Our General Manager is Lester Hoare who many of you will know as the previous Quality Manager at Primary ITO. Lester has worked in Quality Assurance and Moderation for many years.
Fun Fact: Lester has a love for old utilitarian made in Solihull UK Land Rovers. He used to drive and fix them. He enjoys talking about them. He has models and pictures of them. One day he hope he will own one…
Email: [email protected]
Marianne is one of two Quality Assurance Leads. Marianne was previously Learner Achievement Team Lead at Primary ITO. Marianne and her team are responsible for the Agriculture, Vehicles, Seafood and other related industries and the South Island Schools.
Fun Fact: Marianne has been to the Everest base camp in Tibet.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 0286848
Shashi is our other Quality Assurance Lead. Shashi previously worked as a quality lead at Skills Org. Shashi is responsible for moderation of the Horticulture and Forestry industry groups and the North Island Schools.
Fun Fact: Shashi loves playing backyard cricket with family and friends.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 687 0110
Fun fact: Chelsea only spoke te reo Māori until she was 13. She only learnt English when she started high school.
Lisa is a Quality Assurance and Moderation Specialist in Shashi’s team. Lisa worked at Skills Org for several years and had various roles, most recently in quality assurance. She looks after moderation for the Horticulture and Forestry industry groups.
Fun Fact: Lisa went to the School of Art in Dunedin when she left school and is a trained potter. She worked as a ceramicist making giftware for giftshops around New Zealand for nearly 4 years before moving into the corporate world.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 026 2765
Damian is a Moderation Specialist in Marianne’s team. He comes from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa where he worked as a programme manager and moderation advisor. Damian supports providers in the Agriculture industry group.
Fun Fact: Damian is an avid plant lover and has an extensive collection of Hoya. He has over 95 different variety and is looking forward to getting them to flower over time.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 014 4552
Rochelle is a Quality Assurance and Moderation Specialist in Shashi’s team. Rochelle previously worked at Skills Org in quality assurance, prior to that she spent many years in the tertiary education sector. Rochelle looks after moderation for the Horticulture and Forestry industry groups.
Fun Fact: Rochelle left school and backpacked around the world for 3 years, was a tutor at a Polytechnic for over 12 years. She now lives on a farm in Dargaville.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 022 014 5513
Jasmine is a Quality Assurance and Moderation Specialist in Marianne’s team. She comes from Connexis where she was a Quality Assurance Administrator and has previously studied Educational Psychology at Victoria University. Jasmine looks after the needs of the Agricultural industry group.
Fun Fact: Jasmine has been riding horses since she was 3.
Phone: 022 012 3672
Maraea is one of two Technical Coordinators in our team. She is Ngāti Kuri and Ngāti Kahungungu and has experience in the vocational education sector.
Fun Fact: Maraea and her whānau are practicing members of the Ratana Church where she learnt how to play the cornet.
Sharyn is our second Technical Coordinator. She has been employed within the Food and Fibre sector for the last 15 years, working for Primary ITO and PBBnz. She grew up on a Sheep and Beef farm.
Fun Fact: Sharyn’s nickname is Jimmy because her Dad wanted her to be a boy – and a tom-boy she is.
To ensure timely processing of pre-moderation, consent to assess, microcredential support and programme endorsement applications before the disestablishment of Muka Tangata, we encourage providers to submit all relevant assessment materials and applications by October 3, 2025.
We will continue to process applications after this date, but we cannot guarantee they will be completed before Muka Tangata finishes operations on 19 December 2025. Any in-flight submissions will be handed over to the newly established Industry Skills Board for completion.
We encourage you to contact us at the earliest opportunity if you have any questions about this, or want to discuss any proposed submissions.
