Ethnic Communities' Governance Leader
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This category is to recognise Ethnic women in governance.
This award is presented to a woman who is acknowledged as an experienced and reputable governance leader at a regional or national level championing gender diversity and/or gender equity.
Nominees can represent any field and industry sector.
This award is sponsored by Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Meet the finalists
Dr. Sunita Gautam
Sunita serves as a community board member at Waikura Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board, and she is proud to be the first Indian woman to be appointed to a community board in New Zealand.
Sunita is engaged in the local and wider community as a Justice of the peace, a marriage/civil union celebrant, has served as a Chair for the Labour Party Multicultural Branch, a business mentor for local businesses, a trustee at Rose historic chapel and an active community advocate for ethnic and wider communities. Sunita is employed as a Business Lecturer at Ara Institute of Canterbury Ltd teaching management courses.
Sunita believes that as human beings we all seek a sense of belonging and she has found her place in the community. Sunita strongly believes that diversity strengthens the fabric of New Zealand and following her passion for social change and justice she found the courage to stand for office intending to give back to the community and wider New Zealand - her home.
Nurain Janah
Nurain is a Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young and is an ambassador and role model for improving diversity within the industry and firm, leading the way for women of colour in a career in professional services.
Nurain is an experienced director with roles in start-ups, social enterprises, and charities over the past decade. She is a trustee for Foundation North and a committee member on Ernst & Young’s Oceania Cultural Diversity Working Group. Previous board roles include trustee for Upside Downs Education Trust and Belong Aotearoa.
Nurain is the coach and founder of Authenticity Aotearoa which is focused on empowering women of colour by offering leadership and mentoring programmes. She is also founder of Rehendhi and is facilitating the first Executive Women in Leadership coaching programme for diverse women in leadership to upskill and step into leadership and governance roles across various industries where women of colour are typically under-represented.
In 2021 Nurain was a finalist in the Emerging Governance Leader award.
Nurain says her lived experience of inequity has made her committed to being a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nuwanthie Samarakone
Nuwanthie is an international business executive and director. She has held board roles across multiple sectors since 2011.
She is independent director for Downer & Hawkins – Kōkiri Construction Ltd and Kalandra Education Group. She is trustee director for Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust and is on the board of Royal NZ Ballet and The Well Foundation.
Nuwanthie is founder/director of ICE, a professional services consultancy whose purpose is to deliver sustainable, supportive and aspirational pathways for rangatahi through developing internships and graduate schemes for organisations looking to build pipelines.
In 2021 Nuwanthie was a finalist in the Not-For-Profit Governance Leader award.
Nuwanthie says at heart, her experiences growing up in Sri Lanka and being exposed to crime, war and challenges as an immigrant has given her a refreshing lens to the world.
Puspa Lekinwala
Puspa has amassed extensive governance experience serving the Indian community spanning 30+ years.
She is Vice-President of The Auckland Indian Association, trustee and secretary for Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust and a life member of the New Zealand Indian Central Association.
Puspa’s involvement with The Auckland Indian Association commenced in 1998 and she has held the role of Executive Committee Member continuously since then. She is the only female trustee of the Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust and also the only woman life member of the NZ Indian Central Association.
The Life Membership was granted to Puspa in recognition of her efforts in the formation of a women’s sub-committee which was instrumental in encouraging women to join the NZ Indian Association which had comprised a predominantly all-male membership, since its incorporation 95 years ago.
“I have endeavoured to be a role model for Indian women, showing that with hard work, experience and ability, women can be successful and achieve their goals.”