Nau mai: Kim Grenfell, General Counsel

We are pleased to share that we have appointed Kim Grenfell as General Counsel at Whai Rawa. We had a kōrero with Kim to find out more about her and what she is looking forward to in her role with the Whai Rawa whānau.

Born in Aotearoa, Kim moved to Australia as a teenager and after school, studied law at Melbourne University. She began her legal career in Australia before moving to London. Kim moved back to Aotearoa in her late 20s and worked in the corporate team of Russell McVeagh before taking up in-house legal positions at Carter Holt Harvey and Rank Group.  Most recently she has been raising her whānau whilst undertaking contract legal work and using her legal skills on community-based projects.

Kim is in her second month in her new permanent appointment with Whai Rawa, having gained an understanding of the organisation during an initial three months in a contract role assisting Whai Rawa on project work. In her new role as General Counsel, Kim is looking forward to working with the executive team to drive the business forward and she says there is a multitude of projects she is immersed in.  Kim is also looking at Whai Rawa more broadly to ensure it meets all its legal obligations. This includes advising the Board and management, and also engaging external law firms to provide advice when needed.   

Kim says she is enjoying working with the Whai Rawa team, that there is a wide variety of work, and no two days are the same.

In addition to the commercial projects, she is also currently working on the papa kāinga housing project on Hawaiki and building on the work that was done with the development of Kāinga Tuatahi in 2015.

“While I am passionate about business growth and development, it’s hugely rewarding to be involved in a project where we can make a difference for whānau and play a role in helping Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei achieve its housing aspirations.”

Looking ahead, Kim says she is delighted to contribute her knowledge and skills positively to the iwi.

“Ngāti Whātua Orākei mātāpono are aligned with my own personal values so being able to work in a company who have a whānau first approach is inspiring and I am enjoying using my legal skills for this purpose.”