Afioga Aliimalemanu Moti Momoemausu Alofa Tuuau
Member of the Parliament of Samoa and Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee

Aliimalemanu is an accountant by profession. She brings with her over forty years of work experience in accounting and audit from her employment at Price Waterhouse and public sector in Samoa and the Pacific at the University of the South Pacific and SPREP. She is a Chartered Accountant, Samoa, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Financial Management and a Master in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific. She was first elected a Member of Parliament in 2026 for the Alataua i Sisifo constituency and became the first woman elected as Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee. She is in her second term of Parliament as women representative in 2021 and Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Archana Shirsat
Deputy Director General, Professional and Relevant SAIs, INTOSAI Development Initiative

Ms Shirsat’s department supports SAIs in moving towards full compliance with standards and in demonstrating ongoing relevance to stakeholders by fostering innovation in audit and education practices, leveraging on technological advancement and facilitating audit impact.

As a member of the IDI management team, she is also involved in strategy, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge sharing efforts of IDI.

Ms Shirsat started her career in public sector audit as an Indian Audit and Accounts Service officer in 1995. She has held various management positions in the SAI of India. Prior to joining the IDI in 2012, Ms Shirsat worked as Principal Director of Audit and Member Audit Board in Mumbai, India, where she was responsible for the audit of public sector companies in oil and gas sector, aviation and railways.

Damaris Rosabal
Lead Expert, Public Financial Management, UNDP Vaka Pasifika

Damaris Rosabal Lopes da Silva is a Gender Specialist who currently works as the Gender Responsive Budget Specialist of the Vaka Pasifika Project, with the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji. She will share her work and experience with the Vaka Pacific Project, Gender Responsive Budgeting in Palau and some good practices on gender, PFM and the work with Parliament.

Easter Chu Shing
Deputy Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

Ms Easter Chu Shing is the Deputy Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the premier intergovernmental agency for the Pacific environment based in Samoa. She is the first female to hold an Executive level position within SPREP. Ms Chu Shing’s professional career spans over 30 years serving at national, regional, and international levels. She is an environmentalist by profession.

Ms Chu Shing’s professional career started with the Government of Samoa where she served and worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (formerly called the Department of Lands, Surveys, and Environment) from 1992 to 2000. She had also worked for the United Nations Development Programme Multi-country Office in Samoa in several roles including the position of Assistant Resident Representative. Ms Chu Shing joined SPREP in 2010 where she held senior level positions including the position of Director of the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Programme prior to her appointment to the Deputy Director General position in February 2021.

Ms Chu Shing is a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand where she graduated with a Master of Environmental Studies degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Sociology. Ms Chu Shing’s expertise covers a range of key areas including environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, project management, Multilateral Environmental Agreement negotiations, strategic planning, policy development, donor and resource mobilisation, governance and operations to name a few.

Faumuinā Charmina Saili
Deputy Director Programme, TAUTAI Governance for Economic Growth

Charmina is a Pacific and international development professional with 28 years of experience on sustainable development, health systems, UN reforms, development cooperation and country systems development. She is currently the Deputy Director for the Tautai Partnership, a Governance for Economic Growth program of the governments of Samoa and Australia.

She was previously the Regional Planning Adviser for the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat between 2010 and 2019 where she coordinated the Peer Reviews of 13 Pacific governments’ systems of planning, budgeting, public financial and aid management. She led the development of the Pacific Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2016-2030, the 1st Quadrennial Pacific Sustainable Development Report (2018), and the Tracking the Effectiveness of Development Efforts in the Pacific Reports working across regional and international organisations and Pacific governments. 

In 2020, she supported the Samoa Government and UN System (2020) to develop the 2nd Voluntary National Review report for the SDGs.

Charmina has a Masters in Health Management, Planning and Policy from the University of Leeds, UK.

Finau Nagera
Acting Deputy Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General Fiji

Finau Nagera is the Acting Deputy Auditor General with the Fiji Office of the Auditor General.

