CHAIR

Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Tama and Koata, Ngāti Whātua and Ngapuhi. 

My mahi has focused on driving social impact for Māori. First, through our Iwi interests in the oceans as a Fisheries Scientist, and further into policy, working in the Beehive as a  Private Secretary managing ministerial portfolios for the Minister for Primary Industries.

Following 10 years in public service, I studied abroad before returning to focus on Corporate Finance, Impact Investment and entrepreneurship, with roles in KPMG, Ākina Foundation and NZ Trade & Enterprise.

For the last five years I have led Tapuwae Roa, a pan Māori charitable trust that invests in leadership development, education and entrepreneurship for all Māori throughout the motu. 

I'm a firm believer in the judicious use of pūtea as a tool to drive our prosperity; not to define it. 

In my years in Impact Investment, it struck me as a natural fit to those vital characteristics that define us as Māori: the intergenerational horizons, the focus on people, the interrelatedness with the taiao, and the need to make mokopuna decisions. 

I'm excited to step into Māhutonga with a strong focus on maximising impact. And maintaining a clear distinction that as commissioners, we are not the agents of impact; rather, we amplify the impact of others in the community.

In addition to Māhutonga, I hold current board roles with Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Trust Tairāwhiti, Tāiki E! charitable trust, and am on the Investment Committee for Te Pae ki te Rangi Impact Fund. 

INVESTMENT BOARD

Kara Puketapu-Dentice has spent his career working at the intersection of iwi, government, and community to create better outcomes for Māori and for Aotearoa as a whole. He holds a Master of Planning and Resource Management (with distinction) from the University of Otago, and his work spans strategy, housing, environmental management, and iwi governance.

Kara’s leadership journey has been shaped by both local and global experiences. In 2015, he joined the Asia Pacific Leadership Programme at the East-West Center in Hawai‘i, and in 2019 was selected for the Obama Foundation Asia Pacific Leadership Forum in Malaysia.

Today, Kara is Chief Executive of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, responsible for advancing the social, cultural, environmental, and economic wellbeing of 20,000 iwi members. Before this role, he was Director of Economy and Development at Hutt City Council, where he led housing, infrastructure, and transformational projects such as RiverLink.

Born and raised in Wainuiomata, and of Te Āti Awa and Ngāi Tūhoe descent, Kara brings a grounded, forward-looking approach to leadership. His work is guided by values of integrity, resilience, and care for people and place

INVESTMENT BOARD

Kiriwaitingi Rei-Russell is an experienced leader and governor having held directorships and executive roles in Iwi, corporate and Crown organisations.  As a qualified lawyer, she brings expertise in companies and trusts, employment and family law together with significant commercial acumen, managing investments and experience leading high performing teams.  With well over a decade within the primary sector, she is a champion for sustainability grounded in matauranga Māori and promoting women in leadership.

Kiriwaitingi is currently a facilitator for the Institute of Directors, NZ, and supports strategy and governance development for Māori entities.  She is director on Pūtauaki Trust, Māori Investments Limited and Te Kīwai Māui.

Kiriwaitingi is thrilled to be appointed to the Board of Māhutonga and is looking forward to being an advocate for thriving Māori communities, healthy whānau and delivering positive outcomes for Māori.  Residing in Rotorua, she has built extensive networks in the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Wellington regions.

INVESTMENT BOARD

Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngati Raukawa, Te Whakatōhea   MBA, PhD

Mara is a mother of two and resides in Taupō. Educated at Hukarere and Napier Girls High, Mara has worked for the Māori Land Court, the Māori Trustee, the former Department of Māori Affairs and later Te Puni Kokiri in the Palmerston North, Hastings and Wellington offices. She has been in the health sector since in 1991 and worked in Māori Health for the former Central Regional Health Authority (RHA) and the national Health Funding Authority (HFA) as a GM Māori Health and then a National Strategy Manager in Personal Health.

