Heath Sawyer
Co-founder, Haapai Enterprises
Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Hokopū
Heath is an experienced educator, leader, and systems thinker with a career spanning over three decades in the education and training sector. He brings a rare blend of strategic vision, relational insight, and practical systems design to support meaningful change.
From 2021 to 2025, Heath served as a Council Member for Te Pūkenga, where he represented kaimahi across Aotearoa and contributed to national-level strategic leadership. He has previously worked as a primary school principal and national facilitator with the Ministry of Education, leading initiatives in programme design, digital transformation, and staff development.
At Wintec, Heath supported kaiako as a Teaching and Learning Coach, helping refine teaching practice and enhance outcomes for ākonga. His expertise spans policy development, instructional and graphic design, and the co-construction of sustainable systems with teams and leaders.
He founded Haapai Enterprises to help organisations, leaders, and their people move forward with clarity and purpose. His approach weaves kaupapa Māori values with practical tools—building capability, strengthening culture, and supporting others to lead with confidence.
Erin Sawyer
Co-founder, Haapai Enterprises
Erin brings a deep commitment to relational leadership and a belief in the potential of every person and organisation to thrive with the right support. With a background in psychology, leadership, and specialist education, she has spent her career navigating complex relational and systemic spaces – supporting leaders, educators, and teams to lead with clarity, integrity, and purpose. Her strength lies in helping people make sense of challenge and change in a way that honours both people and outcomes.
Through Haapai Consulting, Erin supports individuals and organisations to engage in the real work of leadership – work that is often adaptive, value-laden, and relationally complex. Her approach combines strategic thinking with a deep grounding in human behaviour and systems. She is especially skilled at creating spaces where people feel safe to reflect, challenge assumptions, and reimagine what’s possible. Whether designing strategy, supporting professional growth, or untangling tricky team dynamics, Erin leads with calm presence and a sharp eye for what matters most.
Her work is shaped by kaupapa Māori values, particularly whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and ako. Erin has worked closely with kura and kaupapa Māori contexts, and is committed to culturally responsive practice. She is also a trained peer supervisor and experienced in coaching professionals across education, health, and social service sectors, though she prefers not to use the word “coach” in the traditional sense. Her sessions create space for genuine reflection, clarity, and self-determined change.
Erin holds a Master of Specialist Teaching (Leadership and Coaching) and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and has completed extensive training in professional supervision and adaptive leadership. With Haapai, she brings all of this together – offering leadership support, strategic facilitation, and thoughtful, grounded guidance for those doing the hard work of leading people well.