Makelesi Raibe joined the team at Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) New Zealand in September as Special Projects Lead.
As Special Projects Lead at PTI NZ, Makelesi will oversee the monitoring and evaluation as well as the risk assessment side of the business, which involves providing support to the PTI teams to ensure policy compliance and coherence.
Makelesi says she’s looking forward to overseeing the governance of cornerstone programmes of PTI NZ, such as the Freight Support Programme; the Impact Support Fund; and the Investment Readiness Programme. Makelesi will also oversee the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Workplan at PTI NZ.
Originally from Fiji, Makelesi brings a wealth of experience in private sector development, programme and grant management, and business advisory services.
Makelesi successfully completed a degree in accounting, management and public administration at the University of the South Pacific (USP) – forging ahead with her education a few years ahead of her peers (she started early) and graduating from USP at age 20.
In her final year at USP, Makelesi was approached by multinational accounting firm KPMG, where she began her career and remained until 2021. During that period, she worked on tax, transactions and accounting projects and was Assistant Manager, Business Advisory Services in KPMG’s Nadi and Suva offices.
Fuelled by her passion for creating broader positive impact and systemic change in the Pacific, Makelesi made a major career shift in 2021, transitioning to private sector development work as a business adviser with the Market Development Facility, an Australian aid program managed by The Palladium Group in Suva, Fiji. Within two and a half years, she’d advanced to Country Team Coordinator, gaining expertise in market systems development, program & grant management, MERL, stakeholder engagement, while mentoring and leading high-performing teams.
In September 2024, Makelesi came to New Zealand to work for PTI, and join her husband, who was already in the country.
Thriving in dynamic environments, Makelesi excels in multi-tasking and remains composed under pressure. Makelesi’s journey underscores the importance of hard work, taking calculated risks, while maintaining integrity and authentic leadership.
We welcome Makelesi Raibe to the team at PTI NZ.
makelesi.raibe@pacifictradeinvest.com
+64 22 680 9577
