Dr Mark Sherwood
Mark lives in New Zealand. He works as an orthopaedic and spinal surgeon in Wellington, New Zealand. He trained in medicine at the University of Otago, NZ where he met his wife, Dr Ate Moala. Mark completed specialist training in Auckland and Melbourne in adult and paediatric spinal surgery. For over 20 years, he has worked at the highest level of orthopaedic and spinal care. Mark sees his medical career as a profession and as a calling and a stewardship from God.
Mark has been privileged to serve as a mission volunteer spine and scoliosis surgery in Israel, Hadassah, Mt Scobus hospitals in Jerusalem and Asuta hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel and Focos Hospital, Accra, Ghana, West Africa and also in Tonga.
In Wellington, Mark runs a private orthopaedic and spinal practice together with his wife, Dr Ate Moala. Their work involves a busy and demanding combination of consultations and surgery. Mark and Ate believe that healing their patients through medicine and surgery is not second class healing. For them, their work as medical doctors is a platform for Jesus to minister through them with compassion and healing for their patients.
Beyond their medical work, Mark and Ate share a deep and enduring passion for the Kingdom of God, particularly for young people and Pacific families. For many years, they have been actively involved in discipling, equipping, and mentoring young people, including running camps for girls and youth, raising up a generation to know God, walk in truth, and live with purpose.
Mark’s life message is simple: the Gospel transforms lives, and every believer is called to serve God with everything entrusted to them in every sphere of influence.
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Elias Kanaris is a globally respected leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and executive advisor dedicated to developing values-driven leaders across government, business, faith, and community sectors. With more than 30 years of experience, he has guided organisations through complexity and change, helping senior leaders navigate uncertainty with clarity, cultural intelligence, and moral courage. A former President of the Global Speakers Federation—representing 6,000 leaders in over 20 countries—Elias brings deep international governance experience and a collaborative, Pacific-aligned leadership ethos. He is the CEO of The Insight & Strategy Group and creator of the Presidential Think Tank’s Leadership Compass, a transformational development course that equips leaders with practical tools for influence, resilience, and high-trust decision-making. Elias is also the author of Leading From The Stop and a Certified Maxwell Leadership Coach, known for turning lived experience—including his leadership response during the 9/11 shutdown in Gander—into compelling lessons that inspire action. Elias is honoured to contribute to the Pacific Legacy Leadership Foundation’s mission of strengthening ethical, culturally grounded leadership across the Blue Pacific.
A happy, healthy, wealthy coach, speaker & writer living an abundant life and inspiring others to live a life of growth and excellence. Married to Apenisa Saukuru with four inheritances Keona, Leilani, Ebenezer and Yechezkel. A visionary, strategist, workshop facilitator, influencer in personal development plans, sport governance and organisational strategy. Former Fijian national athlete, youth coach and sport leader in the Olympic movement with combined total of close to 4 decades.
Christine(Chris) Nurminen has a pioneering spirit and is a Pacific development executive with extensive governance and management experience in the not-for-profit sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. She is Tongan and the Director of Manava Partners – a consultancy she and her sister co-founded based on seeing the need to support Pacific women to lead. Using her MA(Hons) in Education, Chris has served as a CEO for a Crown-appointed charity, served as Chair on various charitable Boards and she now consults Pacific organizations to support strategy, funding and professional development. Chris values partnerships and the interface between Pacific and Māori women in protecting Pacific languages and cultural identities. She is married with two young children and is a published children’s book author.
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