She started her own consultancy Kāhui Tautoko Consulting Ltd (KTCL) in 2000. KTCL has continued in business for the past 25 years and opened a subsidiary office in Vancouver Canada in 2008 (where she lived for 12 years working with indigenous First Nations communities) and another subsidiary in Honolulu Hawai’i to work with Native Hawaiian communities in 2017. All of their work is with indigenous organisations or with Government agencies addressing indigenous issues including supporting Whānau Ora collectives and providers since inception of Whānau Ora.

Mara has been in the commissioning field since starting in health care firstly in the purchaser-provider environment under the RHA and HFA; later as a consultant providing advice to various funders including District Health Boards on commissioning; with the inaugural First Nations Health Authority in Vancouver Canada who commission services from individual First Nations; and with Te Aka Whai Ora in a national commissioning role for the Hauora Māori Appropriation and co-commissioning with Health NZ. 

Mara sits as a Board member for the Maungaharuru Tangitū PSGE in Napier and is supporting the redevelopment and relocation of her Marae and urupa at Tangoio, Napier impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.

INVESTMENT BOARD

Chrissie Hape MNZM was appointed the Chief Executive of Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated in 2017, the governing body and mandated iwi authority representing the people of Ngāti Kahungunu across the rohe. In this role, she provides strategic leadership to ensure iwi development is anchored in the vision “Ki te whaiao, ki te ao mārama” – the continual pursuit of growth, wellbeing, and excellence for Ngāti Kahungunu whānau, hapū, and marae.

Chrissie was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the first King’s New Year Honours List in 2023, recognising her significant services to governance and Māori. This honour reflects her dedication to strengthening iwi capability, advancing Māori aspirations, and building enduring partnerships at both local and national levels.

She holds a Master of Public Management from the School of Government at Victoria University of Wellington, equipping her with the academic and professional expertise to navigate the complex interface between iwi, government, and community. Central to her leadership is a strong focus on whānau wellbeing. Under her guidance, Ngāti Kahungunu has advanced kaupapa that support health equity, housing development, and education pathways, alongside initiatives in Whānau Ora, language revitalisation, and cultural identity. These programmes not only respond to immediate needs but also build long-term resilience and capability within whānau and communities.

Widely respected for her integrity, foresight, and advocacy, Chrissie continues to lead Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated with a clear focus on sustainable development, cultural identity, and opportunities that uplift the mana and wellbeing of Ngāti Kahungunu people now and for generations to come.

Chrissie is of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu and Moriori descent.

INVESTMENT BOARD

I am deeply honoured at my appointment to  the investment board for Māhutonga, I look forward bringing an extensive experience in whānau, community, and economic development, with a strong focus on innovative approaches that empower whānau and unlock long-term opportunities. Over the past decade, I have held leadership roles across local government, regional development agencies, and the private sector, where I have consistently championed initiatives that combine practical delivery with future-focused solutions.

Previously with Auckland Council and Trust Tairāwhiti, and earlier through my work in education supporting some of the most challenged whānau, I have had the privilege of leading projects that shaped housing, infrastructure, and regional growth strategies, while also walking alongside whānau as they navigated barriers to learning and opportunity. These experiences gave me a deep compassion and understanding of the challenges whānau face, and reinforced my belief that whānau must be enabled to determine and complete their own education and development journeys.

Now as a business owner, I continue to apply this lens of innovation and partnership, designing solutions that not only address immediate needs but also create sustainable pathways for whānau to thrive. I believe that enabling career pathways, fair wages, and skills development is critical to lifting whānau wellbeing, reducing household stress, and fostering stronger, more resilient communities.

Grounded in tikanga and whakapapa, I see cultural identity and collective strength as the foundation for lasting change. I am committed to ensuring whānau voices remain central in decision-making, and that investment in high-deprivation communities aligns with their lived realities and aspirations.

In joining the Whānau Ora Investment Board, I am excited to bring practical innovation, compassion, and a strong values base to support transformative outcomes that are designed with whānau, not just for them.