Our People

Long-serving leader for Māori development, Sir Mason Durie is one of the most highly respected academics in Aotearoa.

In the past year Sir Mason was the first appointment made by the government to Chair and appoint the Māori Health Authority steering group.

His research on whānau development provided a vital platform for Whānau Ora. Working closely with Dame Tariana Turia to develop the Whānau Ora approach, he was the founding Chair of the original Whānau Ora Taskforce in 2008.

Appointed Professor Emeritus in 2013, he has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand since 1995 and a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit since 2001. In 2008, Otago University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Before retirement in 2012, he was Professor of Māori Research and Development and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Massey University.

In 2015–16 he served on the Leaders Group for the development of the Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Growth Strategy and in 2018 was a panel member for the Inquiry into Mental Health and Addictions.  He continues in the role of senior advisor to Te Rau Matatini/Te Rau Ora and in 2019 was appointed Chair of the Māori Expert Advisory Panel for the Suicide Prevention Office –  a position he still holds. Sir Mason is also Chair of the Māori Health Authority Transition group.

His extensive publications continue to be widely quoted within New Zealand and internationally, especially in connection with indigenous health advancement. In 2010 he was knighted for services to public health and especially Māori health, and in late 2020 he was named a member of the Order of New Zealand, the country’s highest honour.

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Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is a leading advocate for the rights of women & children and also a strong public voice in the campaign to understand and prevent family violence.

Based in in Rotorua, Merepeka is currently an elected member of both the Rotorua Lakes Council and the Lakes District Health Board.

She has a long and distinguished history of public service, having served as CEO of the West Auckland Hospice and rose to National prominence as the outspoken former CEO of Women’s Refuge.

Merepeka holds an MBA in International Management. She has a wealth of experience in the fields of business, management & politics, and is constantly in demand as a commentator and guest panellist, particularly around issues to do with Māori, health & welfare and social justice.

A sought after motivational speaker, mentor and consultant, Merepeka is the author of a long running and highly regarded newspaper column as well as serving as a board member and advisor to several not-for-profit organisations. She is passionate about encouraging and advancing the aspirations of Māori.

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John Tamihere is a politician, media personality and commentator plus current President of Te Pāti Māori who has always been a vocal advocate for the rights and mana of urban Māori.

Over the past two years John has successfully led the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency COVID-19 response throughout the collective, including a legal win against the Ministry of Health last year to immediately release data giving hundreds more Māori access to vaccines.

John is a fully qualified lawyer and by 1988 he was the youngest Regional Manager, Department of Māori Affairs and the youngest District Solicitor for Waikato Maniapoto Land District. In 1991 John was appointed as CEO of Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust while Waitangi Treaty settlements with the Crown were being settled. However as urban Māori were given no concessions or rights, and despite his own iwi affiliations, John took the Wai414 Claim to the Waitangi Tribunal and later the Privy Council in London to address this injustice. The legal ruling of the Wai414 Claim recognised urban Māori under the Treaty.

A career in politics quickly followed after easily winning the Hauraki Electorate for Labour, whilst being appointed Chair of the Māori Affairs Select Committee. In 2002 John won the Tāmaki Makaurau seat with 73 per cent of the votes and he was promoted to Cabinet. Three years later John left parliament, returning to Te Whānau o Waipareira, where he has grown the organisation’s balance sheet by 90%. John has led Waipareira and developed Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency which have become nationally and internationally recognised agencies, supporting whānau with a holistic, integrated framework to Māori, for Māori by Māori.

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Pahia Turia is from the Ngā Wairiki, Ngāti Apa, Whanganui, Ngā Rauru and Tuwharetoa whakapapa. He has been involved in Māori community development in the areas of health, justice, education and social housing for a number of years.

Pahia holds a number of directorships on boards throughout the country.  He and his wife Njela own local businesses and have a keen interest in residential and commercial property. Pahia has four tamariki and five mokopuna.

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Glenn is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and has held governance roles with a range of iwi and national organisations. He is currently Chairman of Life Skills for Life Trust and a director of Aotearoa Fisheries (Moana New Zealand).

In 2005, he established GHA, a kaupapa Māori accounting and consulting practice, with offices in Rotorua and Tauranga. Glenn has extensive experience with Māori post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs), Māori incorporations, Māori land trusts, Māori health providers and Māori commercial businesses. Glenn is passionate about Māori business development and has helped numerous Māori commercial organisations in industries as diverse as tourism, agribusiness, fisheries, property, geothermal, forestry, education, health and aquaculture. His previous roles include management consultant at Ernst & Young and General Manager of the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute (Te Puia).

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Amohaere Haukamau has an extensive and distinguished background in iwi, regional and national Governmental sectors. As the former Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Porou, Amohaere was instrumental in the establishment of social, health, housing, education, justice, and employment services for Ngāti Porou, supporting the Rūnanga treaty and foreshore and seabed negotiations as well as positioning the Rūnanga to successfully implement its growth and development agenda. As a Senior Ministerial Advisor for eight years Amohaere provided strategic leadership and guidance at the highest level as well as providing guidance on Crown-Iwi relationships, the establishment of the Whānau Ora Governance Group, Treaty issues, Education, Social Investment and Data use, analytics and sharing.

As the previous General Manager for the Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust, Amohaere was actively involved in the Toitū Tairāwhiti, (Tairāwhiti Iwi collective) Covid-19 response and recovery efforts, taking the lead in communications and assisting the group secure multimillion dollar PGF investment for the region. Ms Houkamau is currently the Director of the Rau Tipu Rau Ora (Tairawhiti Regional Leadership Group) – Tuara (Secretariat) and Director of Pahou & Associates Ltd, a consultancy group specialising in iwi, public and private sector partnerships, policy, and planning. Ms Houkamau has been an active member of the Tairawhiti Localities Plan Working Party and the Tairawhiti Toitu Te Ora Partnership Board (IMPB) Steering Group.

Amohaere has just been appointed to the interim – Hauora Māori Ministerial Advisory committee.

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