While Finau specialises in public sector auditing with over 20 years of work experience in this area, her capabilities extend to the areas of strategic planning, accounting and financial management, process improvements and human resources management. Her current role at OAG Fiji encompasses leading the corporate services functions.

She voluntarily contributes her expertise and presently serves as the Vice President Finance and Executive Board member of the Fiji Association of Sports & National Olympic Committee and a Board member of Vanuabalavu Vision Ltd, a company that belongs to her own community.

Finau has a Master’s Degree in Forensic Accounting from the University of Wollongong, in Australia and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting & Financial Management from the University of the South Pacific. She is a Chartered Accountant member of the Fiji Institute of Chartered Accountants (FICA) and had also served as a Council member and President of FICA.

Fuimaono Vaitolo Ofoia
Chief Executive Officer, Samoa Umbrella of Non-Governmental Organisations (SUNGO)

Fuimaono holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Professional Accounting from Australia and a candidate for Doctor of Business Administration program at the University of Otago, New Zealand. His work experience in the areas of finance and banking spans over 20 years. He is currently the CEO of SUNGO, a position he has held for four years and a Board member of the Development Bank of Samoa. He is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants Australia and the Samoa Institute of Accountants.

Gatoloaifa’ana Tilianamua Afamasaga
Commissioner, Public Service Commission Office

Gatoloai is currently one of three Commissioners at the Samoa Government Public Service Commission. She is an educator by profession who has served her country Samoa for over 50 years, as teacher, teacher educator, college principal and university lecturer, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Director of Professional and Continuing Education at the National University of Samoa. After retirement from the university in 2012, she worked as education and training consultant for ten years. She was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Letters by the National University of Samoa in 2022.

Gatoloai is passionate about the rights of workers to a decent job and has been an advocate and unionist for many years working to improve the salaries and conditions of work of teachers as well as workers in the private sector. She was the founding president of the Samoa Workers Congress, the umbrella body for workers’ organizations in Samoa.

Gatoloai is a staunch advocate and promoter of women in leadership having worked for years to support women in attaining leadership positions in all walks of life.

Gatoloai is married with five children and 12 grandchildren.

Honourable Mulipola Anarosa Ale Molio’o
Minister of Women, Community and Social Development

Mulipola represents the Constituency of Palauli No. 1, Savaii. She attained a Bachelor of Commerce from the National University of Samoa and associated with the Samoa Institute of Accountants, Leadership of Samoa Program and the Fatuaiupu Women in Leadership and Community Development Program.

Mulipola has had an extensive career with the FEXCO Samoa Ltd, the Federal Pacific Finance, Coopers & Lybrand–Betham & Co, Samoa Audit Office and the Samoa Charity Foundation for Carmelite Mission. She is a former board member and executive for Samoa Women’s Federation for World Peace, Samoa Trust Estate Corporation and Samoa Victim Support Group.

Imase Taai Kaunatu
Auditor General, Office of the Auditor General Tuvalu

Imase Taai Kaunatu holds a qualification as an accountant. A native of Funafuti, Tuvalu, Imase completed her Bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of the South Pacific. Following this, she also obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Fraud and Forensic Accounting, as well as a Master’s in Professional Accounting.

With over a decade of experience in auditing, she embarked on her career at the Office of the Auditor-General of Tuvalu in 2005, starting as an assistant auditor. Over the years, she progressively advanced through the office ranks, culminating in her appointment as the Auditor-General in September 2021.

Jeanette Calder
Executive Director, Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal

Ms Calder conceptualized and founded JAMP following her experience as researcher into six years of Auditors General reports, and the resulting findings and recommendations; as well as researcher and writer of citizens’ guide to better understanding of the national budget.

She was also a member and one-time co-executive director of the Jamaica Civil Society Forum, vocal on governance issues, in particular those relating to procurement, corruption and public sector reform.

Ms Calder spent six years in the public sector and has served on a number of Government boards and committees (National Contracts Commission Sector Committee, Rent Board, Land Divestment Board among others). Her public sector experience furthered her appreciation of the threats to effective and transparent public service delivery and left an indelible impression about the need for change.

