ANZ's first head of Māori strategy, Karleen Everitt, will work closely with the bank's New Zealand leadership team, wider leadership teams, head of Māori business, and Māori and Pasifika affinity group to shape the future Te Ao Māori strategy of ANZ.
The former chief executive of Manaaki Solutions took up her role at ANZ earlier this week and said today she was excited to pave the way forward for Māori communities, and their relationship with the bank.
"There is a lot involved with the role as head of Māori strategy, but I'm looking forward to helping our whānau, iwi and hapū and Māori organisations, and to work with them and the ANZ staff to see what our strengths are and areas of improvement," Everitt told Te Ao Māori News.
She has worked at a national level in the Māori economic area and before that worked in the health sector, planning and funding Maori health services, mental health and primary health policy, and held finance roles in the commercial sector, while also serving on a number of boards, including the Queen Victoria and St Stephens Trust Board, where she is the deputy chair.
Everitt, who affiliates with Te Iwi Mōrehu, Te Aupōuri, and Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu, was the first Māori woman to chair Northland’s economic development agency, Northland Inc.
ANZ CEO Antonia Watson. said Everitt would play a vital role providing leadership on how ANZ could play a stronger role in building stronger economic participation for Māori and increasing the cultural capabilities of ANZ as it related to tikanga Māori.
"She will work across ANZ NZ to shape our Te Ao Māori strategy, deliver initiatives that will have a meaningful impact for Māori communities and implement our vision of a strong partnership with Māori."