Learn more about Saia's pathway to becoming a Managing Director.
Video transcript
[Video shown an aerial shot of Ranui in Auckland]
I had a journey I went through, about six years ago that journey became clear when my brother passed.
You know, someone once said to me, and it made sense to me that “you always know how much money you have because you check your bank balance, but you never know how much time you have.”
[Video shows Saia sitting in an office and speaking]
So when that happened to me, I looked at it and go: I didn't know what I wanted to be when I was young, but now at my age, now I understand what I truly want to be.
I wanted to be an entrepreneur that builds a business that can do good. I want to make lots of money that I can invest back in our people.
[Music plays]
Right now, my current role is the Managing Director of one of the best companies in the world.
This is Trow Group, one of the leading innovation companies in redesigning waste. Here, we find ways for it not to go to landfill. So we designed that, which is quite a unique way. It's quite a revolution, has not been done before.
So, we've changed how the country as a whole, but also in the government sector, look at waste.
But as Pasifika, we came to look for a better future in New Zealand. And unfortunately, we had to all work very young. I didn't get the opportunity to actually study, I had to work like a lot of our Pasifika.
And even after today, some of us had to work to help our parents out.
[Video shows shots of Trow Groups offices]
To know where you're going, you need to know where you come from. So because sometimes we think we know where we're going, but we forget where we come from. And we lose everything else.
I always say to our staff and anybody. I say, “if you're going to look for money, you'll never find it. If you're looking to help somebody, everything else falls into place.”
[Video shows Saia sitting in an office and speaking]
Because it doesn't matter if you get 50 dollars an hour, 100 dollars an hour, a million dollars, you'll never be happy, you'll never be satisfied.
But if you go looking to help with the community, with somebody, everything else will fall into place because it’s satisfying, and it will fall into place.
You know, I always try to encourage people to work and study and get the company to pay for it.
Why not? You know, why give mum and dad more financial struggle, because you don't have to attend school and work and then study at the same time. And that's to help your parents out.
Or if you're already currently studying, and if you're studying to be an engineer, if you're studying to be a designer, finish that straight out of school.
I'm not saying, don't go into university, I'm just saying: hey, look, you could save money and go straight into it. And then decide if you’re going to carry on.
[Video shows shots of Saia working in various locations for Trow Group]
Malo e lei, my name is Saia Finau Latu. I come from the village of Natawa in Tonga.
I went to Mangere College, and I currently reside with my wife and kids in West Auckland.
I wear many hats. I'm a dad, community liaison, a cleaner, taxi driver, husband, cook many hangis, and this is how I became the managing director of Trow Group.
[Music plays]