Ngākau Hihiko launch speech
Energy Excellence Awards 2025
Tēnā koutou katoa,
E mihi ana ki ngā mana whenua o tēnei rohe — ki a Te Āti Awa me Ngāti toa — tēnei te mihi ki a koutou.
Ki a tātou kua hui mai nei i tēnei wā, mauri ora ki a tātou katoa.
Ko Areta Mackey ahau. Tēnā koutou.
Mana Wāhine – Women in Energy was founded in 2019 in response to a keynote from Alison Andrew, then CEO of Transpower, who spoke of the need for a diverse workforce to meet the electricity sector’s goals.
A handful of determined wāhine took up that challenge, many of them in the room tonight — to create a community for the small number of women in the sector. A place to connect, to grow, and to lead in spaces where they were often under-represented.
Since then, we’ve grown to more than 500 members across Aotearoa, with strong support from executive leaders, their organisations, and allies who regularly join our events. Together, we’ve amplified diverse voices and inspired the next generation of leaders in the energy sector.
Seven years on, it’s time to look ahead. Tonight, as a supporting organisation of the Energy Excellence Awards, we’re proud to launch our new name: Ngākau Hihiko – Wāhine in Energy — an evolution of our identity that embodies both purpose and power.
A bit about the name.. Ngākau is more than just the heart. In te ao Māori, it is the seat of our emotions, drive, and determination — where intent is held, aspirations take root, and courage is formed.
Hihiko means to be energetic, inspired, proactive, and switched on — movement and momentum — and, fittingly, the word for electricity, power, and energy itself.
This rōpū exists because of the collective strength of its members — united in creating lasting change for wāhine in our sector. Our name may be evolving, but our purpose remains the same: to create spaces where wāhine in energy can connect, lead, and thrive.
And now, to share more about a new award category, I’m delighted to hand over to my colleague, Rebecca Mehrtens.
Tēnā koutou katoa, ko Rebecca Mehrtens toku ingoa.
I believe our sector can help solve the world's biggest problems through decarbonisation and electrification. And like the meaning behind our new name, the energy transition requires drive, determination, movement, and momentum to create lasting change.
As we navigate the transition, companies must think expansively and inclusively about the workforce required for the future. We know that the workforce of tomorrow looks different from today's.
We need to make the most of the talent we have while attracting different skills, opinions, and experiences. And we need to build our future workforce and innovate to adapt.
We must create spaces where our people can lead and thrive. And we must promote ourselves, outside of this room, as the best industry to work in across the motu.
Therefore tonight, as Chair of Ngākau Hihiko – Wāhine in Energy, I'm excited to announce a new award category for 2026, called the Futureforce Award: Leading Energy Sector Workforce Development.
This award, sponsored by Ngākau Hihiko, celebrates an initiative or programme that delivers outstanding results in:
· Attracting new and diverse talent to the energy sector; or
· Demonstrating how investment in existing workforce meets tomorrow's demands; or
· Generating a culture of inclusion and belonging that delivers a positive workplace for everyone.
I'm super excited to see an award with immense impact take centre stage in 2026, on the energy sector's largest stage.
To wrap up,
Sitting at table 46 is the Ngākau Hihiko steering committee and some of the founders. Please come and say hi, have a kōrero about our mahi and how we can support your organisation.
Lastly, ngā mihi nui to our executive sponsor Transpower and especially Brighid, for supporting our kaupapa, helping me think bigger about reach and impact, and enabling us to sponsor this award.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.