Aaminah Ghani

Aaminah Ghani made a big impression during her time at the University of Waikato as both an entrepreneurial and community-minded student.

Born and raised in Hamilton, Aaminah is the third generation of women in her Kiwi-Indian family to study at the University of Waikato, so it has a special place in her heart. “My grandma studied here in the 80s, followed by my mum and uncles. We’ve all had a really good time here, and the environment is very supportive,” she says.

For her, Waikato’s strength lies in its people: “The university has this energy where it’s all about collaboration, and you can create those connections with people in a really genuine way.”

Aaminah completed a four-year Bachelor of Management Studies, majoring in Supply Chain Management and Marketing.

She looks back on her time at Waikato with a sense of pride. After New Zealand’s 2020 Covid lockdown ended, Aaminah decided it was the perfect time to launch a new student club; the Women in Business Association (WIBA), which quickly attracted around 100 members.

“I wanted to create a support network that would prepare women for the workplace and give them access to female mentors,” she explains.

Aaminah also became Vice-President of the Waikato Muslim Students’ Association and helped organise a major campus tribute following the Christchurch mosque attack in 2019. “It was about coming together to express our grief, and making sure that Muslim students felt safe and supported.”

A top academic achiever, Aaminah was awarded a Prime Minister’s Scholarship to Asia, which led her to complete a supply chain internship at a recycled packaging company in Vietnam, where she learned about outsourcing and international trade.

“Having good relationships is absolutely key in Vietnam; that trumps everything else,” she says. “Whereas in other parts of the world, if you’re not the cheapest or you can’t meet the deadline, it’s a bit more cut-throat. That really opened my eyes up to how I would like to do business in the future.”

She was also funded by Waikato Management School to attend the University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Malaysia, joining 1,500 young leaders to discuss how they could make a positive impact on global humanitarian issues.

After completing her BMS degree, Aaminah secured a place in Fonterra’s 18-month graduate programme, rotating through roles in supply chain, productivity, and change management. In 2025, she stepped into her current role at Fonterra as Technical Associate – Finance Core Operations.

For Aaminah, business is ultimately tied to social purpose. “I want to contribute to building humanitarian supply chains - making sure that every step is ethical, so that workers in developing countries are treated fairly, and you’re sourcing everything responsibly. It’s about looking at the long-term investment, not just the short-term gains.”

Today, she continues that momentum as chair of YWCA Aotearoa, championing women to flourish and challenging gender inequality; and as a board trustee for Advocacy NZ, which supports individuals trying to navigate our healthcare system.