New Appointments to Key Māori Entities for Development Leadership

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has today confirmed seven new appointments to key Māori entities, bringing leadership, expertise and experience to the organisations to further support Māori development.

The governance roles announced today will help advance te reo Māori revitalisation, strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal, and realise the social and economic potential of Māori. This benefits Māori and everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand, says Mr Potaka.

The entities and appointments are: Te Mātāwai Dr Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Ngāti Matakore) as a member for a three-year term. Dr Warren is a senior lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University, specialising in Māori and Indigenous education.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Mahanga Pihama (Waikato, Taranaki Iwi, Ngāti Ruanui) as a member for a three-year-term. Mr Pihama is an experienced broadcaster, documentary and film director-producer.

Dr Jeremy (Tātere) MacLeod (Ngāti Kahungunu) as Deputy Chair for the remainder of his term. He has served on the board since 2019 and brings 15 years of experience in governance and Māori language revitalisation.

Te Māngai Pāho Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) as member and Chair for an 18-month term. Mrs Kahi is an independent producer in Māori television and film, and a Māori language consultant.

Kingi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) as member and Deputy Chair for a three-year term. Mr Kiriona is Managing Director of Tupu Ora, which provides Māori language and capability development services to Iwi and public sector agencies.

Today’s appointments bring a wealth of expertise in te reo Māori, education, media, and governance – all of which are essential to advancing our shared mission to revitalise our taonga, te reo Māori. These leaders will play a vital role in helping us achieve our collective aspiration: to have one million New Zealanders confidently using te reo Māori by 2040, says Mr Potaka.

Poutama Trust Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) as trustee for a five-year term. Mr Gray is an experienced corporate leader with a strong background in the legal, investment, governance, financial, energy, export and resource development sectors.

Mark Gray’s appointment to the Poutama Trust will strengthen the Trust’s ability to provide important business development services to Māori. This is essential for creating jobs, boosting incomes and enabling whānau to achieve their aspirations.

Since its inception, the Poutama Trust has played a key role in nurturing Māori business talent and skills, enabling greater participation in both Māori and national economic growth.

Waitangi Tribunal Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) as a member for a three-year term. Ms Tainui-Hernandez is a full-time director serving on the boards of ASB Bank and Whai Rawa Fund Ltd. She also has expertise in regulatory law and Māori economic development.

The appointment of Juliet Tainui-Hernandez will help strengthen the Waitangi Tribunal for the benefit of Māori and all New Zealanders, Mr Potaka says.

As the Tribunal reaches its fiftieth anniversary, it’s important we ensure the board has the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing and reporting Māori treaty claims in a timely manner.

Kua whakamana ngā kopounga mana ārahi Kua whakamanahia e te Minita Whanaketanga Māori Tama Potaka ngā kopounga hou e whitu ki ngā hinonga Māori matua, e mau mai ana i te tohungatanga me te wheako ki aua whakahaere hei tautoko anō i te whanaketanga Māori.

Ko ngā tūranga mana ārahi i pānuitia ai i te rangi nei e āwhina ki te pana whakamua i ngā mahi whakarauora i te reo Māori, e whakapakari i Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi, e whakatinana hoki i te pitomata ā-pāpori, ā-ōhanga anō hoki o te iwi Māori. He painga tēnei mā te iwi Māori, oti rā, mā ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa, te kī a Minita Potaka.

E whai ake nei ko ngā hinonga me ngā kopounga: Te Mātāwai Ko Tākuta Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Ngāti Matakore) hei mema mō te toru tou. He pūkenga matua a Tākuta Warren ki Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, he mātanga ia i te mātauranga Māori, mātauranga Iwi Taketake hoki.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Ko Mahanga Pihama (Waikato, ngā Iwi o Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui) hei mema mō te toru tau. He kaipāpāho wheako nui a Mahanga, he kaitohu-kaitaki pakipūmeka, kiriata anō hoki ia.

