Our Kupe Partners
We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the very generous Sponsors who have made this exciting initiative possible, the members of our Advisory Group who offer support and direction to the Kupe Programme Team and the inspirational mentors who have agreed to volunteer their time and expertise to support our Kupe Leadership scholars.
Founding Sponsor | McCall MacBain Foundation
Canadian philanthropists John and Marcy McCall MacBain have gifted over $1 million to the University of Auckland to launch the Kupe Leadership Scholarships. This is the latest in the more than NZ$275 million worth of donations made by McCall MacBain's foundation since 2007, which included an unprecedented NZ$150 million gift to Oxford University's Rhodes Scholarships. As a recipient of a Rhodes scholarship himself, John has first-hand experience of how scholarships of this nature can change lives and is passionate about creating similar opportunities for others. “These scholarships aim to create the next generation of explorers in innovation and discovery for a new future,” he says. “The McCall MacBain Foundation is proud to be a funder of the Kupe Scholarships.” The McCall MacBain Foundation has provided seed funding for the Kupe Leadership Scholarships, which are being supported by a number of generous philanthropic donors, as outlined below.
Sponsors of the 2023 Kupe Leadership Scholarship
McCall MacBain Foundation | Biggar Family Trust |
University of Auckland Foundation | Fran & Geoff Ricketts, CNZM |
Heartland Bank | John W Turnbull Estate Engineering |
Kelliher Economics Foundation | Ralph & Eve Seelye Trust |
Stuart Feigin | UK Friends of University of Auckland |
Wright Family Foundation |
Mentors of the 2023 Kupe Leadership Scholars
Sir Ashley Bloomfield, KNZM, Public Health Official, professor of Public Policy Impact Institute
Bruce Aitken, Former President and Chief Executive of Methanex, former chair at the University of British Columbia's Centre for CEO Leadership, Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Auckland Business School
Chelsea Lane, Elite Performance Therapist, Physiotherapist and Consultant
Emma Espiner, broadcaster, political commentator, columnist for Newsroom, podcast host 'Getting Better' for Radio New Zealand
Golriz Ghahraman, MP - NZ Green Party, Politician, Author
Greg Cross, Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Soul Machines, Director Cross Ventures Ltd, Chairman SLI Systems, Sir John Logan Campbell Executive in Residence at University of Auckland Business School
Dr Huhana Hickey, MNZM, Lawyer, Disability Advocate, Housing Expert Advisor at New Zealand Human Rights Commission, Managing Director at Pukenga Consultancy, Panel Member - Human Rights Review Tribunal
Dr James Every-Palmer, KC, Lawyer at Stout Street Chambers, Lecturer of Markets and Regulation, Law and Economics and Cyberspace Law at Victoria University and University of Auckland
Louise Aitken, Sustainability and Climate Action Lead at Deloitte, CEO and Advisor at the Akina Foundation, Partner, Circular & Climate Innovation and Sustainability at Toyota NZ
Lyn Provost, CNZM, Chartered Accountant, Auditor General
Dame Marilyn Waring, DNZM, Public Policy Scholar, International Development Consultant, Former Politician, Environmentalist, Principal Founder of Feminist Economics
Meng Foon, Race Relations Commissioner of NZ
Metiria Stanton Turei, Pukenga Matua at University of Otago, Academic and a former New Zealand Politician and Co-Leader of the NZ Green Party
