My name is Evy Ngawhika, and I’m a consultant at EY New Zealand in Tahi and the EY Infrastructure Advisory team. I studied Law and Indigenous Development at the University of Otago and have been working at the EY organisation for the past year.
I joined EY as a graduate in 2022 after learning a bit about EY Tahi. Before starting at EY, I was under the impression that you needed to have studied commerce or enjoy maths to work here, but I’ve since learned that the work EY does is a lot more wide-ranging with all kinds of skills you could apply. I’ve definitely found that I’m able to apply what I learned in my degrees to the work I do now.
When I first joined the team, I could tell they had a genuine passion and interest in the work they were doing regarding improving outcomes for Māori. Having worked here for over a year now, I can confirm that impression holds true, and I have been able to work on a number of interesting and meaningful projects myself. A better working world is one in which all communities have the opportunities and resources to succeed and thrive. I contribute to building a better working world by working to accelerate Māori success.
EY Tahi is a standalone firm within the EY organisation, focusing exclusively on positive Māori outcomes, using the global resources of EY. The kaupapa or purpose of EY Tahi is to ‘hāpaitia te iwi Māori, kia puāwai a pito mata’ or accelerate Māori success. EY Tahi’s purpose aligns with my personal purpose for pursuing education. Being a part of this team has allowed me to work within a team of people with that same purpose and engage in work that aims to make a positive impact for Māori.