She is a graduate of the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology, Jamaica and obtained a MSc in Urban Management and Development at the Erasmus University in The Netherlands.

Ms Calder currently serves as President of both the Liguanea Community Development Committee and the South Liguanea Citizens’ Association; is a member of the advisory board of the Jamaica Institute of Planners and the Construction Industry Council.

Maiava Atalina Ainuu-Enari
Governor, Central Bank of Samoa

Ms Ainuu-Enari was appointed Governor and Chairperson of the Board of the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) on 11 August 2011, the first woman to hold this role. A career central banker, having worked for the CBS for a cumulative period of 30 years, and held a number of senior positions within the Bank. Ms Ainuu-Enari has extensive experience in macroeconomic policy development and implementation, monetary policy formulation and implementation, reserve and liquidity management, financial intelligence and enforcement and banking and insurance supervision. A strong champion of financial inclusion and inclusive development for sustainable growth.

Ms Ainuu-Enari is also an Accredited Mediator since 2017 and is a member of the Accredited Mediators of Samoa Association (AMSA).

On the international front, she currently holds the following positions:

• Board member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)

• Co-Chair of the Operations Committee of the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)

• Member of the United Nations Secretary General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Ms Enari is an Economist and Lawyer and holds a Bachelor of Business in Economics, Banking and Finance from University of Southern Queensland (Australia), a Master of Science in International Economics, Banking and Finance from the University of Wales (UK), and a Bachelor of Law (LLB), Professional Diploma in Legal Practice (PDLP) and a Professional Diploma in Legal Drafting (PDLD) from the University of the South Pacific (Fiji and Vanuatu).

Mataafā Faatino Utumapu
General Manager, Nuanua ole Alofa (NOLA)

In 2014, Ms Utumapu’s advocacy around the value of identifying people with disabilities led to Samoa being the first Pacific country to collect information on disability. In 2016, she coordinated the country’s very first registration of people with disabilities for the national elections as well as training for elections staff to ensure that the electoral systems were responsive to the diverse needs of people with disabilities.

Her advocacy work has also supported the creation of the Wheelchair Users Association of Samoa and Samoa Association of the Deaf.

Ms Utumapu is one of 10 disability leaders in the Pacific region to facilitate in the regional implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She is the Co-chair for the Pacific committee of youth with disabilities, a member of the Pacific Disability Forum's Resource Team.

She is also an executive member of the Samoa Umbrella for Non Governmental Organisations.

In 2016, Ms Utumapu was named Samoa Observer’s Person of the Year and in 2017 received the Pasifika Award from the Pacific Disability Forum.

Ms Utumapu represented NOLA, an advocacy organisation for persons with disabilities in Samoa, at the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York.

Oceanbaby Rosalia Vaoafi Penitito
Director Performance and Environment Audit, Samoa Audit Office

Oceanbaby Penitito is the Director of the Performance and Environmental Audit in Samoa Audit Office where she has managed the operation of the unit for five years now.

Ms Penitito graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Economics at the University of the South Pacific. She is a Chartered Accountant of the Samoa Institute of Accountant and a current member of the Association of the Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in the United States of America. She is currently undertaking a Masters of Fraud and Financial Crime at Charles Stuart University in Australia via online platform.

Ms Penitito joined the Samoa Audit Office (SAO) in 2008 as an Audit Examiner. Since then, she progressed very quickly through the ranks in the organisational structure of SAO and became the Director of PEA in January 2019. Ms Penitito has had a most impressive climb in the organisational ladder of SAO as well as a very good and credible reputation with the international partners of SAO in relation to her personal and professional development.

Peseta Noumea Simi
Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Peseta started her public service in 1979 with the Prime Minister’s Office. She also served as Head of Aid Coordination with the Ministry of Finance for many years.

Peseta was first appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2015. All Samoan diplomatic positions around the globe report to her.

Peseta holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New England.

