Frae Cairns

Managing Director

Puna Awarau

Aotearoa, New Zealand

Promoting & creating supplier diversity opportunities in Aotearoa to enhance Māori and Pasifika economies. Uplifting the capability of buying organisations to engage with Māori and Pasifika owned business. Delivering impact through embedding Sustainable Procurement as BAU procurement. Young Procurement Professional of the Year 2019.

Frae Cairns is a leader in social and sustainable procurement, with a passion for creating systemic change through supplier diversity and community empowerment. As the co-founder of Puna Awarau, Frae has played a pivotal role in developing innovative tools, such as Tere ki Tai—an Indigenous supplier diversity maturity matrix—designed to guide procurement teams in advancing meaningful supplier diversity outcomes.

Frae's journey into procurement began with an unconventional path, driven by resilience, adaptability, and a keen eye for opportunity. Her work with Auckland Council laid the foundation for the Auckland Council Group Sustainable Procurement Framework and influenced the adoption of supplier diversity targets across public and private sectors in New Zealand.

As New Zealand's first Social Procurement Specialist, Frae's leadership has inspired the creation of similar roles across the country, reflecting her trailblazing impact. Her dedication to fostering long-term resilience is evident in her work empowering Māori and Pasifika businesses, breaking down barriers, and building pathways for economic growth and sustainable success.

Frae Cairns' contributions to procurement are not only reshaping industry practices but also driving lasting social and economic change across Aotearoa.