The chief executive of a top Pacific business organisation has stepped down from her role after ongoing problems.
Mary Los’e has resigned as head of the Pacific Business Trust (PBT), an entity that is Government-funded and contracted to support Pacific businesses in New Zealand.
The former Shortland Street actor took on the role in 2023 and resigned on Monday. Her resignation was made public on LinkedIn by the trust’s board chairman Ulumato’otua Aiono.
His post said he accepted Los’e’s resignation with “profound regret” and acknowledged the “ongoing turmoil” of events during her leadership.
Failure to uphold Pasifika values
Los’e made headlines last month after the trust was forced to pay $75,000 in compensation to two former senior staff members after an employment court ruled the organisation had failed to uphold “Pasifika values”.
Among the complaints by staff was the humiliation and shame they felt after receiving termination letters via email, which they described as not the Pasifika way of doing things.
One of the employees described the termination process as “alien” and said none of the social norms he had come to expect as a Pacific Islander were followed.
Faitala also received six months of lost wages and his colleague Vahanoa Vea received one year of lost wages.
The trust acknowledged it “fell short” in relation to cultural matters, but also argued parts of its consultation process demonstrated Pasifika cultural understanding and empathy, by way of talanoa (discussion).
The judge, however, said she did not find that convincing and the serious procedural failures were contrary to Pasifika values, especially respect and reciprocity.
Board acknowledges Los’e’s resignation
Announcing Los’e’s resignation, Aiono wrote: “The departure decision... won’t immediately settle the animosity or divisions and threats to Mary.
“It is time to advance with the new beginning I want out of this situation and for all of us to move on with quiet grace and prayer.”
Aiono is well-respected in the Pacific-New Zealand business community, having founded software technologies company Cogita in 1983.
Speaking to the Herald, he said Los’e had decided to resign because of the “anger and outrage” directed at her over the past two months since the former trust workers’ court case became public. “It has not reduced at all. It’s increased,” he said.
He said the trust held a fono (meeting) in February to get feedback on its performance and it had received nearly 700 items and complaints.
More recently, threats and hate mail had been directed to trust staff and locks had been changed at the Auckland-based office, he said. Additional security cameras have also been installed.
He called on disappointed trust stakeholders to ease off the criticism. “We all make mistakes. We’re not perfect. Let’s focus on being effective for society and those we’re called to serve and fulfil that.”
Conflict of interest claims
Los’e was also mentioned in recent news reporting about claims she had engaged her brother, former Herald journalist Joseph Los’e, to act in a PR capacity.
An article by The Spinoff said he received $88,000 over two years from the publicly-funded trust – payments declared in its annual reports.
Joe Los’e resigned with immediate effect from the Herald a week after the Spinoff’s story.
Aiono said he didn’t think that incident was the direct cause of Mary Los’e’s resignation, but acknowledged it had been a difficult time for her since.
Community response
Asked for comment after Mary Los’e’s resignation, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, which funds the trust, said it would not comment on individual employment matters.
In a statement to the Herald this month, a ministry spokeswoman said it regularly engaged with the trust and met with the chairman to understand how issues were being addressed.
Decisions on staffing, procurement and the engagement of external services were operational matters for the trust, she said.
“The ministry’s expectation is that publicly funded organisations operate transparently, appropriately manage conflicts of interest and ensure decision-making withstands public scrutiny.
“At this point in time, the ministry has no concerns about PBT’s ability to meet its current contractual obligations.”
The future of the Pacific Business Trust
Aiono said no interim CEO will be appointed at the trust.
Instead, its head of operations Tracey Alenepi will run the trust while a search is undertaken for a new CEO.
Aiono said the board had already started receiving applications for the role.
Mary Los’e has been approached for comment.
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.