Haea te Ata – Fonterra’s Connection Journey with Te Ao Māori

About Haylee

Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Aitanga ā Hauiti, Ngāti Pāhauwera

Haylee leads Fonterra’s Matakahi Māori, strategy team. Prior to joining Fonterra, Haylee was with Chapman Tripp (Auckland) and other law firms over 12 years practising land and commercial law.

She was part of Fonterra’s first Māori strategy team, led the Business Graduate and Intern programs then moved to Global Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. Haylee frequently speaks on DEI and this year is a Judge of the Diversity Works and Infrastructure NZ awards.

As Pouhere, Haylee has a laser focus on supporting Fonterra’s farmer owners, including a nucleus of Māori farms to maximise their investment in and as part of the Co-operative. Alongside farmers, Haylee leads strategic engagement supporting Fonterra’s manufacturing sites to have strong and long-term relationships with mana whenua and constantly encouraging opportunities to share Māoritanga across Fonterra’s local and global workforce - ‘Mō Tātou, Mō Aotearoa’ for all farmers, workforce, and global customers.

Outside of mahi, Haylee has contributed to her iwi Trust Board and led parts of the Ngāti Maniapoto settlement of historic claims with the Crown, a process which showed her from devastation and loss can always come restoration of individual and collective mana, integrity, and hope.

Haylee has returned to a love of reading, continues to try keep plants alive and holds a fully paid membership of the gym koha club…..