today and, with his classmates, exploring contemporary solutions to the same. Being in the heart of ‘Silicon Valley,’ he also has the unique opportunity to observe governance arrangements in a highly innovative environment.
By advocating for and teaching effective corporate governance and leadership, Zachary hopes to play a significant role in harnessing the potential of the Māori economy to effect change for Māori communities. In particular, by reducing poverty, addressing health and housing concerns and providing greater access to higher education.
Scholarship amount
$80,000
“Successful, well-governed whānau, iwi or hapu owned companies are one of the fastest ways to whānau wellbeing, because of the direct benefits of employment, income and training they provide. I want to advance the goal of “Ko te Māori e arataki ana i a Aotearoa ki te ao kei mua” – Māori leading Māori into the future.”
– Zachary Katene