Ko Tākuta Jeremy (Tātere) Macleod (Ngāti Kahungunu) hei Toihau Tuarua mō te toenga o tōna wā. Kua noho ia ki te poari mai i te tau 2019, e mau mai ana hoki i te wheako o te 15 tau e mahi ana i ngā mahi mana ārahi me ngā mahi whakarauora i te reo Māori.

Te Māngai Pāho Ko Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) hei mema, hei Heamana hoki mō te 18 marama. He kaitaki motuhake a Reikura i te pouaka whakaata me te kiriata Māori, he mātanga reo Māori anō hoki ia.

Ko Kīngi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) hei mema, hei Toihau Tuarua hoki mō te toru tau. Ko te Pou Whakahaere o Tupu Ora a Kīngi, he mea whakarato i ngā ratonga reo Māori, ratonga whakawhanake āheinga hoki ki ngā Iwi me ngā hinonga rāngai tūmatanui.

Mā ngā kopounga o te rangi nei e mau mai i te whānuitanga o te tohungatanga i te mātauranga, te pāpāho, me te mana ārahi reo Māori – katoa mai he mea mātuatua ki te whakapikinga o tō mātou kaupapa ngātahi ki te whakarauora ake i tō tātou taonga te reo Māori. He tūranga nui tō ēnei kaiārahi ki te āwhina i a tātou ki te whakatutuki o tō tātou moemoeā ngātahi: arā, kia kotahi miriona tāngata o Aotearoa e māia ake nei te kōrero i te reo Māori i mua i te 2040, te kōrero a Minita Potaka.

Poutama Trust Ko Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) hei kaitiaki mō te rima tau. He kaiārahi rangatōpū whai wheako a Gray kua roa nei e mahi ana i ngā rāngai ture, te haumi, te mana ārahi, te pūtea, te pūngao me te whakawhanaketanga rauemi.

Mā te kopounga o Mark Gray ki te Poutama Trust e whakapakari i te āhei o Poutama ki te whakarato i ngā ratonga whanaketanga pakihi whakahirahira ki te Iwi Māori. He mea nui tēnei mō te waihanganga o ngā mahi, e whakapiki ake ana i ngā whiwhinga pūtea me te tautoko i ngā whānau ki te whakatutuki ō rātou moemoeā.

Mai i tōna takenga mai, he tūranga nui tō te Poutama Trust i te poipoinga o ngā pūmanawa me ngā pūkenga pakihi Māori, e tautoko ana i te whakapikinga o te whai wāhitanga i te tipuranga ōhanga a te Māori, ā-motu anō hoki.

Te Rōpu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi Ko Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) hei mema mō te toru tau. He pou whakahaere wā-katoa a Tainui-Hernandez e mahi ana ki ngā poari o te ASB Bank me Whai Rawa Fund Ltd. He tohunga ia ki te ture whakahaere me te whanaketanga ōhanga Māori.

Mā te kopounga o Juliet Tainui-Hernandez e āwhina ki te whakapakari i Te Rōpu Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi mō te painga o te iwi Māori, oti rā, o ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa, te kī a Minita Potaka.

Ka pātata haere nei te Taraipiunara ki tōna huritau tuangahuru mā rima, he mea nui kia mātua whakaritea he tika ngā pūkenga o te poari kia pai ai te haere tonu o ngā mahi nui whakaharahara i ngā nohoanga me te whakatakoto pūrongo e pā ana ki ngā kokoraho tiriti Māori i roto i ngā herenga wā e tika ana.

Additional information on appointments Te Mātāwai appointmentDr Te Rina Warren (Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Rangitāne, Matakore) has been appointed to the board of Te Mātāwai for a three-year term.

Te Rina Warren is a Senior Lecturer at Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University, specialising in Māori, and Indigenous Education. Her teaching spans Māori-medium and English-medium contexts, including courses on Te Aho Tātairangi and the politics of Māori education. Her research explores kaupapa Māori development, tikanga Māori, and the evolving role of digital technologies in cultural practice.

