On Thursday 8 October, his achievements were recognised by the presentation of an Honorary Doctorate of Science.
Tereki’s work over many years has demonstrated his longstanding commitment to ensuring that health systems, research, and data practices better serve Māori communities and aspirations.
Having previously earned a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology from the University of Auckland, Tereki began his career as a clinical psychologist. He went on to hold senior leadership roles across the health sector.
Throughout a distinguished career, Tereki has held leadership positions with Tāmaki Healthcare, Te Hononga o Tāmaki me Hoturoa, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, and the National Hauora Coalition. He is widely respected for his ability to use data and evidence to drive organisational transformation and demonstrate measurable improvements in health outcomes.
A defining feature of Tereki's career has been his leadership in Māori data governance and data sovereignty. As a senior manager at Stats NZ, he helped embed te ao Māori perspectives within the national census programme, ensuring Māori interests and priorities were reflected in the collection and use of data. As programme director of Te Kāhui Raraunga Charitable Trust, he led initiatives that strengthened iwi-led data collection, analysis, and capability development, enabling Māori communities to use data to advance their social, cultural, environmental, and economic aspirations.
The University also recognises Tereki's extensive service through governance and advisory roles at both regional and national levels. His appointments have included chair of the Te Kahu o Taonui Iwi Māori Partnership Board, director of Stroke Aotearoa New Zealand, lead advisor hauora to the Iwi Leaders Group for the National Iwi Chairs Forum, board member of Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission, and member of the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee.
Alongside his professional leadership, Tereki has maintained a strong and influential relationship with academia and the health research sector. He has worked closely with researchers and leaders at the University of Auckland, contributing Māori data sovereignty perspectives to major research initiatives, including the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Health Data Platform. His contributions have strengthened research practice through the integration of Māori knowledge, relationships, and community-centred perspectives.
Tereki's ongoing doctoral research at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington brings together Kaupapa Māori theory and practice, epidemiology, evidence-informed inquiry, community accountability, and health-system transformation. His work has advanced understanding of how research can better serve Māori communities while helping to shape the ethical foundations of future health research.
“To receive an honorary doctorate from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, an institution that has always looked to the future, is a true privilege,” Tereki says.
“But this is not an honour I can claim as mine alone. It belongs to the many people who have shaped me and walked alongside me throughout my life—my whānau, our Iwi leaders, the academics who challenged and encouraged me, and so many others.
"I stand on the shoulders of giants—those who have gone before us, whose vision, courage and sacrifice laid the path I have been privileged to follow. All I have sought to do is carry their work forward, so that our people and our communities can live their best lives, and so that the inequities in our society become a thing of the past. This recognition is as much theirs as it is mine, and I accept it with deep humility and gratitude."
Chancellor Alan Judge says the conferring of an Honorary Doctorate celebrates Tereki's enduring commitment to improving the wellbeing of Māori, and his significant contribution to ensuring that data, research, and health systems serve communities with integrity, accountability, and respect.
The degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, was awarded at a special ceremony in Auckland on Thursday 8 October.