Riena joined Hanga-Aro-Rau with experience teaching in colleges, PTEs, wānanga, universities, and the corporate business world. She has been in the education arena for 34 years, involved in teaching and mentoring. Riena has been a National Programme Manager at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and has been enriched with skills in quality assurance and building relationships with stakeholders. With her extensive experience in teaching, Riena knows and understands NZQA Unit Standards and NCEA Achievement Standards.

She has her own family business dealing with different industries, from exporting fresh produce to different types of machinery from Aotearoa to the Pacific Islands. She believes business sustainability is achieved by working smarter and not harder. While at MYOB NZ Ltd, Riena gained a lot of experience mentoring business owners and providing pathways to their educational needs. Riena is passionate about digital education and strongly believes education is the key to success and transformation.

Riena primarily works with providers in the Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Canterbury, as well as some located in Wellington.