| Join us for an evening of thoughtful exchange between the CEO of Global Women, Katie Bhreatnach and local Global Women members: Professor Jacinta Ruru, Rowena Davenport and Trish Oakley. |
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Katie Bhreatnach is an experienced business leader passionate about the empowerment and advancement of wahine and Māori. She has a global perspective gleaned from experience studying and working overseas, coupled with a passion and drive for innovating for a strong, successful, and sustainable Aotearoa for all of its people.
Her executive career is marked by commercial breadth across diverse sectors including financial services, FMCG, manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, and aviation. An experienced Director and chartered member of the Institute of Directors, Katie’s directorships have included Dunedin International Airport, Global Women, AMP, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, College of Law, Chair of Trusts Arena Stadium, and Chair of St Marys College in Ponsonby. |
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Professor Jacinta Ruru (Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui) MNZM, FRSNZ, is the inaugural Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Māori at the University of Otago. She is a proud University of Otago graduate and, since 1999, has had an award-winning career based in the Faculty of Law.
Her research considers how state legal systems should reconcile with their Indigenous peoples, their laws and knowledges, and specifically considers how law and policy can be more Te Tiriti o Waitangi compliant to better enable Māori to contribute towards caring for, owning, managing, and governing lands and waters.
She has been recognised for her significant contribution with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Newcastle University in the UK. In addition to winning the Prime Minister’s supreme award for tertiary teaching, Professor Ruru has also been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. |
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Rowena Davenport is a strategic leader and governance professional dedicated to driving diversity, inclusion, and high-performance cultures. Her career spans the finance and legal sectors, bringing together expertise in finance, risk, and strategy with a strong focus on people and culture.
She has held executive roles with MTF Finance and served as CEO of Gallaway Cook Allan, as well as becoming the first female Chair of a major Provincial Rugby Union in New Zealand. She was also a director on the New Zealand Rugby Board, where she championed inclusive leadership in sport and business.
Rowena is currently a board member of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, an organisation dedicated to supporting severely injured rugby players and promoting player welfare across all levels of the game.
Recognised for her leadership on the global stage, Rowena was awarded the World Rugby Executive Leadership Scholarship, which enabled her to attend the Women Transforming Leadership program at Oxford University. With expertise in governance, risk, and strategic transformation, she remains committed to empowering organisations and communities through strong, values-driven leadership. |
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Trish Oakley has spent her career in financial services, including 25 years at Forsyth Barr in a variety of roles.
Alongside her executive career, Trish is active in governance. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Otago-Southland Branch committee member and President of the IoD’s National Council.
She is also the Chancellor of the University of Otago and a member of the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.
Trish is passionate about education and its ability to transform lives.
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