New grad ready to embark on next chapter

Graduate James Heimuli's road to Otago reads like an adventure story.

Raised in Auckland, and with strong Tongan roots, James moved to Dunedin three years ago in search of a slower pace of life.

“My partner took up a role as a Lecturer at the University of Otago in Te Tumu, so we packed up the whole crew, our four children, dog, and two cats, and settled out in Brighton.”

Life in Ōtepoti hasn’t been too quiet though, with James balancing full-time work, family life, and, of course, his postgraduate study.

James – who already has a Master of Public Health (Hons) – graduated yesterday with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). It was the culmination of years of service, strategic thinking, family support, and a deep commitment to improving outcomes for Pacific families and communities, he says.

“Working full time while raising a young family definitely meant having to plan and prioritise carefully to stay on top of everything.

“A big part of getting through it was having a strong network around me. My family, work colleagues, classmates, and staff all played a big role in helping balance study, work, and family life.”

This included some “friendly rivalry” with his sister Jessica, who has just completed a Masters degree in Business up North.

“We started studying together and have supported each other during the past two-and-a-half years. We had a bit of a competition going.”

One of the main reasons James chose to do the MBA was to better understand how different strategic approaches could be applied to complex health and social issues, he says.

“I was interested in what creates long-term impact, how to make initiatives more sustainable, and how to better understand the value our work adds to communities and the wider system.

“A lot of that thinking was also shaped through my work at The Cause Collective.”

Throughout the MBA programme, what stood out to James was that the lecturers and the programme created an environment where tauira were encouraged to challenge assumptions, explore alternative ways of approaching problems, and to think beyond standard or established ways of doing things, he says.

“At the same time, the programme pushed us to ground that thinking in practical application. Beyond the theory, it was about asking what would make a difference, create value, or improve outcomes in reality.”

Alongside his studies, James also became involved with Startup Dunedin through one of its entrepreneur incubator programmes. Over the past two years, he has been involved in work exploring the experiences of families navigating disability support services.

This has included exploring and testing ideas alongside families and practitioners in Ōtepoti.

“A lot of the work has involved speaking with families, practitioners, and people across the sector to better understand their experiences and what could help make support services easier to navigate.”

“It has been a really interesting space to work in because it sits across health, disability support, ageing, social services, strategy, technology, and community systems.”

For James, the work is deeply personal and connected to a broader purpose.

“A lot of what motivates me is understanding seemingly massive problems and figuring out how to improve them in a practical way, even if only in a small way at first,” he says.

“From there, it’s about breaking large, complex problems down into manageable pieces and building small wins over time, starting with what works for one family or community, then learning and growing from there.”

James hopes his journey encourages other Pacific students, particularly mature students, to consider postgraduate study.

“I’d say first make sure the programme aligns with your career goals and the direction you want to head in. From there, try to put the right support structures in place early, whether that’s family support, workplace flexibility, or simply having the right people around you,” he says.

For the next chapter in his story, James plans to continue building on the relationships and ideas developed during his MBA, and keep co-designing and testing approaches with families in Ōtepoti.

“There’s still a lot of work to do, but that’s probably the part I enjoy most.”

James’ journey reflects the strength of Pacific excellence, and the growing impact of Pacific voices across business, innovation, and social change, he says.

“Finally, I want to thank CEO Rachel Enosa and The Cause Collective Board for supporting me to pursue this study. I also want to thank my family and friends for their support throughout the journey. Thanks, village.”

– Talanoa by Pacific Communications Adviser Viena Faiva