- 4 years in the finance industry
- Large scale project management change projects/programmes across diverse sectors and industry such as education, organisational change, social development, corruption, gender, equality, disability, social inclusion, equity, and Pacific development
- Capability development expertise - training and development proven experience in human centred design and train the trainer concepts.
- Masters in Advanced Leadership Practice (Massey University NZ)
- Specialise in building high performing teams by living ones vision, mission and culture
With a passion deeply rooted in the harmonious balance between development and environmental stewardship, Ms. Ofeira stands as a vanguard for integrating Environmental and Social Safeguards into every facet of project lifecycle—from conception to operation. Her extensive academic background, boasting a Master’s Degree in Engineering for Environmental Management and Design Planning, along with a Bachelor of Planning (HON) in Town Planning, provides a robust theoretical foundation for her pragmatic approach to sustainable development.
Boasting over two decades of experience, Ms. Ofeira is a seasoned expert in environmental and social management, offering a wealth of knowledge in resource management planning, project coordination and management, and socio-economic surveying. She brings a seasoned perspective to the projects she engages with, having successfully managed and coordinated multi-million-dollar initiatives funded by prestigious entities such as the World Bank, NZ Aid, UNDP, ADB, GCF, EU, SPREP, and the Japanese Embassy in Samoa.
Her career highlights include steering eminent government projects with budgets ranging up to ST$270 million, both in Samoa and on an international scale. Each project under her wing was brought to fruition, meeting and often exceeding donor expectations and fiduciary requirements— a testament to her acumen and dedication to excellence.
Ms. Ofeira's professional interests are a reflection of her commitment to the craft, with a primary focus on Environmental Management, Social Safeguards, Project Design, Resource Management Planning, and Project Management. With her combined expertise and achievements, Ms. Ofeira endeavors to pave the way towards sustainable development practices that don't just protect but enhance the environment and the communities that weave their existence within it.
Experienced environmental and social specialist and project developer handling projects in the Pacific Islands supported by multilateral and bilateral agencies such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the Adaptation Fund and GCF. Over 11 years working within the frameworks of funding agencies safeguard policies, developing concept activity design, reviewing detailed designs, project implementation, identification of impacts, development of environmental management strategies and integration of meaningful stakeholder engagement into project activities. Very familiar with the cultural contexts across the Pacific region and experienced in the complexities and sensitivities of working at the project level in Small Island Developing States.
May 1998 to date: Managing Director/Business Consultant, Resort Support, Fiji - Management services and consultancy to resorts and dive operations. All of the positions after May 1998 below were completed as a consultancy through Resort Support
May 2023 to November 2023: Tourism and coral reef resilience specialist – Fiji / ADB & PSDI – Develop a tourism focused situation analysis of potential pilot sites in Fiji, built on the ADB baseline assessment of potential pilot sites, to develop financial and insurance products as part of efforts to improve the resilience of Fiji's tourism sector and economy.
November 2022 to June 2023: Tourism Business Development Specialist, Fiji National Sustainable Tourism Framework /Fiji MTCA & IFC – IFC work with a consortium, working directly with Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation on the formulation of Fiji’s National Sustainable Tourism Framework, as a successor plan of the Fijian Tourism 2021 strategy.
August 2022 to November 2023: National Tourism Business Development Specialist – Fiji / International Centre for Environmental Management & WBG - Assessment of Needs and Opportunities to Improve Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainable Tourism in Fiji.
January 2022 to July 2022: Tourism Consultant, YCP Solidance/Fiji & IFC - Fiji Tourism Investment Mapping: National Level COVID-19 Recovery & Greening & Vanua Levu Destination Development. Tourism Expert.
August 2021 to January 2022: Tourism Consultant, RLA Global, Dubai/Fiji & IFC - Fiji Tourism Investment Mapping: National Level COVID-19 Recovery & Greening & Vanua Levu Destination Development. SME and Sustainable Tourism Expert.
May 2021 – July 2021 : Hospitality operational management consultancy services for the private sector of the Kyrgyz Republic, World Bank Group/IFC - The consultancy is to provide knowledge, technical assistance and support to tourism private sector of the Kyrgyz Republic in order to increase efficiency of business through improvement of tourist products and offers, better marketing and promotion, and enhanced business operations as well as facilitation and outreach of investment projects. Specific focus is to be given to COVID-19 recovery efforts.
August 2017 to July 2021 : Part-time Fellow, Discipline of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Faculty of Business & Economic, The University of the South Pacific, Fiji – Re-designed courses, coordinated courses and taught all levels of undergraduate students.
