Keynote Speaker and Workshops


Chellie is a popular and experienced keynote speaker who delivers thoughtful, practical and inspiring tailored to audiences. Drawing on her own extensive repository of case studies and ‘real life’ experience she has a knack for taking people on a journey into new and unchartered territories to open up new ways of thinking about important issues.

Chellie’s search for more insights to how we can develop leaders with a wider, longer and deeper perspective answers has led her to explore leadership lessons from the ways of the wayfinders – the ancient Polynesian navigators who set off to lead the way to new worlds. These wayfinders weren’t afraid to journey to new places. They went beyond the known on voyages of discovery to new horizons. It’s been an amazing journey for Chellie as she uncovered layer after layer of depth that we can learn from modern Wayfinders along with the ancient wayfinders to help us in business.

Keynotes and interactive, experiential workshops

Wayfinding Leadership: Groundbreaking wisdom for developing leaders keynote often covers the following topics:

  • What you intend you become
  • Purpose as that which we are becoming together
  • Calling the destination to you by reading the signs
  • The waka is the needle and crafting a dynamic strategy
  • Linear may not be so direct and the map is not the territory
  • Living values
  • Making better decisions
  • Moving from stillness
  • Learning by doing
  • Building more effective teams
  • Mastering change
  • Steering with self-knowledge
  • Harnessing the power of collective will and intention
  • Navigating paradox
  • Refreshing paradigms
Next level inclusion
A highly interactive and academically robust course that has been designed to give leaders tools to strengthen organisational transformation towards greater diversity, inclusion and belonging. As systems scientist Peter Senge has said, it is not organisations who change but individuals, and through a change challenge in the context of diversity, inclusion and belonging you’ll have first-hand experience of a personal change process which can also be applied in teams. The process also provides tools to help leaders coach others.

Participants who successfully complete the sessions should be able to:

  • Analyse, apply and reflect on a range of leadership skills that aid understanding and resolving of complex leadership issues in the context of diversity, inclusion and belonging
  • Discern between low and high context cultures
  • Reflect on personal responses to diversity, inclusion and belonging
  • Explore authentic leadership, relational and Māori leadership
  • Distinguish between adaptive and technical change, and acquire the tools to lead self and others through the “Immunity to Change” process
Diversity and Inclusion
An introductory session on how Māori culture and values can help organisations understand, and be motivated to create, a culture that is genuinely open and embracing of diversity and inclusion. In this session I invite them to consider not just ‘adding Māori to the Multi-cultural Mix” as a kind of clip on or check box – but to look at integrating Māori values in a meaningful way. The wisdom contained in Māori values, developed over the aeons in relationship to the world around us help us create relational trust and wellbeing. This is a world of “I belong therefore I am” and creating a culture belonging is at the heart of “diversity and inclusion.”
Māori values are system that creates mauri ora in a person, in the group and in the world. This relational wisdom is forged in an intimate, humble and participatory relationship with the world, developed through the generations. These values have stood the test of time – by their very nature, they teach people how to adapt and thrive in a changing world. Values are not singular, abstract ideals that don’t relate to each other. Rather, they are an interlocking system that connects values with each other and to context. Each value illuminates a dimension of relationship and can only be truly understood in relation to other values. They are relationship-based values that guide us how to look after each other, our rangatahi youth, our kaumatua/kuia elders, our unborn generations, our environment. They truly embody diversity.
Māori values emphasise practice, and often have the suffix ‘tanga’ tagged to the end: that makes the word connote action, a process, something that comes into being as it is practiced. They need to be lived. The tanga’s that are focused on are:
  • Rangatiratanga  - we are all rangatira in our own way, job of leaders is to weave people together into a unified whole
  • Manaakitanga – more than just ‘hospitality’ but to care, give respect, be generous and raise the mana of others through acts of generosity
  • Humarietanga - humility, one of the most powerful leadership qualities in Te Ao Māori. He kumara. Your acts will speak for themselves.
  • Whanaungatanga – community, Not a magic glue that just happens, but is an active building of community and connecteneddness at work
  • Kaitiakitanga – look after our environment, reciprocity, our wellbeing depends on a health environment – kindship with all of creation
  • Wairuatanga –The centrality of the spiritual domain in any endeavour in Māori life reflects a fundamental commitment to nurture a spiritually-centred outlook that emphasises the inter-relatedness of all aspects of creation. In the workplace this means attending to the spirit of the place, its energy (i.e. its mauri)
  • Kotahitanga – not just arrows pointing in same direction but a binding together in spirit of unity. A sense of togetherness. True unity in diversity.

