Bella Takiari-Brame

Bella Takiari-Brame (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato/Te Rohe Pōtae, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is passionate about her Māori culture, her community, and creating solutions that make a difference for the vulnerable.

With a strong background in accounting, in recent years Bella has gravitated towards full-time governance roles on iwi and corporate organisations, which have enabled her to use her voice to empower her community.

These include the likes of Te Nehenehenui Trust, Te Ohu Kaimoana, ACC New Zealand, Crown Infrastructure Partners,  Braemar Hospital, and NZ Healthcare Investments Ltd, to name just a few.

Bella Takiari-Brame (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato/Te Rohe Pōtae, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui)

As a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors NZ, her advice for anyone looking at getting into governance roles is to “get the experience first, so you can confidently advise”.

“Listen to your intuition as it will develop over time to the point that you’ll know what to put in your kete and what to throw out,” she says.

Bella says she took many skills from her time studying for a Bachelor of Management Studies and a Master of Management Studies (Accounting) at the University of Waikato that have held her in good stead throughout her career. They include discipline, the importance of professionalism, and effective communication.

“The University of Waikato has a special place in my heart and always will. It offered lots of opportunity for Māori when I first started studying here, and still does,” says Bella.

“The University of Waikato has a special place in my heart and always will. It offered lots of opportunity for Māori when I first started studying here, and still does."

All of which she channelled into one of her recent roles as the interim CEO of the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board. Starting just a month before the Covid-19 pandemic hit meant that Bella led the iwi through the challenging year of 2020.

“Despite the uncertainties we faced, being in this position and leading our people with aroha through such a pivotal year was a privilege, and one I’m proud to tell my children and grandchildren about,” says Bella.

Bella discovered her future calling at the age of 18, when she took on her first role as Treasurer of the Māori Land Corporation.

Empowered by her Kūia and teachers at Piopio College to embrace both Te Āo Māori and the academic world, taking the next step into higher education was a no-brainer.

“I’ve always loved the governance space but knew that it was vital to explore the theories of academia, get the operational experience, and embed my feet in the real world before taking it on in a professional capacity,” she says.

After graduating from Waikato with her master’s degree in accounting in 1999, Bella started her career as an auditor at KPMG in Auckland, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. 

In 2004, she headed off to London to take up a role as Financial Controller for petroleum giant, Shell, and ended up working there for eight years.

While enjoying her exciting life in the UK, Bella never lost sight of her roots and returned home to Aotearoa with her family in 2013. “My journey so far has been one of experience and development, where I am continually learning a lot about myself.”