D&J Principal Consultant

"I was born in Auckland to third generation Indian parents from Whanganui and Auckland. Both of my Great Grandfathers had emigrated to NZ in the late 1800s. I have been married for 29 years and have two adult sons. It is not lost on me that without my forefathers’ vision and courage, life may have looked very different for me and my wife. This consultancy is named in their honour, Daji and Jeram (D.A.J Consulting)

My primary schooling was at Three Kings Primary School, followed by Mt Roskill Intermediate and  Mt Roskill Grammar school where I was Head Boy in 1984. Post school I completed a Bachelors Degree in Commerce at the University of Auckland and worked for Deloitte as an auditor in Auckland before changing tack and completing my Teaching Diploma (secondary) at the Wellington College of Education.

My first teaching role was at Avondale College from 1993-2000, where I ended up as Head of Commerce, Dean and Senior Manager followed by being appointed to the role of Deputy Principal at Senior College of NZ in the city. In 2001 I was appointed the Head of NZ’s first Business High School at Onehunga High School (a government and philanthropic project) opened by PM Helen Clarke. In 2007 I was awarded a Teacher Fellowship by the Royal Society of NZ to study Entrepreneurs in NZ. Along with two other teachers and with the help of John Key, NZQA and the MOE, we managed to introduce Business Studies as a NCEA subject into the national secondary curriculum. My final teaching role was at Auckland Grammar School for 3 years after I had a stroke in 2013 after a coaching sabbatical in Spain.

Manoj Daji

Sport has run parallel to my academic and working life and I was fortunate to be a NZ age group sportsman in both Hockey and Cricket. As an adult I was fortunate to play Premier Grade Cricket with test cricketers as well as be a first class hockey player with Auckland, Wellington and North Harbour. I then coached the same 3 provinces at national level before assisting the National teams of NZ and Spain as an assistant coach under two Olympic gold medal winning coaches. In 2014 I was awarded a QSM by the Government for my services to Education and Sport. For 16 years after teaching I was a Sports CEO at both College Sport and Auckland Hockey.

In 2024 I retired from my role as a CEO and spent the year coaching overseas (Japan) and mentoring  teachers as well as reinstituting a charity I started in 2009. This is called the  NZ Schools Allstars Charitable Trust and our main mission is to supply sports equipment and apparel to students in schools in NZ’s most deprived suburbs. To date we have donated circa 6000 items worth 900k. I also serve the community with my Justice of the Peace duties.

My purpose in life has been about making a difference. I understand others will only remember how I made them feel. I am grounded by my wife and boys , my health and my wider family’s legacy in NZ as servants of the community. My father and an uncle also have Royal Honours which is rare. The values my actions demonstrate are sharing, humility, integrity and loyalty.

I have been fortunate that sport and education have taken me all around the world and I have met all of my heroes growing up, personally,  with the exception of Bob Marley and Muhammad Ali.

This next chapter is about further service to my family, the community and mentoring of the many up and coming young teachers  and coaches in NZ.”

-Manoj