We work with a team of experts who take participants through an experiential workshops that brings these ‘tangas’ to life. Each team undergoes an experiential learning aspect of Māori culture. Each group will be tasked with presenting back to the others what they learned about Māori culture and values, and what can be taken forward into their organisation to create the kind of business they want to create. The participants to reflect and talk about how the values have come to life and how they might be included at work. After the time with the experts the participants return to the main room and give a performance about what the learned. Works best with around 60-80 people.

Following is a selection of keynote talks, and workshops, Chellie has given around the world:

Keynotes (2019-November 2021):
2021 Ministry of Justice leaders conference, 16 Nov
2021 Wayfinding Ethical Investment Webinar, 26 Oct
2021 CAPEs North Asian webinar, 5 Oct
2021 Department of Corrections annual conference, 30 Sep
2021 Caci Clinc, online, 17 Sep
2021 Women in Leadership, online, 1 Sep
2021 Google International leadership development program, online, 23 Jul
2021 Kidsfirst Conference, Christchurch, 28 Apr
2021 Tainui Board, Hamilton, 8 Apr
2021 SPARK International Women’s Day, online, 19 Mar
2020 Education Review Office, online, 1 Jul
2020 Bay of Plenty Regional Council, online, 24 Sep
2020 Women in academic leadership, Hamilton, 25-26 Nov
2020 Springboard Trust, Auckland, 2 Dec
2019 Asia-Pacific Coroners Conference, Queenstown, 13 Nov
2019 Sky City Staff Conference, Auckland, 21 Oct
2019 Universities HR conference, Hamilton, 3 Oct
2019 Te Rau Matatini, Auckland, 31 May
2019 Māori Fisheries conference, Auckland, 27 Mar

Guest lecturing (2019-November 2021)
2021 Guest lecturer Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity on Indigenous leadership, University of Melbourne, 30 Jul
2021 Guest lecturer St Mary’s College of California, 17 Apr
2021 Guest lecturer University of Oregon, 9 Apr
2021 Guest lecturer Māori Doctoral Student Goal Setting,University of Waikato, 1 Mar
2021 Guest lecturer University of Arizona, Indigenous Leadership, Jan 21-23
2020 Guest lecturer Harvard Kennedy School on Next Level Inclusion, 8 Oct
2020 Guest lecturer Qualitative Research Methods, Kaupapa Māori, WMS, 22 Sep
2020 Guest lecturer CELF, 6 Aug
2019 Guest lecturer Otago Polytech, 23 Oct
2019 Guest lecturer University of Otago, 18 Jul
2019 Guest lecturer Drucker School of Management, 26 & 29 May
2019 Guest lecturer CELF, 1 May

