Northland woman selected for economic change workshop

Northland woman selected for international economic change workshop

July 30 – Northland Māori leader Karleen Everitt has been selected to attend the exclusive international Global Women in Management (GWIM) programme, a women’s economic development workshop being run by Plan International in Washington DC this month, thanks to local support from Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited (Mobil).

Ms Everitt, general manager of Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust (TPWT) and strategic advisor for the Federation of Maori Authorities (FOMA), will be attending the GWIM programme alongside other women leaders from around the world, and is the second Northland woman to attend the workshop in as many years.

The intensive four-week workshop is designed to empower women in the not-for-profit and civil society sector with leadership, technical and professional skills, as well as providing delegates with the opportunity to exchange best practice and experience.

Andrew McNaught, Lead Country Manager for Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, said there was a clear synergy between the objectives of GWIM and those of Ms Everitt and her organisation, which seeks to accelerate Māori social and economic development through educational achievement and higher levels of workforce participation by Māori in key sectors of the economy.

“GWIM presents Karleen with a rare opportunity for fresh insights and further development in the economic development space. Her participation in GWIM will greatly benefit Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust, as well as the wider Northland community, and Mobil is excited to see how she employs the skills she’s learned to empower other women.” said Mr McNaught.

“It’s proven that empowering women helps to catalyse economic growth. Not only that, but knowledge and implementation programs such as GWIM can have a powerful multiplier effect that benefit the entire community.”

He noted Ms Everitt’s extensive credentials, which included having been both the first Māori and first female chair of the Northland Inc board, and governance roles with NorthTec, the Kaikohekohe Education Trust and Iwi organisations across Tai Tokerau.

“Karleen has an enviable background in advancing economic opportunities, and access to extensive networks in Māori economic development, which are invaluable at a pivotal time for Northland and New Zealand’s growth and development,” said Mr McNaught.

Ms Everitt expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, and said her roles with TPWT and FOMA meant she was in a unique position to share learnings with other Māori women, as her role gave her access to a diverse range of female leaders.

“I am humbled that I have been selected to be with an outstanding group of women who are doing amazing things to advance female leadership around the world,” said Ms Everitt.

“It’s fantastic to have this opportunity to develop my leadership skills, and while I’m immensely excited about getting over there, what I’m most excited for is to come back and apply the knowledge gained.”

Ms Everitt is the only New Zealand applicant selected to attend the 2018 GWIM workshop.

GWIM is supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation’s Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative, which was launched in 2005 to help women fulfil their economic potential and drive economic and social change in their communities.

ENDS

Media enquiries and interview opportunities:

Rob Fitzgerald, Mobil Oil New Zealand: +64 27 808 6029; rob.fitzgerald@exxonmobil.com

Melanie Saliba, ExxonMobil Australia: +61; melanie.m.saliba@exxonmobil.com

About the Global Women in Management Programme

The Global Women in Management Programme (GWIM) is a worldwide initiative that since 2005 has been supported by the ExxonMobil Foundation’s Women’s Economic Opportunity. Its goal is to help women around the world fulfil their economic potential and serve as drivers of economic and social change in their communities.

2018 represents the third year Mobil had been able to send a representative from New Zealand to attend the programme.

In April 2016, Herena Stone (Canterbury) and Riri Ellis (Bay of Plenty) attended the regional Asia-Pacific GWIM program in Jakarta, and Ngaria Rolleston (Bay of Plenty) attended the global program in Washington DC in July 2016. Rangimarie Price (Northland) attended the workshop in July 2017.

All four have also attended follow-up workshops in Washington DC, which focused on “designing and facilitating step-down trainings” that help the women to pass on the skills learned through GWIM.

With ExxonMobil’s support, GWIM has provided training for more than 880 women from 77 countries around the world. Mobil Oil New Zealand is proud to have been able to extend the Global Women in Management program to women and communities in New Zealand.

About Plan International

Plan International USA supports the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) Global Women in Management Program (GWIM), which provides intensive training and skills development for women community leaders in developing countries. ExxonMobil has supported the CEDPA GWIM program since 2005, providing training workshops to more than 880 women globally.

About Mobil Oil New Zealand

Mobil and affiliated companies have been doing business in New Zealand for more than 120 years. We provide high-quality petroleum products and services daily to customers around New Zealand. We are also committed to supporting and engaging with the communities in which we operate.

For more information, visit www.mobil.co.nz

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