Salā Stella Siale Vaea-Tagitau
Chief Executive Officer, Samoa International Cricket Association

Salā Stella Siale-Vaea Tagitau is a dynamic leader, game changer, and strategic thinker who, since joining Samoa Cricket in June 2013 as CEO, has transformed the organization, ensuring it is now one of the leading Associate Members in the East Asia-Pacific region. Equipped with a Business degree, and a Masters in Sports Administration, she is driven by a strong work ethics and a focus on achieving goals.

• Master Educator, Oceania Sports Education Program, ONOC Fiji

• Graduate, Women Sports Leadership Academy (WSLA), University of Chichester, England

• International Cricket Council (ICC ) Global Advisory Group Executive Member (CRIIIO Project)

• Founding Director Pacific Sports Diplomacy Network (PSDN)

• President Paralympics Samoa

• Vice Chairperson & Board Director Samoa Sports Facilities Authority (SSFA)

• Chairperson Audit Committee Samoa Sports Facilities Authority

• Board Member Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) (2016-2017)

• Executive Member Sports Sector Advisory Committee to Samoa Qualifications Authority (2016-2019)

• Board of Trustees Leadership Samoa Development Programme (2014-2016)

• Executive Member Women and Sports Commission (2014-2019)

• Team Manager Samoa Women’s Cricket Team (2015 Pacific Games Gold Medal)

• Player/Coach Scholarship Australia Institute of Sport (AIS 1996)

• Captain: Samoa Women’s National Soccer Team (1993-1995)

• Samoa College Sports Woman of the Year (1988)

• Bestowed chief title Muliagatele (1997)

• Bestowed high chief (paramount) title Salā (2009)

• The first and only female CEO (Cricket) in the East Asia Pacific region nine member countries

Sa’oleititi Maeva Betham-Vaai
Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Finance

Ms Betham Vaai joined the Samoan public service as a Finance Officer with the Treasury Department in 1992. It became the Ministry of Finance during her 14 years there. In later roles at the ministry she was responsible for the preparation and monitoring of the national budget as well as monitoring of aid funded projects.

From 2006 to 2009 she was an Executive Director’s Advisor to the Asian Development Bank Board of Directors.

As a World Bank Liaison Officer, she was responsible for developing and maintaining healthy working relationships and partnerships with the Government of Samoa through close collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (as the executing agency for all World Bank-funded projects), the various implementing agencies in the different sectors where the World Bank is engaged, and Samoa’s other development partners.

In 2022 she returned to her old ministry after Cabinet appointed her as its CEO.

Ms. Betham Vaai holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines and a Bachelor of Business (Majoring in Accounting) from the University of Central Queensland, Australia. She holds the chiefly title of Sa’oleititi from Saleilua, Falealii.

Sarah Markley
Director of International Engagement, Office of the Auditor-General New Zealand; Deputy Secretary-General, PASAI

Before joining the Office of the Auditor-General in 2007 Sarah was an Audit Manager at Audit New Zealand. Sarah also provides support and advice to the Chief Executive to assist the Secretariat in achieving the goals set out in the PASAI Strategic Plan.

Tafaoimalo Professor Leilani Tuala-Warren
Professor of Law, University of Waikato

Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren, is a Professor of Law at Te Piringa, School of Law, University of Waikato. She took up this role after 10 years on the Bench of Samoa, first as a Family Court Judge, then as a Justice of the Supreme Court. Prior to that, she held roles in law reform and private practice as a Barrister and Solicitor. She holds an LLB and LLM (with Distinction) from the University of Waikato.

Taituuga Maryann Lameko-Vaai
General Manager Offshore Branches, BSP Financial Group Limited

Taitu'uga leads and oversees the operations of six Bank South Pacific (BSP) offshore branches in Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands.

Taitu'uga started working at the BSP Samoa over a decade ago as a Head of Finance and Operations before becoming the first Samoan woman to be appointed a country manager of the bank in 2015. 

She was also in the bank’s leadership and management development programme for two years from 2016 to 2018.