• TS309 Tourism Business Entrepreneurship
• TS311: Sustainable Tourism Development
• TS109: Food and Beverage Services & Cost Control
• TS208: Operational Issues for Hospitality
March 2019 to date: Approved Service Provider for Business Link Pacific, Fiji- New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) : BLP ASP for both financial management (installing and facilitating Xero Software conversions) and website building for e-commerce solutions for SME.
January 2016 to September 2016: Development Consultant – Destination Marketing Organisations MDF/Australia DFAT supported project to develop and launch 2 new DMOs, Tourism Suncoast and Tourism Kadavu., from inception to operational plans.
• Bring together all parties to form new DMOs
• Develop legal and financial frameworks for the new organisations
• Develop the strategic and tactical marketing for the start up DMOs for 1st year.
January 2015 to May 2015: Strategic Marketing Consultant – Talanoa Treks MDF/Australia DFAT supported project to analyse and further develop the strategic and tactical marketing for the start up ecotourism venture.
• Market Assessment: Identification and clarification of the proposed Market Segments to establish their scope and viability
• Market Identification and Segmentation: Once the size and scope of each market segment has been identified and surveyed, the Directors will be able to make informed decisions on which segments to target and prioritise them.
• Marketing Campaign Recommendations: The recommended marketing campaign specific to these segments will be presented and launched (or set-up to launch at Directors discretion).
• Ongoing Monitoring and Assessment: After the campaigns are launched, on going online tools will be maintained to track market needs on an ongoing basis as online pre and post walk surveys with clients.
January 2013 to date: Managing Director – The Army of Flying Monkeys – Online marketing services and campaign management for the small-medium business community in the South Pacific with a small team of developers and marketing professionals. Specialise in on-time delivery of online marketing campaigns including:
• WordPress development and deployment (guaranteed within 30 days)
• Online advertising campaign management (PPC, AdWords, niche markets)
• CRM solution deployment and email marketing campaign management
August 2007 – Dec 2012: Business Development Director, Matava Fiji's Premier Eco Resort – Senior Executive Director responsible for strategic planning, marketing and business development. Primary directive was business development and growth.
• Designed and project managed $1 million, 6 month rebuild of central complex of Matava Resort
• Increased retail sales and profit by designing and installing new boutique in main complex
• Reduced costs and increased safety by designing and implementing new Food and Beverage Management System (including HACCAP)
• Reduced accounts receivable by recommending and implementing MYOB Accounting Plus including Payroll as Accounting system
• Increased occupancy from 59% 2007, to 64% 2008 (to date) by designing and implementing new Strategic and Tactical Marketing Plans
November 2004 – July 2006: General Manager, Active Fiji/Tui Tai Adventure Cruises, Fiji – Senior Executive Manager responsible to Board of Directors for strategic planning, operations and crew of 36. Primary directive was business development and growth.
• Designed and project managed $1 million, 4 month refit of all accommodations/cabins on Tui Tai adventure cruise ship
• Increased on-board sales and profit by designing and installing in-house dive operation on cruise ship
• Reduced costs and increased safety by designing and implementing new Food and Beverage Management System (including HACCAP)
• Reduced accounts receivable by recommending and implementing MYOB Premier v9 including Payroll as Accounting system
• Increased occupancy from 62% 2005, to 84% 2006 (mean) by designing and implementing new Marketing Plan and Reservations System
April-May 2005: Hotel Management Consultant, Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji - Senior consultant to design and implement hotel solutions while training 3 new Directors/Owners in Hotel Operations.
• Developed Business Development Plan and 5 year financial projections
• Reduced costs and increased safety by designing and implementing new Food and Beverage Management System (including HACCAP)
• Increased occupancy by developing and implementing new Marketing Plan 2005-2006
November 2003 – November 2004: Safety Management Consultant, Shangri-La Fijian Resort, Fiji – Senior consultant and designer contracted to design and implement a custom proprietary Shangri-La Watersports Safety Management System (SWSMS)
• Achieved safety target within time and under budget
• Implemented and trained 28 staff in Fiji’s first structured Watersports Safety program
July 2003 – November 2003: Business Management Consultant, Beqa Adventure Divers, Fiji – Contracted to develop the Business plan for a new dive centre as a specialist shark feeding operation
• Developed and implemented business plan and 5 year budget projection for dive centre within time and budget
Safeguard Manager (Consultant) - South Tarawa Water Supply Project (GCF, ADB, WB)
National Climate Change Coordinator - Office of te Beretitenti/ President - Kiribati
Assistant Project Manager - Third National Communication (TNC)
Volunteer - Environment and Conservation Division
Dr George Carter is a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU). He is also the Director for the ANU Pacific Institute a large network hub of scholars in the university - connecting and promoting Pacific research, teaching and training at the university.