Te Rina holds a PhD from Massey University, where she examined the impact of the internet on tikanga Māori. She is actively engaged in iwi and marae-based initiatives and has contributed to Māori-medium education and youth development. Her academic work also includes a focus on traditional Māori governance models and their relevance in contemporary contexts, particularly in relation to iwi development and Māori-led decision-making.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori appointmentsMahanga Pihama (Waikato, Ngāti Ruanui and Taranaki Iwi) has been appointed as Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori board member for a three-year-term.

Mr Pihama has a background as a broadcaster (including as a director and producer of documentaries and films), is a raukura of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te reo.

He is also a member of, and composer for Ngā Tūmanako, and is a long-time chair of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae, and Poumata of Te Rūnanga o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. He’s fluent in te reo Māori and brings his deep understanding of tikanga Māori and community engagement to the role. Mr Pihama offers strong cultural and relational competency across Māori and mainstream contexts.Dr Jeremy (Tātere) MacLeod (Ngāti Kahungunu) has been appointed Deputy Chair of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori for the remainder of his term.

Dr MacLeod has served on the board since 2019 and brings 15 years’ experience in governance and Māori language revitalisation across Iwi, community, and private sectors.

He is an award-winning language expert, cultural advisor and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo. Dr MacLeod has been leading the inter-generational language revitalisation strategy, Kahungunu, Kia Eke! for his Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi for several years. He brings continuity and alignment with sector priorities across Iwi, community, and private sectors.

Te Māngai Pāho appointments Reikura Kahi (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Porou, Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Hine) has been appointed Chair and member of Te Māngai Pāho for an 18-month term.

Reikura Kahi’s work experience includes Programme Commissioner at Māori Television for four years. There she was responsible for commissioning more than $10 million in programming annually and assessed the quality and quantity of te reo Māori within programmes.

Mrs Kahi has been an assessor for Te Māngai Pāho, as well as a consultant on behalf of those seeking funding. Her roles as a kapa haka tutor and storyteller through TV and film highlight her commitment to promoting Māori culture.  Through her work Mrs Kahi has been successfully growing and maintaining te reo Māori in urban communities.

Kingi Kiriona (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru) has been appointed Deputy Chair and member of Te Māngai Pāho for a three-year term.

Kingi Kiriona is Managing Director of Tupu Ora, which provides Māori language and capability development services to Iwi and public sector agencies. He is a board member of Whakaata Māori and was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2025.

Mr Kiriona previously served as Deputy Chief Executive Mātauranga Māori at Te Aka Whai Ora and as Executive Director Māori Outcomes for Te Ahu a Tūranga Alliance. He has held senior roles in Māori education, including at Waikato Institute of Technology, and contributed to national initiatives such as Te Ahu o te Reo Māori and Ngā Kura ā-Iwi.

He began his career in journalism at TVNZ’s Te Karere. He holds an MA (Music) with distinction and qualifications in te reo Māori, performing arts, and media, and is a licensed translator and graduate of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo.

Poutama Trust appointment Mark Gray (Tapuika, Ngāti Rongomai, Tūhourangi) has been appointed to the Poutama Trust for a five-year term.

Mark Gray is currently Group General Counsel for Magnis Energy Technologies Limited and a non-executive Director of Telkwa Mining Limited. Mr Gray holds a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University and has been admitted to practice in New Zealand and Australia.

His law experience spans major law firm practice, corporate law and niche General Counsel roles. Mr Gray’s previous roles include founder and Chief Executive Officer of Allegiance Coal, Head of Legal for DiamonEx Ltd, Chief Executive Officer of Bounty Industries Limited and Partner of Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Wellington. Mr Gray is an experienced corporate leader with a strong background in the legal, investment, governance, financial, energy, export and resource development sectors.

Waitangi Tribunal appointment Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (Ngāi Tahu, Te Whakatōhea) has been appointed by the Governor General to the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term.

Ms Tainui-Hernandez is a full-time director serving on the boards of ASB Bank and Whai Rawa Fund Ltd, and formerly Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporation. She has governance experience across commercial, financial, and Iwi sectors, with expertise in regulatory law and Māori economic development.

