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

 
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