The broad focus of George’s research interest explores Pacific island peoples’ and states influence and agency in international and regional politics. His research interests explore international politics of (negotiations, security, gender, finance, justice, science and traditional knowledge) climate change, geopolitics and regionalism(s), as well as the foreign policy and diplomacies of small island states in the Pacific. Furthermore, he is interested in indigenous philosophy and non-western international relations that focus on the longstanding history, practices, protocols and principles of Pacific political communities, contributing to Oceanic Diplomacy.
He has undertaken research in multilateral forums including climate change, security, ocean, sustainable development negotiations, as well as in regional organisations and national governments across the Pacific. George teaches university and executive courses in international relations, diplomacy, security, environment and climate change, policy, cultural communication, and Pacific studies.
His research and teaching interests are informed by his education, work experience in the Pacific and upbringing through his proud Samoan Tuvaluan, i-Kiribati, Chinese, British ancestry. He serves his family and communities in Samoa, where he holds the matai/chiefly title of Salā.
Commonwealth Secretariat Climate Finance Access Hub - Government of Fiji
atherine is a senior technical Policy and Sustainability Consultant with more than 15 years’ experience, specialising in international climate change policy with experience in climate finance, mitigation, and M&E. She has a detailed understanding of the international climate finance landscape, in particular public climate finance flows, and the access requirements and accreditation to climate funds.
Katherine is currently embedded within the Climate Change and International Cooperation Division (CCICD) of the Ministry of Economy (MoE) in Fiji she is working on projects addressing decarbonisation of the public bus sector and on Fiji Rural Electrification Fund (FREF) which focuses on access to energy in the outer islands using mini-grids. She is also working on projects including Nature Based Solutions (NbS) and setting up a project development unit (PDU) within the MoE CCICD for enhanced access to and effective use of climate finance under the broader ambit of SDGs. Katherine’s works under the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) to provide Long-term, dedicated and nationally embedded technical assistance on a demand lead basis, and institutional capacity building for climate finance project structuring, increasing access to CF. Katherine also has a focus on the utilization of Earth Observation (EO) and Geospatial data to make climate finance proposal more evidence based and robust
Katherine has high- level experience in training and capacity building including the design and delivery of training workshops for LDC and countries for climate negotiations, she has also conducted extensive training on Climate Finance Instruments and mechanisms and accessing the GCF.
Prior to taking on her current role in MoE Fiji, has conducted energy scoping studies to identify the priority research needs, on how research can inform South Africa and Zambia’s policies and investment decisions in the power sector under the DFID funded Energy and Economic Growth Project. Katherine also previously managed the M&E component of UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (PACT), a flagship programme under the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) International Climate Finance (ICF). She has expertise in energy efficiency and low carbon development with practical experience in industrial sectors under Climate change agreements (CCA’s). This involved programme design and implementation in thematic areas related to the evaluation.
Tony is the Director and lead Systems Analyst of Eighty Options, a software development agency based in Hobart, Australia that specialises in application design strategy.
Eighty Options has extensive expertise and experience with web based software solutions, in particular using the Drupal platform and in relation to supporting the needs of multilateral organisations.
My area of interest is around community development and knowledge brokerage. For 14 years, I have worked with local communities under the Fisheries department. I also have international organizations with the most recent one where I worked as a CBFM specialist under the R2R project of the UN-FAO.
Currently, I am working as a consultant focusing on climate change and DRR knowledge brokerage under the DFAT funded project.
Consutancy Records:
1. National Coordinator - Australia Pacific Climate Alumni Network
2. Translation of climate readers - Acceralating Climate Education (DFAT)
3. Review and Develop National Disability Policy - Innovex Konsult
4. Anthropoligical Research Assistant - Institut für Ethnologie Universität Göttingen
5. Transcribe and Translate (social benefit evaluation survey) - World Bank
Employment record:
1. Fisheries Assistant - Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development
2. Ag Senior Fisheries Assistant - Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Development
3. Community-based Fisheries Management Specialist - R2R project (UN-FAO) Kiribati
4. Sea cucumber research officer - Southern Cross University, ACIAR
Expertise:
1. Community Engagement
2. CC and DRR knowledge/Information brokerage
Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting & Business Tax Law, University of New South Wales, Australia 1999,
Master of Business Administration, USP Fiji, 2007
Member. Samoa Institute of Accountants
IAP2 Certified
