October 7, 2025 • 5 mins
Former All Black Mils Muliaina is set to trade rugby fields for the boardroom as he steps into his new role.
He recently joined the Auckland Business Chamber board, becoming its first Pasifika director in the organisation's history.
Mils Muliaina says this new role came to him as a surprise, but he's welcoming the new opportunity.
"I'm supposed to provide a voice for the communities, especially for the Pacific community, in finance and insurance and I suppose economic matters. So I'm pretty chuffed."
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Former All Blacks Legends Mills mully Aena is now playing
a different game, which is business. He's just been hired
by the Auckland Business Chamber Board as the first pacifica
director and there are one hundred and sixty nine year
history and he's with us now.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hoy Mels, hey here there, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And very well? Thank you, congrats on the role.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Oh, thank you very much. Yeah, it's coming a bit
of a surprise, but I've known for a wee while,
so it's yeah, I'm look for as it's just it is.
It's a it's a significant opportunity for me. I suppose
to provide a voice for the communities and especially the
Pacific community, and you know, on finance, insurance and I
suppose economic matters. So I'm pretty toughed.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, I mean it might surprise a few people to
hear that you've you've popped up in business, but you
are you a mortgage advisor in real life?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, I am. I'm coming up eight years being a
qualified financial advisor. So most people have want to have
seen me on the screens, probably thinking I'm just a
has been an X rugby player that's sort of bitching
and maining about the about the orbleex But no, I've
been in business. I've got a small he see me,
uh that I've that I started in twenty nineteen and
we do mortgages, insurance sets in our investment I'm almost
(01:08):
qualified in the investment space. It's just taking me a
bit longer to do this last paper.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Oh brilliant stuff. So so what's your job here in
terms of the Pacific economy.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I just think it's just that it's just, you know,
it's it's being their voice. You know what we what
what Treasuries sort of mentioned it's and it's it's it's
awesome the fact that you know, the largest population population
is in Auckland, in the driest majority of the Pacific activities,
you know where it's in business, social enterprise, employment, in
(01:39):
an even you know, in formal volunteering, the volunteering sector.
So my role really is to be their voice. You know.
Josury mentioned the fact that the Pacific communities you contribute
eight billion annually towards the economy, so that's pretty significant.
And being a voice on on and having a seat
(02:00):
on that chamber really just you know, working through that
sort of sort of stuff and I suppose working through
the challenges, but also you know, it is a very
challenging time, but also you know, celebrating also the success
that it brings with it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, I get the feeling that the PACIFICA economy, you know,
maybe overlooked, Like I suspect many people will not realize
how big it is and therefore it will not actually
have been developed as much as we could.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
No. I mean that's the thing that there's not a
lot has known about the Pacific business sector, and more
work does need to be to be done, not only
just a celebrator, but to bring awareness to it, you know,
but you know, a comprehensive you know collective sort of
collect you know, data on Pacific businesses and activities that
(02:45):
that needs to happen and it hasn't. And I suppose
it's finding out more and more about that and sort
of how we can sort of grow that in sort
of some of the areas. I mean, we are resilient,
that the PACIFICA community is resilient, but they tend to
also stay within them themselves and not sort of you
know hype up effect that they're doing really well. You know,
what's not widely known as there's a high proportion of
(03:07):
business businesses that are owned by Pacific women, and that's awesome.
And even in sectors like you know, agriculture and also aquaculture,
you know, and that's that's something that's sort of unheard of,
but they don't celebrate it and they keep to themselves,
you know, small to medium enterprises with you know, wonder
five sort of staff. Then there's a lot of that
(03:28):
going around. But you know, eight billion a year that
they contribute. Will Pacific people contribute to the to the
economy is it's quite significant. It should be celebrated.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Now, tell me what do you reckon is the best
rate to lock in at the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well, the ocr's out tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, twenty five or fifty.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I'm hoping it's I'm hoping it's well, it's everyone. We're
hoping it's fifty. But another drop will be fantastic. One
thing we've got to consider as the banks already have moved,
and sometimes when they move early, it gives them the
reason to say, hey, we'll we've already moved. But there's
no doubt there is a little bit of consumer confidence
now with the rates coming down, hopefully in another push
we've got to and you know, especially to the end
(04:10):
of the year when people tend to spend a lot,
you know, during that Christmas period. But I'm hoping for
a fifty, but I'll be more than happy for a
twenty five.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Here, Yeah, what are you looking in? What do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
One year? Well, mine's coming up, so I'll definitely be
looking at one year. I think it's four point four
to nine at the moment, and hopefully another drop, but
they won't tend to happen till hopefully next week. But
the one year is looking pretty good. Eighteen months as similar,
and it's great. It's great for you know, it gives
(04:42):
people a little bit of hope but also, as I
mentioned before, a little bit of consumer confidence leading into
the summer break good stuff bills.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Thanks very much man, and good luck with the Auckland
Business Chamber. That's Mills, Millainas and New pacifica director on
the ABC. Isn't that nice? I always love it when
a rugby player turns out to be not only awesome
at running and passing a ball, which is like a
thing to be awesome at obviously, but also has brains.
