Ceillhe Sperath
Manutaki / Certification Manager – Amotai
Ceillhe (pronounced K-lee) grew up in Te Tai Tokerau on her whānau papakāinga farm in Whakapara, just north of Whangārei.
Her tribal affiliations are Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hao, Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Wai and Ngāti Rehua from her mother, Rev. Thelma Connor (nee Davis). Ceillhe’s name comes from her much loved and missed Dublin-born dad and is derived from her Irish heritage and her love of all things Irish.
Ceillhe’s first major role was at Ernst & Young in the early 1990s as the national Quality and Risk Manager, where she implemented quality assurance across several offices throughout Aotearoa. During this time, she took an interest in board directorships and governance roles particularly playing a part in the establishment of the Auckland Māori Business Network (MBN) which started in south Auckland. Ceillhe has since held various governance, management and operational roles, most recently running her own indigenous tourism and consulting business over many years.
As the Manu Taki/Certification Manager with Amotai, Ceillhe ensures that all Amotai’s Māori and Pasifika suppliers are certified and verified.
Ceillhe enjoys working in a tikanga-based, kaupapa Māori team and is improving her use of te reo Māori in her everyday work environment. She and is particularly excited about extending her experience of working with Pasifika businesses.