Our People
Meet the experts who lead research, education and collaboration activities at the centre, and learn why each of them chose to become involved.
Leadership
Dean of the Business School
University of Auckland
Professor Susan Watson
Interim Director
Can we rebalance to do capitalism better—harnessing its undoubted benefits whilst minimising its harms and sharing its benefits more equitably?
Steering Group
Senior Lecturer
Management & International Business
Dr Billie Lythberg
Associate Director
The centre will encourage dialogues across disciplines and knowledge systems and generate research and projects of global significance for the well-being of people and planet.
Professor of Macroeconomics
University of Auckland
Professor Prasanna Gai
Resilient market economies operate best when there is a robust social framework—where individuals, firms, and governments have a sense of their shared values and responsibilities to the system as a whole.
Professor of Innovation & Research Management
University of Auckland
Professor Kenneth Husted
This centre will be a core institution in Aotearoa’s transformation toward a more sustainable and inclusive economy, with circular economy offering pathways for sustainable and inclusive business.
Professor of Accounting
University of Auckland
Professor Charl de Villiers
My research brings an accounting perspective to social and environmental matters, including inequities entrenched by power differences. This matches with the centre’s focus on enhancing outcomes for everyone in society.
Professor of Economics
University of Auckland
Professor Robert MacCulloch
We’ve long moved beyond the idea that achieving economic growth at any cost is a worthy ideal.
Professor of Psychology
University of Auckland
Professor Carla Houkamau
By balancing tradition with innovation, Māori businesses are not just participating in the economy – they are reshaping it, allowing Māori businesses and communities to grow what is truly important to them.
Our PhD Students
PhD Candidate
Management & International Business
Victoria Ongolea
My name is Victoria Ongolea, and I embrace my heritage as both Melanesian and Polynesian. I was born in Papua New Guinea’s Simbu Province and raised in the beautiful village of Lapaha in Tonga. From a young age, I dreamed of moving overseas, a dream that led me and my family to migrate to New Zealand in 2015 with God’s guidance. While Aotearoa New Zealand is often seen as a land of milk and honey, I quickly realised that it does not apply to everyone. In my early days here, I took on a vital role as a Financial Mentor within my community, working in the non-profit sector. Now, eight years later, I can truly say that this work has become my calling. Through my experiences, I have witnessed the struggles many of my people face when it comes to finances. Issues like low income, high living costs, and problem debt often stem from a lack of understanding the financial system. Balancing the cultural values from our homeland with the realities of life in New Zealand presents a real challenge.
These insights have deeply motivated my PhD studies, which build on my Master’s research centered around the social and financial well-being of the Tongan community here. My research, titled “Empowering Tongans in New Zealand through Cultural Financial Capability Education (CFCE),” aims to address these very challenges. My study focuses on enhancing the financial capability of Indigenous communities through a culturally sensitive lens, utilising our rich languages, proverbs, and values. While our native languages may not contain all the letters of the English alphabet or have the same breadth of vocabulary, our mother tongue is deep and rich. Money can feel like an entirely new language with its complex terms and jargon, making it difficult for many to navigate. I believe that by using our cultural context, we can create a more effective means of empowerment for my community. As the Bible wisely states, “My people perish because of the lack of knowledge.” It is my hope, through this work, to bridge that gap and empower my people to thrive.