Our People: Katie Paul

Katie Paul

Forget past nonsense about few Kiwis of the female kind having sufficient ability to smash through mythical glass ceilings to enter the business world's top echelons - Maori women in particular.

Today there's a swag of high-achieving Te Arawa women no longer consigned to peeling spuds in marae kitchens rather, their outstanding personal qualities and achievements are seeing them being chosen as leaders.

Katie Paul is one: Te Arawa to the core, she's turned her back on a career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to become general manager of Te Arawa River Iwi Trust.
Not long ago the role would have gone to a man, not necessarily chosen for his ability but by tradition.

Katie oozes ability, her name first sprang into prominence during her Lakes High years as the serial winner of nationwide speech and debating competitions. She's always loved words, initially she considered a future in journalism but Brisbane's 1988 World Expo torpedoed that.

Katie was one of New Zealand's 32 youth ambassadors handpicked to "chit chat to important visitors for a year".

One was New Zealand's Trade Ambassador to Australia. "His job was so interesting I asked how I could be like him, he said I needed a degree and to speak another language, I spoke Maori, he said that would be good."

Once she'd secured a double degree in law and fine arts at Victoria University, her first job application was MFAT. The ministry liked what it saw "employing this little girl from Mourea" as she describes herself, as a policy advisor in its India division.

"I knew nothing about India but was interested in Asia because I felt that was going to be New Zealand's future marketplace."

Her entry into Indian affairs was, literally, a fiery baptism. "I'd been there two days when India tested an underground nuclear device, New Zealand responded by recalling its ambassador."

Katie subsequently accompanied trade delegations to the sub-continent "from supplying concrete to movies, it was when Bollywood was eyeing up New Zealand."

To describe her MFAT years Katie borrows Forrest Gump's infamous quote comparing life being like a box of chocolates, never knowing what you're going to get. Her 'chocolates' were a wide-ranging mix, including being on the team lobbying for Sir Don McKinnon to become Commonwealth Secretary General "a real coup for New Zealand", to working alongside the defence department when civil war erupted in East Timor.

Then there was former UN secretary general Kofi Annan's visit to prepare for.

"Security and protocol were terribly important, the director asked me where the Prime Minister's [then Helen Clark] husband was in the motorcade, of course I didn't know, that taught me to always have plans A, B and C as contingencies, that's critical to the way we're seen as a country."

As she climbed the diplomatic staircase an overseas posting was inevitable. Katie craved New York or Argentina; she was sent to South Korea, ranked second secretary responsible for matters economic. "I knew nothing about economics, unsure where South Korea was."

By then Katie had a partner and son. There's an ironical twist here, although partner Keith Waaka came "from down the road at Mourea" the two barely knew each other until meeting at the National Drama School.

"I just remembered him as one of the naughty boys down the back of the school bus."

With Koreans frowning on de facto relationships the pair coupled their farewell with a wedding at their home marae, Te Takinga.

In Seoul Katie gave birth to their second son, he's named Aorere, taken from MFAT's te reo name Te Manatu Aorere.

"I'd been toying with a Korean name when the ambassador suggested it . . . it means world traveller."

While Katie was busy on the diplomatic front Keith taught Latin dance and a gangster film crew how to haka.

Their different worlds strained the marriage - broken marriages are an occupational hazard for diplomatic corps members.

Choosing to work on hers, Katie resigned, returning to Rotorua in 2006 to teach iwi environmental management and manage land research projects for the combined Te Arawa, Ngati Whakaue and Federated Farmers lakes clean-up venture.

Being home didn't heal her marriage, she returned to MFAT in 2010 keen for a Pacific-related posting but was assigned to the American sector.

"There was logic to it, it linked back to my work in South Korea. It was at the time of the thawing of our relations with the US for the first time since nuclear ships were banned from New Zealand waters."

Dreams of cosy nights in the White House didn't materialise, Hawaii was the nearest she got to mainland America. Regardless, she loved the role working closely with the American Embassy.

"It was a two-year journey helping our two countries re-develop friendly relations."

However she continued to hanker for home. "I wanted my sons to have stability, learn te reo."

She was invited to apply to lead Te Arawa River Trust.

"It was pretty obvious that post our Treaty [Treaty of Waitangi] settlements more of our people were needed at home helping develop ideas, make decisions. I felt my education could be put to use for the community I love."

Her job's overseeing the Waikato River from Huka Falls to Atiamuri Dam on behalf of several iwi entities.

"It's a blank sheet, a privilege to develop the role as kaitiaki [guardian] of the resource."

The Tachikawa mill closure and resulting job losses turned Katie into a political animal, she was nominated to be Labour's Waiariki candidate line-up.

"I used to work outside government, now I want to work inside it."

KATIE PAUL
Born: Perth, 1969 (arrived "home" at 3 months).
Education: Whangamarino Native School, Mokoia Intermediate, Lakes High, Victoria University.
Family: Sons Te Awanui, 16, Aorere, 10.
Interests: Whanau, "I'm on every blimmin' board and trust going so get little time for anything else." Opera and the arts in Wellington days.
Tribal Affiliations: Te Arawa, Mataatua.
Personal Philosophy: "Our future's as big as our dreams allow."