Governance
Training
Practical, plain-language governance training for trustees of iwi, marae, Ahu Whenua trusts and charities. Build the knowledge and confidence to make better decisions for your Trust, Marae or organisation.
Upcoming workshops
Governance Fundamentals: a practical one-day workshop for current and future trustees.
Whakatāne
Friday 20 November
Ake, 88 The Strand · 8:45am–4pm
$475 + GST, kai included
With Tania-Rose Tamati and Erin Wirihana
Book your placeSouth Auckland
Friday 27 November
Te Puni Kōkiri, 9 Ronwood Ave, Manukau · 8:45am–4pm
$475 + GST, kai included
With Tania-Rose Tamati, Erin Wirihana and Leah Donaldson
Book your placeThis training is registered with the Regional Business Partner Network. To explore if your business is eligible for support, contact your local Regional Business Growth Advisor here.
Not ready to book yet? Get governance news and invites to future sessions.
150+
attendances
100%
would recommend it
88%
rated it 5 out of 5
84%
felt much more confident in their role as a trustee
Ake governance sessions, March–December 2025. Ratings from 43 post-session surveys.
Effective governance is key to achieving your strategic goals and overall vision - it builds a strong foundation of accountability and transparency, supporting sustainable growth for future generations.
Our workshops and modules are customised to suit the experience level of your people – whether new to governance, stepping into the role, or experienced – as well as your entity type and development stage.
Delivered by a team with personal experience as Trustees and in Governance roles, our training is practical, relevant and guided by kaupapa Māori.
Governance Fundamentals
Introducing Ake’s foundational training for Trustees and Directors
Part 1: Governance Fundamentals Workshop
Ake’s Governance Fundamentals is a programme that supports Trustees and directors to build confidence in their role - gaining the knowledge and tools to navigate complexities, improve decision-making, and deliver stronger outcomes. It begins with a one-day workshop that covers four essential areas: understanding your charter, roles and responsibilities, maintaining compliance, and best practice.
Charter: Understanding and engaging with foundational documents
Roles & Responsibilities: Clarifying governance vs. operations, and defining key roles
Compliance: Understanding legal requirements, audits and risk assessments
Best Practice: Strengthening financial literacy, policies and administration
Part 2: Recommended Online Workshops
Following the workshop, it’s recommended that participants undertake a package of four 90-minute online workshops to build on and deepen their understanding of specific areas of best practice governance. Each is an hour of content and half an hour of group discussion. The four workshops are:
Finance Fundamentals: Building financial knowledge for effective oversight and accountability.
Managing Risk: How to identify and manage risks in your organisation.
Managing Conflict: Strategies and tools to move from conflict to collaboration.
Chairing the Board: Leading the board and running effective meetings.
Funding Applications and Reporting is an additional workshop, where participants will learn best practices for effective funding applications and clear reporting.
How it works.
Every programme is shaped around your trust, your documents and the experience of your trustees.
Kōrero and pre-work
We talk with you about your trust, then survey your trustees so the content fits where they are.
Governance Fundamentals
A one-day, six-hour workshop covering your charter, roles and responsibilities, compliance and best practice.
Online workshops
Four 90-minute online workshops to go deeper: Finance Fundamentals, Managing Risk, Managing Conflict and Chairing the Board. Each is an hour of content and half an hour of group discussion.
Follow-up
We follow up after the programme to make sure the learning is put into practice.
The people in the room.
Practical governance training, built from our own experience on trust and marae boards.
Tania-Rose Tamati
Tumu Whakarae (CEO) & Chartered Accountant
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi
B.Bus, CPP, MInstD. Sits on several governance boards and is a trustee of her own whenua.
Erin Wirihana
Projects Team Leader
Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rauru
Background in HR, education and governance. A trustee of her marae with board experience across Maniapoto.
What attendees have to say
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“The hotaka was thoughtfully designed, the content was pitched perfectly for both emerging and experienced trustees, and the environment you created allowed everyone to feel safe, heard, and encouraged to contribute. The depth of expertise in the room was exceptional – I’ll be actively recommending your workshops to others.”
Hinehou Timutimu, General Manager, Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust
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“Every Ahu Whenua Trust should do Governance Training as an Introduction to the Trustee role. He rawe katoa te rā.”
Kiri Henry, Okaahu Trust
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"Really informed - we covered everything that we need to know in terms of establishing a Trust, onboarding Trustees and other kaupapa pertaining to the whenua. The facilitators made sure we understood, and that there was clarity before moving to the next kaupapa. Great team work."
Te Awhina Patuwai
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"Each step of what Governance/Trusteeship is about was explained clearly and easy to follow."
Hokimatemai Kahukiwa
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“I'm going to make this a requirement for our trustees! We all need this training.”
Marae trustee
How to get started
Talk to us today to find out how we can help your Trust build strong governance and a thriving future for all whānau.
Book a 15-minute discovery call with Erin Wirihana, our Projects Team Leader, at a time that suits. Alternatively, you can email us on kiaora@akeaccounting.co.nz or call our office on 07 307 0099.
Register your interest in governance training
Request to be notified of our next trainings, or have an Ake team member call you to talk about a 1:1 training.
Meet Ake.
At Ake our mission is to support our clients aspirations, whether that involves growing a business or creating long-term prosperity for whānau and future generations.
Led by Tania-Rose Tamati (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) and Matthew Davis, our people bring real-world experience as trustees, business owners, and governance professionals.
This means we offer more than just financial expertise - we understand the practical challenges you face. Whether it’s a quick kōrero or a kanohi ki te kanohi hui, we work flexibly to provide the personalised support you need to grow, thrive, and succeed.
What guides us
Our Whakatauākī
“Ko tāku he whakaoho i te pito mata o wō moemoeā
Ko tāu he whakapakari hei hua pūmau, hei tāonga tuku iho.
Āke! Ake! Ake!”
“Mine is to awaken the potential of your dreams and aspirations
Yours is to strengthen to bear fruit, to become an asset to be inherited.
Forevermore!”
This whakatauākī was gifted to us by Titoki Black.