Karli Te Aotonga

Karli Te Aotonga (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui) is an experienced People and Culture leader with more than 20 years’ experience spanning organisational performance, leadership, strategy, workforce development, and people and systems transformation.

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Her career has included leadership roles across the public, private, not-for-profit and iwi Māori sectors, with a strong focus on supporting and enabling organisations and their people to perform, grow and deliver meaningful outcomes. Her experience extends beyond People and Culture into organisational leadership, Māori–Crown relations, Treaty settlements, governance, and national advisory roles.

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Karli is a Chartered Member of Te Ara Whakaritorito, Human Resources New Zealand (CMHRNZ). She holds a Bachelor of Business Management, majoring in Human Resource Management, and a Master’s degree in Māori and Indigenous Leadership, and is nearing completion of her PhD examining tikanga within the employment relationship. She is also a lecturer in Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Canterbury.

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Karli joined He Herenga Kura deeply committed to its kaupapa and to supporting and enabling the workforce who work alongside whānau every day. In her role, she brings together people, culture, organisational performance, and systems to help create the conditions for kaimahi and the organisation to succeed.

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Outside of her professional and academic work, Karli is māmā to three boys — Cobey, Wiremu Te Awarua, and Tūterangi-Te Ramaapakura.