Miriam Dean, CNZM KC, Queen's Counsel, Barrister, Director at Chorus NZ Ltd and REINZ, Reviewer, Mediator and Arbitrator, Chair of Banking Ombudsman Scheme (NZ)
Sir Peter Gluckman, ONZM KNZM FRSNZ FRS, Director - Centre for Informed Futures NZ, Distinguished Professor at Liggins Institute, Chief Scientific Officer at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, President of the International Science Council
Rod Oram, Journalist - corporate, economic and political issues, Columnist for The Sunday Star-Times, Broadcaster on Radio and Television, Public Speaker
Professor Selina Tusitala-Marsh, ONZM FRSNZ, Award-Winning Poet, Academic, New Zealand Poet Laureate for 2017–2019
Vanessa Stoddart, Board Member of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, Independent Director of OneFortyOne Holdings Pty Ltd, Non Executive Director of Channel Infrastructure NZ, Board Member of Financial Markets Authority - New Zealand
Kupe Advisory Group
Andrew Grant | Prof Bridget Kool |
Prof Brigid Carroll | David Downs (Executive Chair) |
Grant Biggar | Jennifer Kerr |
Maru Nihoniho | Dr Michelle Johansson |
Ngati Kawa Taituha | Vanessa Stoddart |
Biggar Family Trust | Fady Mishriki |
Geoff and Fran Ricketts | Heartland Bank |
John W Turnball Estate | Kelliher Economics Foundation |
McCall MacBain Foundation | Ralph & Eve Seelye Trust |
Stuart Feigin | William Chick Trust |
Wright Family Foundation |
Dr Andrew Chen | Chlöe Swarbrick |
Dr Dale Bramley | Dr Elizabeth Berryman |
Jacinta Fitzgerald | Joanne Reidy |
Dr Makarena Dudley | Dr Matatoria Lyndon |
Dr Michelle Dickinson MNZM | Michelle Sharp |
Miriam Dean CNZM QC | Sir Peter Gluckman ONZ KNZM FRS FRSNZ |
Professor Peter O'Connor | Pip Cheshire |
Rod Oram | Sharon Shea |
Associate Professor Tom Roa |
McCall MacBain Foundation | Biggar Family Trust |
Heartland Bank | Hugh Fletcher |
John Turnbull Estate | Ralph & Eve Seelye Trust |
September Giving Trust | Stuart Feigin |
William Chick Trust | Wright Family Foundation |
Woolf Fisher Trust |
Dr Audrey Aumua |
Bruce Aitken |
Deidre Vercoe |
Hoana Pearson, QSO |
Sir Kim Workman, KNZM |
Louise Marra |
Maanu Paul, ONZM |
Dr Mark Sagar |
Dr Michelle Dickinson, MNZM |
Nikki Kaye |
Sir Peter Gluckman, KNZM FRS FRSNZ |
Pip Cheshire |
Rod Oram |
Professor Stuart McNaughton, ONZM |
Troy Brockbank |
Tupe Solomon Tanoa'i |
McCall MacBain Foundation | Biggar Family Trust |
Heartland Bank | Hugh Fletcher |
Ralph & Eve Seelye Trust | Richard Sorrenson & Helen Sword |
September Giving Trust | Stuart Feigin |
William Chick Trust |
University of Auckland Foundation |
Bruce Aitken |
Chloe Wright |
Chris Clay |
Dr Des Gorman |
Dr Innes Asher |
Dr Kim McGregor, QSO |
Linda Tuhiwai Smith, CNZM, FRSNZ |
Lynette Stewart, CNZM |
Mark Powell |
Nichola McCall |
Dr Nikki Turner |
Pip Cheshire |
Qiane Matata-sipu |
Sir Richard Faull, KNZM FRSNZ |
Tracey McIntosh, MNZM |
McCall MacBain Foundation | Biggar Family Trust |
Bruce Aitken | Fran & Geoff Ricketts |
Heartland Bank | Hugh Fletcher |
Ralph & Eve Seelye Trust | Richard Sorrenson & Helen Sword |
September Giving Trust | Stuart Feigin |
William Chick Trust |
Professor Alistair Woodward | Andrew Patterson |
Dame Anne Salmond, FRSNZ | Elisabeth Vaneveld, MNZM |
Dr Jenny Harper MNZM | Jess Hindin |
Kerry Ann Stanton | Minnie Baragwanath MNZM |
Pat Snedden MNZM | Pauline Winter QSO |
Philip Coombe | Pip Cheshire |
Rod Oram | Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles MNZM |