Congratulations

On 7 May Te Rūnanga o Waihao member and former rūnanga executive member, Michelle Heath Young graduated with her Masters of Law with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland. Michelle also has a Law Degree and First Class Honours degree in Art History and Theory from the University of Otago.

Michelle has had a career in the art industry before practicing law. She worked in the banking and finance teams of two large national law firms, Simpson Grierson and DLA Phillips Fox. Michelle is currently a corporate counsel for ANZ based in Auckland. She specialises in leveraged finance transactions in the commercial and agricultural sectors as well as healthcare and retirement village financing.

For her Masters in Law she specialised in corporate and commercial law and she undertook a research paper into the Ngāi Tahu governance structure. She sees the upskilling of whānau at rūnanga level in finance and governance as imperative to self determination and ensuring te pūtea whakamahi is managed for the betterment of Ngāi Tahu whānui.

Michelle’s whānau congratulates her on this wonderful achievement.

Michelle with her husband Eric Young, and parents Sharyn and Parris Heath.

Michelle with her husband Eric Young, and parents Sharyn and Parris Heath.