Our People - Matt Page

Matt Page is our Kaiwhakahaere Pūtea | Finance Manager and has been with Te Ohu Kaimoana since 2021. He is an absolute favourite amongst our staff and is extremely diligent in his service to iwi. He's a surfer, a sailor, an academic (Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Philosophy & Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in International Business), a CA, a father, and a self-taught speaker of Te Reo Māori. Here's our kōrero.

Iwi

‍Ngāti Kahu, Kai Tahu

Pepeha

Ko Pūwheke te maunga

Ko Tokerau te moana

Ko Taipa te awa

Ko Māmaru te waka

Ko Haiti-tai-marangai te marae

Ko Ngāti Kahu, ko Kai Tahu ngā iwi

Ko Te Whānau Moana te hapū

Tell us a bit about your childhood and where you grew up

I was raised alongside my two older sisters in Moerewa, Ngāti Hine country. If you know it you know it, so to speak. Dad was a meat inspector and mum a teacher aide. Our tūrangawaewae of Tokerau is 2hrs further north where we spent all holidays, playing with cousins at the beach and on the farm.

What inspired or led you to the career path that you are now on?

I graduated Otago with a double bachelors then spent 5yrs working in an IRD call centre in Dunedin. We had our son Eru at 28yrs old which was the ‘kick up the bum’ to tackle an accounting diploma extramurally, followed by the chartered accounting (CA) program. Eru’s birth was also my impetus to properly learn Te Reo Māori.

How did you end up working within Māoridom, and was that always an aspiration?

After 7yrs in CA firms mostly helping landlords minimise their tax obligations I wanted to contribute to kaupapa I actually believed in. That led to 4yrs at Te Puni Kōkiri before moving to Te Ohu Kaimoana in 2021.

What are the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of working for a Māori organisation?

Rewards are the people you work with and the kaupapa you work on. Mahi that you believe in is infinitely more rewarding than just paying the bills. Challenges are finding and maintaining balance in life, which is the case whatever space you work in.

What project or piece of work have you been involved in or led that you are most proud of?

There are a bunch of finance processes that are drastically different (better) i 2026 than when I started. I’m super proud of them all. Currently working on our Te Reo strategy is really fun.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received (career or otherwise)?

My mum always said “there’s always someone worse off”. Just maintaining appreciation and contentment with what you have alongside empathy for others is something I try to remember.

Quickfire pātai:

Reading: Vagabond;A hiker’s homage to rural spain (Mark Eveleigh)

Watching: Te Karere

Listening to: Bicep

Dream holiday destination: Way too many, maybe Greece?

Favourite kai: Basically everything, but mainly all kaimoana and lamb on the spit.

Favourite inu: Homemade juice.