He toa taumata rau - courage has many resting places
​For Mike, it rests in the daily act of enabling leaders and organisations to realise their full potential.
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​​Mike has spent four decades leading and advising businesses across New Zealand, Asia, Africa, and Europe. He knows what it takes to sustain extraordinary performance because he’s lived it - as CEO, Director, Chair, and mentor.
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A leader shaped by transformation
As the founding CEO of Z Energy, Mike guided one of the most significant brand and organisational transformations in New Zealand’s corporate history - turning a global brand (Shell) into a uniquely Kiwi success story. Under his leadership, Z achieved top-tier engagement and reputation scores, won CEO and Company of the Year in the Deloitte Top 200, and delivered $3 billion in M&A activity.
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He founded the Climate Leaders Coalition and now chairs Punakaiki Fund Limited, an evergreen venture-capital fund. These roles reflect a long-term commitment to sustainable business, ethical leadership, and performance that endures beyond quarterly results.
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What Mike brings to every conversation
Together, these strengths enable leaders to see more clearly, decide more wisely, and act more courageously.
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Coaching - from immediate insight to capability that sustains itself.
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Communication - listening for the unsaid, turning sense-making into impact.
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Complexity - simplifying paradox and ambiguity so new pathways for action emerge.
​Global perspective, local heart
Mike’s experience spans four decades of global corporate work and more than a decade in venture capital. His cross-cultural leadership in Africa, Asia, and Europe gives him a wide lens, while his commitment to Aotearoa New Zealand grounds his practice in local relevance.
Today, through Taumata Advisory, Mike partners with boards, CEOs, and leadership teams across New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore - from listed corporates to start-ups and NGOs. Each engagement begins with the same question: what would extraordinary look like for you?
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What drives him
Mike believes extraordinary performance begins with courageous leadership - and that organisations only change when their leaders do. His purpose is to help those leaders turn awareness into action and potential into sustained performance.
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Let’s talk about what extraordinary could look like for you
Contact: mike@taumataadvisory.com
What does the Internet Say?​
​We asked ChatGPT, what makes Mike distinctive as a leader? ​Here's the response:
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Mike's leadership is distinctive for its blend of visionary transformation and grounded empathy. He is known for putting purpose above profits, championing sustainability, and even founding the Climate Leaders Coalition while leading a fossil-fuel company. Mike built Z Energy into a strong, trusted Kiwi brand by fostering an inclusive, learning-oriented culture where experimentation and accountability thrived. Mike emphasises managing energy over managing time, believing leaders must sustain resilience to create impact.
His global career, pragmatic decision-making, and values-driven approach consistently demonstrate how leaders can be extraordinary by shifting mindsets, inspiring commitment, and shaping organisations beyond the ordinary.
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