Mils Muliaina joins Auckland Business Chamber as first Pasifika director

Junior Malili ‘Mils’ Muliaina is trading scrums for spreadsheets, bringing the lessons he learnt on the rugby field into the boardroom.

He has recently joined the Auckland Business Chamber board, becoming its first Pasifika director in the organisation’s history.

Muliaina has spent the past eight years as a company Director and mortgage adviser with The Mortgage Hub.

Speaking with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, he says joining the Chamber is both a personal milestone and an opportunity to offer a different perspective.

“Auckland has the largest Pasifika population in New Zealand, and most economic activity in our community happens here, through business, social enterprise, volunteering and employment. Pasifika contribute about $8 billion each year to the national economy.”

Simon Bridges, Chief Executive of the Auckland Business Chamber, says the organisation is delighted to welcome Muliaina and mark the “really positive” milestone of having a Pasifika board member.

Listen to Mils Muliaina's full interview below.

“As a business owner himself, Mils understands the challenges and opportunities facing small and medium enterprises and brings an important voice for Auckland.

“The Chamber is 169 years old, one of New Zealand’s oldest institutions, and, to our knowledge, this is the first time we have had Pasifika representation on the board," Bridges says in a statement.

“The Chamber works closely with Pasifika businesspeople here and across the Islands, and through our employment and skills programmes, so this appointment reflects the communities we serve.”

Muliaina sees his role as both representation and inspiration, and although he’s new to the Chamber board, is excited about its reach and what that means for business leaders.

“Often, we work hard and sit in the corner without promoting ourselves. This gives Pasifika business leaders a seat at board level, which is something I’m proud of but also recognise comes with responsibility.”

The former All Black is aware of the economic pressures facing small businesses.

“Auckland is massive, and there’s government engagement at many levels. My focus is understanding that influence and supporting initiatives that matter to our communities.

“Consumer confidence is slowly improving and interest rates are coming down, but many are still cautious about spending. Part of my role is supporting businesses through tough times and motivating them to plan for the future.”

All Blacks' Mils Muliaina gets the pass away in the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations rugby union test match at Eden Park in 2011. Photo/Photosport/Anthony Au-Yeung

From sports field to boardroom

Born in Salelesi, Sāmoa, Muliaina grew up in Invercargill before moving to Auckland to attend Kelston Boys’ High, a breeding ground for rugby talent under Sir Graham Henry. He progressed through New Zealand Sevens and the Auckland Blues, using his salary to buy his first property at age 21 in New Lynn. In 2003, he debuted for the All Blacks and eventually became the second player to achieve 100 test caps, following Ritchie McCaw.

After retiring from sport in 2011, Muliaina says transitioning from professional sport to business was surprisingly smooth.

“I’d had enough of rugby, to be totally honest. I probably could have gone on for another two years, but I'd always wanted to own my own business. “I studied for a bit, I went into chiropractic first, and I started to understand all the things that I'd learnt in rugby, the team environment, the culture that you create, mental perspective, and how you sort of drive teams and successful teams … some of the things I implement now in business is exactly what we sort of learned over those years.”

Mils Muliaina uses lessons from the sports field in his current roles. Photo/Photosport/Anthony Au-Yeung

Financial literacy is a cause close to his heart. Over the years, he has built a portfolio of eight properties and used that experience to advise family members and fellow rugby players on investing and home ownership. Through The Mortgage Hub’s My Fale Programme, he has helped nearly 300 Pasifika families into home ownership over the past four years, contributing an estimated $250 million into the economy.

With only two per cent of qualified financial advisers in New Zealand identifying as Māori or Pasifika, he believes representation builds trust and enables intergenerational change.

“Teaching young people about financial literacy allows them to pass knowledge to their children,” he says. “It’s about having conversations in ways that respect culture and language, showing families that finance isn’t something to be afraid of.”

Auckland Business Chamber is a membership-based organisation and part of a network of more than 13,000 Chambers of Commerce internationally.