Her previous roles include Chief Compliance Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright and Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. She began her legal career at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and has practised in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. She continues to advise trusts, corporates, and her home rūnanga, Ōnuku, integrating legal and policy expertise with kaupapa Māori principles.

Memberships as at 16 September 2025 Bolded names indicate outgoing members.

Poutama Trust Member Date of appointment Expiry date Kim Skelton (Chair) 03/08/2020 03/08/2025 Rachel Maidment 03/08/2020 03/08/2025 Hinerangi Edwards 02/06/2021 01/06/2026 Heta Hudson 02/09/2023 01/09/2028 Riki Ellison 02/09/2023 01/09/2028 Te Mātāwai Member Date of appointment Expiry date Ministerial appointed members Penetaui Kleskovic 16/04/2019 15/05/2025 Reikura Kahi 19/03/2025 18/03/2028 Te Mātāwai appointed members Brenda Soutar (Co-Chair) 01/04/2021 31/03/2027 Mātai Smith (Co-Chair) 01/01/2020 31/12/2026 Kiri Tamihere-Waititi 28/02/2025 27/02/2028 Kylie Brown 01/10/2018 30/09/2025 Teina Boasa-Dean 10/10/2018 09/10/2025 Dr Haki Tuaupiki 08/08/2022 07/08/2025 Hohepa Isaac-Sharland 01/09/2023 31/08/2026 Agnes MacFarland 01/12/2023 30/11/2026 Aperahama Edwards 01/09/2021 31/08/2023 Ruakiri Fairhall 27/10/2024 26/10/2027 Kiwa Hammond 10/02/2025 09/02/2028 Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Member Date of appointment Expiry date Professor Rawinia Higgins (Chair), MNZM – Te Mātāwai nominee 30/06/2018 27/09/2026 Charisma Rangipunga (Deputy Chair) – Te Mātāwai nominee 30/06/2015 30/11/2024 Te Haumihiata Mason, ONZM – Te Mātāwai nominee 28/03/2025 27/03/2028 Te Atamira Jennifer Ward-Lealand, CNZM – Ministerial appointment 31/08/2023 01/09/2026 Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod – Ministerial appointment (Becomes Deputy Chair for remainder of his term) 22/10/2019 01/09/2026 Te Māngai Pāho Member Date of appointment Expiry date Dr Eruera Tarena (Chair) – Ministerial appointment 12/02/2014 05/03/2025 Paraone Gloyne (Deputy Chair) – Te Mātāwai nominee 10/07/2019 05/03/2025 Tamalene Painting – Te Mātāwai nominee 01/07/2020 27/03/2028 Brian Morris – Ministerial appointment 05/09/2023 05/09/2026 Erana Reedy – Te Mātāwai nominee 28/03/2025 27/03/2028 Waitangi Tribunal Member Date of appointment Expiry date Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox 22/08/2023 22/08/2028 Professor David Williams 31/03/2023 13/03/2026 Professor Susy Frankel FRSNZ 29/01/2020 13/07/2026 Dr Paul Hamer 29/01/2020 13/07/2026 Basil Morrison 25/08/2008 13/07/2026 Kevin Prime 24/05/2021 10/10/2027 Kenneth Williamson 10/10/2024/ 10/10/2027 Dr Hana O’Regan ONZM 24/05/2021 18/12/2027 Derek Fox 24/05/2021 18/12/2027 Professor Tā William Te Rangiua (Pou) Temara 25/08/2008 18/12/2027 Dr Ruakere Hond 24/10/2018 18/12/2027 Kim Ngarimu 24/10/2018 18/12/2027 Tipene Chrisp 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Philip Crump 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Vanessa Eparaima MNZM 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Grant Hadfield 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Rex Hale 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Kingi Kiriona 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Tafaoimalo Leilani Tuala-Warren 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Hon Ron Mark 18/12/2024 18/12/2027 Gerrard Albert 17/04/2025 16/04/2028