That's just fantastic. I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Former All Blacks Legends Mills mully Aena is now playing
a different game, which is business. He's just been hired
by the Auckland Business Chamber Board as the first pacifica
director and there are one hundred and sixty nine year
history and he's with us now.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hoy Mels, hey here there, how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
And very well? Thank you, congrats on the role.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Oh, thank you very much. Yeah, it's coming a bit
of a surprise, but I've known for a wee while,
so it's yeah, I'm look for as it's just it is.
It's a it's a significant opportunity for me. I suppose
to provide a voice for the communities and especially the
Pacific community, and you know, on finance, insurance and I
suppose economic matters. So I'm pretty toughed.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, I mean it might surprise a few people to
hear that you've you've popped up in business, but you
are you a mortgage advisor in real life?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, I am. I'm coming up eight years being a
qualified financial advisor. So most people have want to have
seen me on the screens, probably thinking I'm just a
has been an X rugby player that's sort of bitching
and maining about the about the orbleex But no, I've
been in business. I've got a small he see me,
uh that I've that I started in twenty nineteen and
we do mortgages, insurance sets in our investment I'm almost
(01:08):
qualified in the investment space. It's just taking me a
bit longer to do this last paper.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Oh brilliant stuff. So so what's your job here in
terms of the Pacific economy.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I just think it's just that it's just, you know,
it's it's being their voice. You know what we what
what Treasuries sort of mentioned it's and it's it's it's
awesome the fact that you know, the largest population population
is in Auckland, in the driest majority of the Pacific activities,
you know where it's in business, social enterprise, employment, in
(01:39):
an even you know, in formal volunteering, the volunteering sector.
So my role really is to be their voice. You know.
Josury mentioned the fact that the Pacific communities you contribute
eight billion annually towards the economy, so that's pretty significant.
And being a voice on on and having a seat
(02:00):
on that chamber really just you know, working through that
sort of sort of stuff and I suppose working through
the challenges, but also you know, it is a very
challenging time, but also you know, celebrating also the success
that it brings with it.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, I get the feeling that the PACIFICA economy, you know,
maybe overlooked, Like I suspect many people will not realize
how big it is and therefore it will not actually
have been developed as much as we could.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
No. I mean that's the thing that there's not a
lot has known about the Pacific business sector, and more
work does need to be to be done, not only
just a celebrator, but to bring awareness to it, you know,
but you know, a comprehensive you know collective sort of
collect you know, data on Pacific businesses and activities that
(02:45):
that needs to happen and it hasn't. And I suppose
it's finding out more and more about that and sort
of how we can sort of grow that in sort
of some of the areas. I mean, we are resilient,
that the PACIFICA community is resilient, but they tend to
also stay within them themselves and not sort of you
know hype up effect that they're doing really well. You know,
what's not widely known as there's a high proportion of
(03:07):
business businesses that are owned by Pacific women, and that's awesome.
And even in sectors like you know, agriculture and also aquaculture,
you know, and that's that's something that's sort of unheard of,
but they don't celebrate it and they keep to themselves,
you know, small to medium enterprises with you know, wonder
five sort of staff. Then there's a lot of that
(03:28):
going around. But you know, eight billion a year that
they contribute. Will Pacific people contribute to the to the
economy is it's quite significant. It should be celebrated.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Now, tell me what do you reckon is the best
rate to lock in at the moment?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well, the ocr's out tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Yeah, twenty five or fifty.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
I'm hoping it's I'm hoping it's well, it's everyone. We're
hoping it's fifty. But another drop will be fantastic. One
thing we've got to consider as the banks already have moved,
and sometimes when they move early, it gives them the
reason to say, hey, we'll we've already moved. But there's
no doubt there is a little bit of consumer confidence
now with the rates coming down, hopefully in another push
we've got to and you know, especially to the end
(04:10):
of the year when people tend to spend a lot,
you know, during that Christmas period. But I'm hoping for
a fifty, but I'll be more than happy for a
twenty five.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Here, Yeah, what are you looking in? What do you reckon?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
One year? Well, mine's coming up, so I'll definitely be
looking at one year. I think it's four point four
to nine at the moment, and hopefully another drop, but
they won't tend to happen till hopefully next week. But
the one year is looking pretty good. Eighteen months as similar,
and it's great. It's great for you know, it gives
(04:42):
people a little bit of hope but also, as I
mentioned before, a little bit of consumer confidence leading into
the summer break good stuff bills.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Thanks very much man, and good luck with the Auckland
Business Chamber. That's Mills, Millainas and New pacifica director on
the ABC. Isn't that nice? I always love it when
a rugby player turns out to be not only awesome
at running and passing a ball, which is like a
thing to be awesome at obviously, but also has brains.
That's just fantastic. I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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