Kia ora,

 

I’m Andrew Waipouri, I’m the Factory Manager at Tātai Kōura's Auckland export plant. 

 

I have been in the lobster industry for more than two decades and I have a good, comprehensive, hands-on understanding of operations, leadership, and team development. My career began in 1998 as a floor worker, and through consistent growth, I advanced into supervisory roles before stepping into senior management in 2018.

As the Auckland Factory Manager at Tatai Koura, I oversee daily operations, drive performance, and foster a strong, team-oriented culture. My leadership approach is grounded in experience at every level of the business, enabling me to connect with and motivate staff while ensuring high standards of efficiency and quality are met.

I strongly believe in the power of collaboration and shared success. Guided by the principle, “The strength of the team is each member—and the strength of each member is the team,” I work hard to build cohesive, high-performing teams that deliver long-term value.
My growth as a leader has also been shaped by active involvement in my community, reinforcing my commitment to integrity, accountability, and continuous development—both personally and professionally.

 

Tātai Kōura has a great culture.  It’s a whanau-based business and people genuinely care about each other’s wellbeing, at all levels of the business.  We’re also connected and focused on long term outcomes for iwi and work hard to achieve this.