Prior to joining the bank, Taitu'uga was the Manager (Finance and Operations) at the Computer Services Limited after working with Lesa and Penn as Senior Accountant and Auditor. 

She holds a Bachelor's Degree from Auckland University and is also a chartered accountant with the Samoa Institute of Accountants and a certified public accountant with CPA Australia.

Tuala Maria Melei-Tagiilima
Unit Head, Samoa Pacific Country Office, Asian Development Bank

Maria has been with the Pacific Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for over eighteen years – previously managing ADB’s programs of assistance for Tonga, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Palau. She returned to Samoa in August 2016 to head ADB’s Samoa Pacific Country Office. In this role, Maria has assumed responsibility as the ADB Country Team Leader for Samoa managing its program of assistance as well as supporting processing of new and administration of ongoing projects. Specifically, Maria has been involved in the preparation and administration of projects in public management and policy reforms, ICT and renewable energy. Maria holds a masters degree in business administration and worked for the public and private sectors in the areas of public sector management, business development and structural reforms prior to joining ADB.

Tuiloma Sina Retzlaff
Development Entrepreneur/Founder Samoa Global News

Tuiloma Sina Retzlaff is a business and development entrepreneur and founder of Pacific Global Solutions, a Mediation and Professional Development Training firm in Apia. Seven years ago, she also founded an online news site, Samoa Planet, rebranded to Samoa Global News.

Tuiloma is a former President of Samoa’s Chamber of Commerce and currently Chairs the Samoa Business Hub – a business support and loan guarantee scheme for MSMEs. Sina is one of three members of Samoa’s Public Sector Remuneration Tribunal. Lemalu has served on Government Boards for over 15 years, with terms on the Central Bank of Samoa Board, the National University of Samoa’s Council and SOEs such as the Samoa Housing Corporation and Samoa Post. In Community based programs, Tuiloma is a founding member of Teen Challenge Samoa, and has also served on the Samoa Rugby Union Board.

In other development work, Tuiloma chaired the NZ-Aid funded Tsunami Build-Back Better Project and represented Samoa on the Australian-Aid funded Pacific Leadership Program.

Tuiloma has extensive experience as a facilitator both in Samoa and the Pacific region. She has presented papers at regional and international forums on various topics including Trade Agreements, Regional Private Sector Cooperation, Adaptive Leadership and Women’s Empowerment. 

Tuiloma has coordinated the development of Strategic Plans for a number of public, private and community enterprises. As a trainer, she has over 20 years experience. She has developed a FaaSamoa based Galulue Faatasi - Working Together Model© and has designed and delivered Impact Training Programs for staff of various businesses, NGOs and Government departments.

By profession, Tuiloma is both an Accountant and an Accredited Mediator. She conducts Court-annexed mediations for the Ministry of Justice, and has been a member of the Samoa Institute of Accountants (SIA) since 1998. She is also a Gender Based Violence Research Fellow and has developed a training on Understand Domestic Violence. Tuiloma has three sons and lives in Samoa.

Esther Lameko-Poutoa is the Chief Executive of the PASAI Secretariat. She is responsible for leading the PASAI Secretariat team to deliver the strategic plan, to engage and support supreme audit institutions in the region to deliver their individual objectives and responsibilities while working closely with stakeholders and development partners.

Meresimani Vosawale-Katuba is the Director – South. Based in Fiji, she is focussed on SAIs under the Parliamentary system. She has 13 years’ auditing experience at SAI Fiji and was most recently acting in the role of Manager Performance Audit Services. There she established and led the Quality Assurance Unit. Ms Vosawale-Katuba brings experience in developing manuals, policies and guidelines; conducting training presentations; and carrying out quality assurance reviews of financial audits and performance audits.

Susana Laulu is a Programme Director focussed on having member audit offices in the Pacific deliver high-quality audits on a timely basis. Before joining PASAI in 2023, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Development Bank of Samoa and has more than 20 years of experience in auditing, financial management, governance, banking, public policy, business strategy and related disciplines. Susana is a member of the Samoa Institute of Accountants and the Institute of Public Accountants Australia.