Tash Puketapu

Kaiurungi
People & Culture

Tash Puketapu works in People & Culture at AUT, where her role sits at the intersection of organisational design, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the lived experience of staff across the university. It is work that is as strategic as it is human.

What’s your role and how long have you been at AUT?

I’m the kaiurungi within People & Culture at AUT. My role was newly created as part of AUT’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to embedding Te Aronui (AUT’s Te Tiriti Framework) across the people experience. A big part of my work sits at the intersection of People & Culture, organisational design and Te Tiriti. There actually aren’t many roles like this in Aotearoa yet, which makes the work both exciting and challenging. I’ve been at AUT for a little over a year, although my work has always centred around people, equity, culture and creating better outcomes for Māori communities.

What made you choose AUT – and what made you stay?

I chose AUT because it felt like a place genuinely willing to ask bigger questions about who we are as an organisation and what it means to honour Te Tiriti in practice – not just in principle. What’s made me stay is the people. I’ve found true allies here. I’ve been able to build authentic relationships with people willing to listen, support, learn alongside me and help create change together. In work like this, that matters more than people probably realise.

What has surprised you most about working here?

How many people genuinely care. Universities are complex places and transformational work can be hard, slow and sometimes uncomfortable, but I’ve been surprised by the number of people who really do want to build something better for staff and students. I’ve also realised that being in a learning institution means it’s okay to still be learning yourself. Some of the biggest growth opportunities come with pressure and challenge attached to them, but there’s also something really valuable about being in an environment where growth, curiosity and reflection are encouraged. A lot of meaningful change happens quietly – through relationships, conversations and small shifts over time.

When did you last think: this is why I do this job?

Usually it’s in the small moments. Seeing Te Tiriti become the foundation. Helping shape induction experiences and welcoming new staff through pōwhiri at Ngā Wai o Horotiu. Bringing Matariki events to life. Watching someone grow in confidence or feel seen in a space where they maybe hadn’t before. I really value being able to use Te Tiriti to help inform the design of the work we do in People & Culture in terms of how we lead and how we build our systems or initiatives.

What does working here let you do that you couldn’t do anywhere else?

AUT gives me the opportunity to work across people, culture, systems and strategy all at once, while helping shape what Te Tiriti-informed organisational practice can look like in a modern university setting. That’s pretty unique. The work has real impact for staff, students, whānau and future generations coming through the university as well. As a māmā, that part feels especially meaningful to me. My eldest already studies here, and my youngest already talks about wanting to come here one day. I love those moments where I bump into my child on campus and get reminded that this place is part of our whānau story too. It makes the work feel personal in the best possible way.