Russell Spratt
Principal Consultant
A specialist in both education and Māori recruitment, Russell supports councils, boards and senior leaders in appointing talented new individuals, drawing on his experience in teaching and leadership along with his broad networks and contacts in the education sector and te ao Māori.
With a passion for tupuranga mahi Māori (raising Māori employment), Russell has come to specialise in kohikohi ana i ngā mahi a te Māori (finding talent for Māori-focused roles). Involved in numerous Māori asset trusts at governance level, he also has experience as the pan-tribal representative on two standing orders committees for the Kāpiti Coast District Council, and is a board member for Zealandia. Russell’s whakapapa links are to Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga.
An MBA graduate who worked for several years as a teacher, Russell also has an extensive history in recruiting for the education sector, and has built up vast nationwide networks. He supports councils, boards and education leaders in appointing senior staff, particularly in tertiary areas, such as universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, wānanga, industry training organisations and private training establishments, and more broadly for the Ministry of Education.
Russell’s career path has included leadership roles in finance, manufacturing, distribution and marketing. He has solid experience in governance with council committees, asset holding companies, council-controlled organisations and economic development organisations. A former hiring manager himself, he knows how vital it is to find the right people. He aims to save time and find solutions for clients, in a style that is deliberate, structured, honest and caring, and which respects their organisational values and priorities.
Areas of specialisation: Executive search, chief executive and senior management, senior Māori employment
Years in the industry: 18 years