My name is Erin Roxburgh. I’m a bold, proud Māori wahine working across teaching, research, speaking, governance, and facilitation, with a focus on people, values, and systems. My whānau come from the mighty East Coast, and I am Ngāti Porou, though I grew up in Wellington. These connections shape how I see the world and inform my commitment to values-led, people-centred leadership.

I work at the intersection of sport, leadership, governance, and equity, and I’m particularly interested in how decisions are made, who holds power, and how systems can better reflect the communities they serve. My approach is grounded in relationships, collective responsibility, and care, drawing on both lived experience and research.

I’m a university lecturer and researcher teaching across sport management, governance, and leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand. My teaching is discussion-based and applied, shaped by whakawhanaungatanga and a belief that learning is relational. I design learning spaces that support critical thinking, real-world engagement, and the development of future leaders across sport and community contexts.

Alongside my teaching, I’m a PhD researcher focused on Māori governance. My research explores how tikanga and values are enacted in governance meetings and decision-making spaces in practice, rather than only through formal policy or procedure. Drawing on kaupapa Māori approaches and multimodal analysis, my work contributes to understanding how leadership, power, and relationships are lived and negotiated in real time.

I also bring extensive experience in governance and leadership. I currently serve as Deputy Chair of Women in Sport Aotearoa and have held a range of regional and national governance roles, including time on the Sport New Zealand Board. My governance practice is relational and values-led, with a strong focus on upholding mana, collective responsibility, and long-term wellbeing.

In addition, I work as a speaker and facilitator across leadership, equity, sport, and governance. I’ve spoken nationally and internationally, including at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, APEC forums, parliamentary panels, sector awards, and leadership events. My facilitation includes leadership development programmes, Treaty and sport workshops, and co-designed spaces that support people who don’t always have access to traditional leadership pathways.

Advocacy sits at the heart of my work. I care deeply about representation, gender equity, youth voice, and creating systems that work better for people and communities.