New Leadership for Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust
In late November last year, Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust welcomed new leadership, with Pieri Munro appointed as Chair and Moana Rongo as Deputy Chair.
Pieri has been part of the Trust since its establishment, serving as Deputy Chair, and brings more than 40 years of public service experience. His career includes senior leadership roles across the New Zealand Police, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, and Te Ara Poutama (Corrections), alongside positions with MBIE, WorkSafe NZ, and across the oil, gas, and forestry sectors. Born in Wairoa, Pieri affiliates to Ngāi Te Ipu, Ngāti Hinepua, Ngāti Hine, and Ngāti Poporo.
Pieri says he is honoured to step into the role of Chair. He acknowledges the leadership of former Chair Leon Symes, particularly through the many challenges faced across the rohe in recent years.
Looking ahead, Pieri is focused on strengthening connections with whānau and ensuring the Trust operates with a strong service ethic. Pieri says recent independent research and Kāhuiengagement highlighted the need for more consistent and meaningful communication, and this will be a key priority moving forward.
Uncle Apirana Mahuika said in 1996 “E tū ki te kei o te waka Kia pakia koe e ngā ngaru o tewā”, meaning stand at the kei of the waka and feel the spray of the future biting at your face. The future is not always a smooth journey, perseverance, resilience and a positive eye to the horizon, our vision of wellbeing; prosperity and making great mokopuna decisions is our pursuit.
Moana Rongo, who returns to a leadership position after serving as a trustee during the Trust’s original establishment phase, brings valuable institutional knowledge and strong commercial experience. His appointment is expected to strengthen alignment between the Trust’s strategic direction and the commercial activities of its subsidiary board, E Tipu.
The Trust looks forward to this next chapter under Pieri and Moana’s leadership, with a continued commitment to serving the people of Wairoa.