Facilitations (2019-November 2021):
2021 Asia Development Bank Pacific leaders Programme, 25 Nov
2021 Ministry of Education Craft of Management Programme, 23, 24, 30 Nov
2021 RLTB Central West Auckland Pacific leaders, 28 Oct, 10 Nov
2021 SPARK Senior Leaders Masterclass series, Online, 22 Oct
2021 Hiakai CEO Programme, 16 Sep
2021 Te Puni Kokiri Specialist Leaders Programme, Online, 9 Sep
2021 Capital Coast DHB, Wellington, 28 July
2021 VisionWest Community Trust, Auckland, 22 Jun
2021 Department of Corrections Senior Leadership Retreat, Napier, 19 May
2021 Kidsfirst Senior Teachers, Christchurch, 30 Apr
2021 Purapura Whetu Trust, Christchurch, 29 Apr
2021 Ministry of Education, Wellington, 14 Apr
2021 CreativeNZ, Wellington, 13 Apr
2021 Fonterra, online, 7 Apr
2021 Te Puni Kokiri Specialist Leaders Programme, Wellington, 12 Apr
2021 CreativeNZ, Auckland, 3 Feb
2020 Hiakai CEO Programme, Nov
2020 Women in Leadership NZ, online, 16 Oct
2020 Te Puni Kokiri Specialist Leaders Programme, Wellington, 13 Oct
2020 Women in Leadership NZ, online, 7 Aug
2020 SPARK Senior Leaders Masterclass series, online
2020 Te Puni Kokiri Specialist Leaders Programme, Wellington, 16 Mar
2019 Te Kapehu Whetu, Whangarei, 9 Oct
2019 Global Women, Auckland, 14-16 Aug
2019 Māori Land Court, Wellington, 8 Aug
2019 AIRNZ Mahi Rangatira middle-manager, Auckland, 2 Apr, 14 May
2019 BDO Māori Governance series, Northland, 8 Feb, 19 Mar, 12 Apr
2019 Anglican Church, Auckland, 19 Feb
2019 Northern Mystics, Auckland, 30 Jan

Selected Highlights prior 2019
2018 Roundtable Panellist for Global Women
2018 Moderator for Global Women Roundtable (topic: strategies for diversity and inclusion)
2018 Not for Profit Association annual conference (topic: wayfinding leadership: keynote)
2018 BDO/Te Puni Kōkiri series of 4 workshops in Northland (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 University of Auckland Law School (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 Harvard University (topic: Wayfinding Leadership/role: presenter)
2018 Te Puni Kōkiri series of four workshops in Northland (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 Northern District Court Judges triennial conference (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 TEDx HastingsStreet (topic: Wayfinding Leadership/role: presenter)
2018 Global Women's Breakthrough Leadership programme: 4 day Cultural Module (topic: Wayfinding Leadership, culture, diversity & inclusion: facilitator)
2018 University of Oregon (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 BDO/Te Puni Kōkiri Governance and Cultural Match
2018 Hiakai CEO leadership development (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 University of Otago (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2018 Northern Mystics netball (topic: Wayfinding Leadership: facilitator)
2017 Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (topic: leadership & decision-making: presenter)
2017 Regional District Court Judges conference (topic: wayfinding leadership (WFL): facilitator)
2017 Leadership NZ (topic: integrative leadership: guest speaker)
2017 Te Rau Matatini Maori Health Leadership Summit (topic: WFL: keynote)
2017 Wellington Regional Primary Principals’ Association (topic: WFL: keynote)
2017 Taiwhenua training day, Hawkes Bay (topic: WFL: keynote)
2017 Te Putahitanga conference, Nga Hau e Wha marae, Christchurch (topic: WFL: keynote)
2017 European Group of Organisation Studies, Copenhagen (topic: mihi in leadership: presenter)
2017 Skip Garden workshop, London (topic: WFL: workshop facilitator)
2017 Science and Non Duality Conference, Italy (topic: WFL: presenter)
2017 Fairfax senior leadership conference (topic: diversity & inclusion: presenter, organiser)
2017 Asia Pacific Deans of Business Schools (topic: WFL: keynote)

2016 Leadership New Zealand 'Dinner with a Difference' speaker
2016 Presenter at National Māori Accountants Conference
2016 Guest speaker for 'Global Immersion' MBA visiting students, Drucker School of Management
2016 Panellist for Business and Professional Women's regional conference. Plenary discussant
2015 Wayfinding Leadership: Navigating paradox, Vancouver, Canada
2015 Wayfinding: The Journey to True Wealth, Sydney, Australia
2015 New Zealand Playcentre Federation keynote, Auckland, NZ
2015 Value-Chain Innovation, St Mary’s University, visiting MBA, Auckland, NZ
2014 Authentic Leadership, International Leadership Forum, live webinar
2012 Māori business at Common Roots, Common Futures, University of Arizona, USA
2012 Authentic and sustainable business, public lecture, Portland, USA
2010 Sustainability and Indigenous Business, Sherbrook University, Montreal, Canada