Leadership Team

Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi.

Lynette Donohoe originally started with Solomon Group when it was established in 1999. She returned to the organisation as a Strategic Partnership Manager and is now our Chief Executive. With over 20 years’ experience working for the public sector (with a senior management background in employment and tertiary education), Lynette is recognised for her pragmatic approach to innovation which has led to the successful implementation of a number of projects and initiatives. This includes the recent success of establishing ARA, Airport Jobs and Skills Hub.

Sid has been with Solomon Group since 2008 initially co-managing the highly successful Youth Transition Service. In 2011 he started to manage Solomon Group’s Employment Services Team supporting beneficiaries into sustainable employment outcomes. Sid has strong employer and training provider networks. Diploma in Sport, Diploma in Youth Work, Certificate in Adult Teaching

Ruanna joined us in 2018 to support the development of partnerships with our communities and employers to better support our people in accessing employment opportunities through up-skilling or training. Ru's philosophy is that there is ‘no wrong door’ for people in believing in their potential for a better future. Ruanna is hugely respected by government agencies, employers, schools and communities and is a huge asset to the Solomon Group Whanau.

John Connell joined us in late 2018 as our Senior Manager – Youth Initiatives and one of the members of our Executive team. He will support the teams that work with youth through our NEET, YP/YPP and SAS team as they awhi and support our most vulnerable clientele. John is highly respected in the community having led education and employment programmes in the youth space in South Auckland, most recently in SENZ. He also has a background in engineering and ran his own business.

Maree has been with Solomon Group since 2012. Maree has worked in Education for 15 years including mainstream, Alternative Education, and Adult Education. Maree’s position prior to Solomon Group was as a Manager at a local Training Provider. Maree is responsible for Solomon Group’s Whanau Ara Mua – (Families Moving Forward), Intensive Literacy & Numeracy, National Certificate of Computing and NZ Certificate in English Language programmes. Dip Adult Edu, Cert Adult Edu, NCALE (Educator and Voc)

Since joining Aspire2 Group more than five years ago, Brendon held a number of senior-level roles within their various PTEs. For Brendon, one of the greatest rewards has been helping to create a suite of programmes and outcomes which are valued by employers and meet a wide range of community needs. The high level of guidance and coaching Solomon Group offers can be the difference between success and failure for some of our students – it’s that powerful. Brendon is heavily involved with The Southern Initiative (TSI), an organisation which champions, stimulates and enables social and community innovation in South Auckland. Brendon works to help them deliver on their vision of providing a more equitable and sustainable future for the South Auckland communities.

Marie has been with Aspire2 Group for the past year. Along with working across all divisions at Aspire2 Group, Marie Manages the day to day operations of Solomon Group Marketing. Leading an exceptionally talented team, we are on an endless journey of storytelling in showcasing to the world what a nurturing training and education environment can do for a students future.