Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec (MITU) Council
The Manukau Institute of Technology and Unitec Council has been appointed by the Minister for Vocational Education.
View the MIT and Unitec Council profiles.
Members of the public are welcome to attend open meetings of the Council. If you would like to attend, please email legal@unitec.ac.nz for login details.
2025 Council meetings
| Date | Body | Location | Type | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February 2026 | Council | MIT Ōtara | Ordinary meeting (open to public) | Agenda – Council meeting 4 February 2026 (PDF 193KB) |
| 8 December 2025 | Council | MIT TechPark | Extraordinary meeting (public excluded) | Resolution to exclude the public (PDF 130KB) |
| 3 December 2025 | Council | MIT Ōtara | Extraordinary meeting (public excluded) | Resolution to exclude the public (PDF 266KB) |
MIT and Unitec Council profiles
Alastair Bell – Chair
Auckland has been Alastair’s home for 35 years.
He has 18 years of governance experience across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, currently chairing, MIT and Unitec, established in January 2026.
Alastair’s other board roles include NZX-listed Vector – Auckland’s energy distribution business, KiwiRail, NZ Post and he is an elected trustee of Entrust, Auckland’s energy consumer trust.
Mr Bell is on the advisory board of Bloxx, which delivers home ownership to current renters.
He was the deputy chair of Foundation North and the founding chair of the Centre for Social Impact.
Alastair is an executive member of Parnell Heritage, a member of Indian NZ Business Council and a Judge of the Indian Newslink Business Awards.
Simon Harding – Deputy Chair
Simon is an experienced director, who uses his proven business acumen to contribute to the growth of New Zealand’s economy and communities.
Mr Harding was CEO of New Zealand Mint Ltd from 2012 to 2022. During that time, the company was a finalist in NZ Trade & Enterprise Export Awards and won the innovation category of the American Chamber of Commerce Exporter of the Year.
Prior to that, he was CEO and Principal Shareholder of multi-campus private training establishment Elite School of Beauty and Spa Therapies, leading curriculum development and overseeing an increase in course completions.
Simon is a previous senior vice president of Institute of International Research and has held board positions in the acoustics, currency and property sectors.
Professor Sharon Brownie – Member
Sharon is an internationally experienced leader in health professional education, research capacity building, health and education leadership, and inter-professional education.
Currently, she is Professor of Medicine at Charles Sturt University, holds a Ministerial appointment to the New Zealand Nursing Council, and is an Adjunct Professor with Wintec’s Centre for Health & Social Practice.
Her international work includes roles and project responsibilities in Fiji, East Africa, UK, Pakistan, Egypt and the Middle East.
Nationally, she has held senior leadership roles across health, education, employment, and economic development, including Regional Commissioner for Te Tai Tokerau at WINZ and National Manager, Regional Development & Coordination at Industry New Zealand, reflecting her strong commitment to regional development and equitable access to health and education services.
Ward Kamo – Member
Ward is an experienced senior executive, board chair and governance advisor.
He is currently Chief Executive of statutory indigenous health governance body, Te Puhana Ora and General Manager of Ngā Mutunga o Wharekauri Iwi Trust, while chairing Te Kawerau ā Maki Iwi Investment Trust, which have responsibly for managing significant commercial assets.
Mr Kamo was National Director of Tu Whenua Bayleys Real Estate, Māori business division and has served as an advisor to government and Ports of Auckland.
Ward has also acted as Master of Ceremonies for national events hosted by the Governor General.
Bhav Dhillon – Member
Bhav is a distinguished governance leader and international engagement specialist with over thirty years of experience.
As former Chair of Foundation North and current Managing Director of Cemix and Dunlop Drymix, Mr Dhillon brings extensive expertise in strategic governance, commercial operations and industry partnerships.
As former Honorary Consul of India and Patron of the India New Zealand Business Council, Bhav maintains deep international networks.
Recipient of India’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, he is a thought leader regularly featured in media and founder of the Auckland Indian Diaspora Group.
Peter Parussini – Member
Peter combines high level governance and executive leadership experience with grassroots community involvement in education.
Mr Parussini has been GM – Public, Consumer & Government Affairs with ANZ Bank since 2011.
Prior to that, he held senior roles with TVNZ, Telecom, NZ Rugby Union and APEC Taskforce.
Peter’s governance experience includes directorships with Radio NZ, Aotearoa NZ Media Establishment Board and Manukau Institute of Technology & Unitec, as part of New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology.
He is a trustee and previous chair of Southern Cross Campus and the school’s charitable foundation.
MITU Academic Committee
The Academic Committee supports Council by providing oversight of academic standards and quality assurance. It advises on programme approvals, academic policies, and matters of academic significance, ensuring that Council is well informed on all academic governance matters. To read more, visit the Academic Committee webpage.
