Trailblazing Pacific entrepreneur to receive Honorary Doctorate

A groundbreaking businessman will be honoured with a prestigious award from the University of Otago Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka during this weekend’s graduation ceremony.

The university stated that Uluomato’otua Saulaulu Aiono will receive an Honorary Doctor of Commerce and will also give the graduation address on Saturday.

Uluomato’otua made history as New Zealand’s first Pasifika person to obtain a Master of Business Administration (MBA), graduating from the University of Otago in 1986. He is now a prominent leader in the Pacific community.

He founded COGITA®, which initially developed software for large manufacturing and distribution companies. Today, COGITA has evolved into an investment and holding company, supporting a New Zealand biotech startup focused on creating a non-invasive method to measure blood glucose levels, which could greatly benefit millions of people with diabetes.

In a statement, the university says Uluomato’otua was surprised to receive the news about his honorary degree, saying he was in a state of disbelief. “But I haven’t done anything," he thought, jokingly wondering if they had the right person. “Another thought that crossed my mind was ‘I hope they’ve got the right person’.”

Reflecting on his time at Otago, he says it was a happy and important period for him and his wife, Margaret Brown. Their four granddaughters, Margi, Avi, Eli, and Sia, will join them at the graduation ceremony, accompanied by their parents, Tisi and Loligi, and a special aunt, Pou.

“Margaret and I learned a lot and made lifelong friends in the people we met in business and my fellow students, undergraduate and postgraduate,” he says.

“Despite my early scepticism about the value of tertiary education, it has made an incredible difference to me in entrepreneurship and community service.”

Grant Robertson, Otago Vice-Chancellor and former Cabinet Minister, praised Uluomato’otua for building a remarkable legacy in business and philanthropy.

Otago University alumnus Uluomato’otua Saulaulu Aiono will receive an Honorary Doctor of Commerce on Saturday, and his wife Margaret Brown. Photo/Supplied

“Not only has he founded and run an internationally successful business, but he continues to use his knowledge for the betterment of the community. He has paved the way for so many people,” Robertson stated.

Uluomato’otua, who is of Samoan-Kiwi heritage, was born in Apia. He is the eldest child in his family and moved to Aotearoa with his parents, Fatu and Faifuaina Seumanutafa Aiono, along with his siblings, brother Punipuniolo Mulinu’u and sister Vinepa Silupevaelei.

His interest in business started early when he and his brother would sneak into a local racecourse in Epsom to collect empty soft drinks bottles and sell them.

He graduated from Otago University with a Bachelor of Science in 1981, becoming New Zealand’s first Pasifika graduate in Computer Science. He returned to Otago in 1984 to pursue an MBA, during which he launched COGITA, making him the first Pasifika entrepreneur to start a high-tech company in Aotearoa. He, along with Margaret and their team, grew COGITA until its sale to a company in Silicon Valley in 2012.

Throughout his career, Uluomato’otua has played a vital role in helping the New Zealand community through various boards and organisations, including the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce, Alliance Health Plus, the Auckland Regional Economic Development Forum, Auckland University of Technology, Habitat for Humanity Northern Region, Rise Up Academy, The Cause Collective, and the Salvation Army.

He was also appointed to significant roles by the government, including being the chairman of the National Pacific Radio Trust, a board member of the Pacific Business Trust, and a council member of the Manukau Institute of Technology.

Watch Uluomato’otua Saulaulu Aiono discuss his Theory of Constraints.

For his contributions to business and community service, Uluomato’otua has received numerous accolades, including being named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012, being inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2022, and becoming an Auckland Grammar School Distinguished Alumnus, as well as an Augusta Award recipient in 2023.

Uluomato’otua credits his MBA for opening doors and earning respect in the business world. “Forty-seven years ago, Otago University changed the future for my wife and me, and the lives of thousands of people over that time in the fields of manufacturing, distribution, health, housing, education, biotechnology, and social welfare.”

He also highlighted the recent establishment of The Cause Collective, which the government selected in March to help Pasifika families through the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency. Thanks to the work of this new agency, thousands of lives are expected to improve in the coming years.

Uluomato’otua is grateful to the University of Otago, saying, “The Otago MBA is the original key to my know-how and confidence, subsequently grown over many years, leading to the formation of different organisations, including The Cause Collective. As a result, in the next six to 12 years, up to 238,000 Pasifika lives will be changed by this new Commissioning Agency.

“So, thank you, thank you, University of Otago.”