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CATALYTIC … QUITE AN APT description for a business birthed by one of the great change agents of our society. Of Ngai Tahu descent Sacha McMeeking once believed that the law was the way to change the world. She now believes that the most effective way to make your voice heard is to create solutions. "The answer 'no' is like a dead end that means no one has much room to move. The answer 'no, but have you considered the X, Y or Z alternative solutions' creates the space for solution building that meets the maximum suite of interests," she explains. The soft spoken 34-year-old is principal of Catalytic; a boutique consultancy providing expert advice in government relations, public policy and corporate social responsibility, and strategic support in relationship management and Iwi development and governance. Her career can be tracked back to her graduation from the University of Canterbury with a Master of Laws (First Class Honours). With "all kinds of enthusiasm about changing the world" her entry position into the field of law came from her Iwi, Ngai Tahu. Over time she worked her way to General Manager of Strategy and Influence with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu where she was responsible for leading the external affairs portfolio for the Iwi spanning government engagement, public policy, brand and reputation. In her graduate role, she designed the international advocacy strategy concerning the 2004 foreshore and seabed reform. The strategy resulted in the first successful human rights complaint made by Iwi being upheld by successive UN bodies. Her pre-eminent work with the foreshore and seabed debate started in 2004 when the Court of Appeal decision first came down and the then Labour Government was working through its response to the decision. Sacha wasn't long out of law school and firmly believed the policy direction from the Labour Government was discriminatory. She was fortunate that the tribal leadership were up for taking a punt on a young graduate with reasonably audacious ideas. "Taking the UN pathway was about putting a stake in the ground that could be leveraged in the future," Sacha explains. "We knew that the Government of the day wouldn't necessarily listen to the United Nations, but UN findings would provide a platform for the issue over time. Ultimately the findings of the UN were a key platform that the National Government relied on to change the legislation in 2009. "I'm definitely mission driven," Sacha continues. "I started off life thinking I would be a lawyer doing international human rights advocacy then, four years ago when I took up the GM role, my focus increasingly became problem solving. I became fascinated by the use of business ventures to solve varied problems." Around 2009 Ngai Tahu was set to lose significant value on some of its assets because of Government policy changes, so Sacha and her team set about finding creative ways that the Iwi could insulate itself from losing millions. "Compensation for the losses wasn't on the table and neither was there a neat policy solution to our unique situation. So we explored how to use a business venture to stop some of the value loss. We looked at a carbon farming business venture partnership. This was my first experience seeing how business could be creative and solve problems." go button" "What holds people back from success is pressing the green for Recognised as an emerging New Zealand leader, Sacha was the inaugural Fulbright Harkness Fellow in 2010 which she refers to as "one of those remarkable, life-changing experiences". Based at North Western University at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management Sacha researched how different tools that are used globally could help Iwi make commercial decisions according to traditional values. She produced a comprehensive corporate social responsibility toolkit for Iwi and Maori organisations which is now available free on the web. "The real value of the fellowship was connecting with people and research that profoundly expanded my appreciation of possibililities and pathways. The fellowship www.hermagazine.co.nz | 21