PUBLISHED MARCH 2024

Alumni cheer Datacom partnership

When Datacom signed on as a Scholarship Partner with First Foundation, two of its team members were especially excited. Alumni Jamal Peneha-Parlour and Timoti Wharewaka are First Foundation alumni, and they’re delighted to see their employer giving other promising young students the same support that changed their lives.

First Foundation alumnus Timoti Wharewaka and Farnoosh Farahi, Associate Director of Engagement and Wellbeing at Datacom, welcomed Datacom’s 2023 First Foundation scholars Grace Fa’avae and Taranaki Te Hauora at the annual scholarship awards ceremony.

Jamal Peneha-Parlour

Jamal Peneha-Parlour applied for a First Foundation Scholarship thirteen years ago.

“I never imagined how far it would take me,” says Jamal, who is now People and Culture Manager for New Zealand Technology Services at Datacom. “It opened my eyes up to the potential of the big bad world and set me up for success.”

After earning her BCom at Victoria University Jamal built her skills in Human Resources. She credits her First Foundation mentor with helping her launch her career. She soon found a home at Datacom, where she says there are abundant opportunities for her to make a difference.

First Foundation alumna and People and Culture Manager for New Zealand Technology Services at Datacom, Jamal Peneha-Parlour

“Once I got inside, I understood the true scale of Datacom and the reach that we have within the industry and both New Zealand and Australia, as well as our potential to keep on developing that. This is an organisation that has opportunity but also stability in the digital era that we are moving into,” says Jamal.

“I was able to come into a team that was still quite immature as a function and be part of the growth and extension to what it is now, I am so fortunate to have had so many learnings, networking opportunities, and great career progression in the business.” 

“I also appreciate how connected we are. So even though we’ve got nearly 7,000 people, I talk to my colleagues and stakeholders across New Zealand and Australia on a daily basis. We’re a big corporate from the outside, but we still have that local feel inside and that’s what I love about Datacom.” 

Timoti Wharewaka

Alumni Timoti Wharewaka is a Salesforce Consultant at Datacom and he echoes Jamal’s sentiments.

“I love the fact that Datacom prioritises their people over their work.

“Being positioned where we are, our culture extends outside of the business and has real world impact. We get to work on some of the biggest projects in the country. It’s very rewarding bringing the latest technology to our customers to solve their problems and make a difference in the lives of everyday citizens.”

“I come from humble beginnings. I have always had an interest in technology, and could see that university was the next step, but I was really weighing it up. With no one in my family having attended, I had no idea what to expect, and the element of cost had me wondering whether it was worth it, or if I should just get a job.”

“Receiving the scholarship alleviated a lot of pressure in a lot of ways,” says Timoti. “The financial aid gave me clarity in my decision to pursue my education, paid work experience meant security and an understanding of what it’s like working in ‘the real world,’ while having a mentor lifted the veil on the mystery of the journey into tech.”

Thanks to the support of First Foundation, Timoti pursued a degree and postgraduate certificate in computer science at AUT while sponsored by Spicers, where he interned throughout his studies before spending four years at Accenture prior to his current position at Datacom. 

Partnerships Manager at First Foundation, Amanda Gilchrist, says the impact of Datacom’s support as a scholarship partner will be far-reaching.

“Seeing alumni like Jamal and Timoti go on to find success makes us so proud. We can clearly see the ripple effect of their scholarship as they disrupt intergenerational cycles of disadvantage not only amongst themselves but in their families and communities.”

Since becoming a partner in 2021, Datacom has already gotten behind 9 bright young scholars from all around the country.

For Datacom, joining forces with First Foundation made perfect sense, says Technology Services Managing Director Justin Gray. 

“Offering four years of holistic support, the First Foundation model is not just a one-off – this is a programme creating real, lasting change in people’s lives,” says Justin.

Proud to work at Datacom

This partnership has made Jamal and Timoti even more proud to work at Datacom.

“I was absolutely over the moon when I found out Datacom was becoming a First Foundation partner,” says Jamal. “I get emotional thinking about how much the scholarship changed my life and the potential for us as an organisation to be a part of something so special, to do that for other people.”

Likewise, Timoti is looking forward to watching the Datacom scholars grow throughout the business. He’s also stepped up as a First Foundation mentor.  “It’s going to be incredibly fulfilling to be for someone else what someone was for me,” he says. “I can’t wait.”