Eli Tilyard

Ingoa: Eli Tilyard
Iwi / Hapū: Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa
Ahumahi: Collision Repair
Tūnga mahi: Qualified Automotive Refinisher
Organisation:AMI Motohub

“I’m a hands-on person; I’ve learned everything in my trade and my life that way,” says Eli Tilyard, a Qualified Automotive Refinisher at AMI MotorHub. “It brings me a feeling of satisfaction and pride knowing I’m good at what I do. Being Māori, mana is a big part of me.”

Growing up in Whanganui, Eli says the education system was challenging, especially for Māori. “Profiling was common in Whanganui schools in those days; you felt like an automatic disappointment. My parents were beaten for speaking Māori.” He moved between schools and found that traditional education didn’t work for him. Eli left school early, and while life at home was tough, he credits his father with teaching him whānau values and life skills that have shaped who he is today. “He taught me how a tāne looks after his whānau, that a man is the main pou. If that pou falls, the whānau falls too.” 

As he reached adulthood and entered the workforce, Eli began his professional journey in security services. Over time, he worked across four different sectors before finding his passion in the automotive trade. He also spent time overseas, experiencing other cultures, broadening his perspective, and mahi. Wanting to break the cycle for his kōtiro, he kept exploring until something stuck. His journey is a reminder that it’s okay to try different paths before finding the right one. “I was in a totally different industry before I joined the automotive trade. I applied to join the Police Force through the cadetship programme, but the sad truth back then was that a lot of young Māori and Pacific ended up quitting after a few years because of the effect on their mental wellbeing, from the sector. My recruitment advisor recommended having a trade to fall back on.” 

Eli started in the automotive industry as a groomer and over the next six years, worked his way up through the trade. “I had a massive interest in cars and started work prepping vehicles, doing minor repairs and panel beating, and eventually got the opportunity to start spray painting.” 

Eli has been in his current role at AMI MotorHub for one year and eight months and has now completed both the New Zealand Certificate in Automotive Refinishing (Level 3 and Level 4), graduating in 2025. “I have all the experience of a qualified person. I always thought that, if I were offering a job to two candidates and one of them had a piece of pen and one had a shovel, I’d go with the one who had the shovel… do the mahi, get the treats.” When he began his apprenticeship in 2022, he brought years of industry experience with him, which he says gave him an advantage compared to others starting out. “Having the experience to back that up is a massive advantage compared to the other apprentices here, but it can be challenging to face the assumption that, as an apprentice, I don’t know anything. I’ve been working in the trade for longer than a lot of qualified people.” 

Eli has been inspired by AMI MotorHub CEO, Gary Geeves who, he says, has created an inclusive environment for Māori kaimahi and apprentices. “He embraces tīkanga, mana, respect, having honour; those are big things in my realm. I find it easy to open up to him. He’s a very intelligent individual who also embraces who I am being Māori. He respects it. He is inspirational and supportive. His kōrero to me is that he wants to see me running one of his shops. And I’m keen.” 

When AMI MotorHub opened a new workshop in Hobsonville, Auckland, there was a blessing of the building site. Although Eli wasn’t physically at the whakatau, hearing about it and seeing it featured in the company newsletter made a strong impact. Whānau from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei were involved in the karakia and kōrero that followed. The kaupapa left such an impression that Gary later approached Eli for support to deepen his understanding of te ao Māori and to help embed more tikanga Māori into the business as it grows. Earlier this year, Gary also asked Eli to assist with whakatau and to support his vision of encouraging more Māori and Pacific people into the trade. 

Now fully qualified, Eli looks to the future, with aspirations to one day run his own workshop, pass on his skills, support others on their journey, and continue building a better future for his whānau.