Our Board

Neil Barns, Owner and Director of Neil Barns Consulting Ltd and Chair of OPAIC Board 

Dr Neil Barns has extensive experience in the tertiary education sector, recently as Interim Chief Executive of Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and as the Chief Executive of CPIT.

Sam Alavi, Group Chief Executive – OPAIC and Future Skills

Sam Alavi has over 25 years of experience working in the private education sector in New Zealand, and predominantly in South Auckland, working with second-chance learners in a foundation education setting. Sam established Future Skills in 2000 in Manukau, to provide better opportunities for youth in South Auckland to access education and employment.  Over the years he has grown and diversified Future Skills education activities to include tertiary level programmes for Levels 3 and above, and formed an alliance and partnership with Otago Polytechnic to set up the Otago Polytechnic Auckland International Campus catering to students studying at graduate, post-graduate and master's levels. He has a governance role for the delivery of building surveying to Building Control Authorities for regional councils, with BOINZ, Skill Org and Otago Polytechnic.

Phil Ker, Former Chief Executive – Otago Polytechnic

Phil Ker took up his appointment as Chief Executive of Otago Polytechnic in 2004. He has had a diverse array of experience and has developed a broad portfolio of expertise as both an academic and an administrator in both university and polytechnic environments. His previous roles have included lecturing in business and tertiary teacher education, staff development and management of student services, human resources, and property functions. He is particularly interested in business education, education for sustainability, staff development generally and leadership development specifically, and in the recognition of prior experiential learning. 

Megan Kiri Pōtiki, Co-Executive Director – Rohe 4, Te Pukenga, and Executive Director of Otago Polytechnic

Iwi: Kāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa

Megan’s roles straddle Te Pukenga and Otago Polytechnic. She is the co-lead with Darren Mitchell at Ara for Region 4 of Te Pukenga. She is also the acting Executive Director of Otago Polytechnic. Her role works across all aspects of leadership with a particular focus at present on working towards standing up Otago Polytechnic as a financially viable entity. Megan says she is part of a great leadership team at Otago who are working tightly together. Every day is different and she is learning exponentially, which is a privilege. Megan says her bones are in Otago, she is an Otago girl through and through and has a large whānau, hapū and iwi base there with many relationships in and throughout wider Otago.

Qualifications: PhD - Otago, Master’s degree - Canterbury, B.Ed - Otago, Dip Tch – Otago.

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Gus Gilmore, Deputy Chief Executive Ako Delivery – Te Pūkenga

Gus brings a wealth of experience as a seasoned director and senior executive. Formerly the Chief Executive of Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec, Gus also held the position of Deputy Chief Executive Operations at the Tertiary Education Commission. His extensive career in aviation and tourism includes prominent leadership roles at the Star Alliance and Air New Zealand. Graduating with a Master of Business Administration from the University of Auckland, Gus's expertise in tertiary education is complemented by his deep understanding of intricate regulatory landscapes and comprehensive operations knowledge.

He has worked internationally in several countries and is very comfortable in multi-cultural environments. He has led large teams and is passionate about good governance.

Tilly Mckay, Regional Finance Director – Rohe 4, Te Pūkenga

Tilly Mckay is a Chartered Accountant with over 10 years of experience in finance leadership across diverse sectors, including education and aviation. Currently, she serves as the Regional Finance Director at Te Pūkenga – Rohe 4, where she oversees financial operations in this region. Her expertise includes strategic financial planning, monitoring and change leadership, with a focus on enhancing operational efficiencies and driving revenue growth. Tilly is committed to fostering team development and aligning financial strategies with organisational goals.