Board Members

To learn more about the NZ Māori Tourism board members, please read the profiles below. The contact details for each board member can also be found here.

Dr Tom Roa - Kaumatua / Officer of the Board

Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato
Dr Tom Roa is Te Mata Ahurangi (Tikanga Advisor) of the University of Waikato and an Associate Professor at Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao/The Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University. He is an expert in translation between te reo Māori and English; and the oral and written history of Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Maniapoto and the Kīngitanga.

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Tom has researched, contributed to, and published on a Māori classificatory regime for flora and fauna; Māori traditional ecological knowledge; the theory and practice of translating from and into te reo Māori; Māori men’s health; and Māori military history.

He has served for many years on Te Whakakitenga, the Waikato-Tainui parliament, including as its chairperson. He has also been a member and chairperson of Te Arataura, the Waikato-Tainui executive board, serving as a Director on Tainui Group Holdings, and a Trustee of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Lands Trust, The Waikato Raupatu River Trust and various lands and marae trusts in the King Country. He is also a Justice of the Peace and was appointed as a member of the Waitangi Tribunal in 2016.

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Dale Stephens - Chairman

Te Rarawa
Dale Stephens is the Kaitohu – Director Māori Business at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise where he works closely with Māori businesses across the motu in the international endeavours.

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After a career in the police (to the rank of Inspector) Dale worked in the corporate sector in HR and investment. He has consulted to a range of government agencies including MFAT, Te Puni Kōkiri, MPI and Fisheries. He has held three private sector CEO positions both in New Zealand and in Asia Pacific and has also held a number of directorships in te ao Māori and in private business.

Outside of work Dale and his wife Tarina (Te Atiawa) have six teenage and young adult children keeping them immensely busy and happy.

Dale holds a diploma in policing management, a business degree, a Masters in Public Policy, a Post-graduate Diploma in te reo Māori, a masters in Law and is currently studying towards a degree in Spanish.

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Dan Te Whenua Walker - Deputy Chairperson

Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Ruahine Rangi, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Maniapoto, Tūhourangi
Dan Walker is a proud husband and dad. Born in Christchurch, Dan remains a proud Cantabrian despite settling in Tāmaki Makaurau with his whānau. His main whakapapa links are with South Taranaki.

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Dan has over 25 years’ experience as a senior manager in enterprise IT and tech leadership companies such as Samsung, Dell Technologies and now Microsoft. He currently works in the Cloud Solutions and Applications team.

Dan has a passion for Māori success in business and the growth of leadership capacity within our iwi, hapū and whānau. Outside of NZ Māori Tourism, he is Pou Tuarā of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, Director of the Centre for Social Impact, Chair of Whānau Mārama Parenting and Director of Korowai Hikuroa Consulting Limited.

Dan has an MBA from the University of Auckland, a Masters in Advanced Leadership Practice from Massey University, and a Diploma in Management and te Reo Māori.

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Glen Katu - Board Member

Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kinohaku, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Rarua, Ngāti Rereahu, Ngāti Ruanui
Glen is the Chief Executive Officer, of the Te Kuiti-based Maraeroa C Group. He chaired the NZ Māori Tourism Board from 2010 to 2012, was a deputy chair and foundation member of Tainui Waka Tourism and a member of Destination Pureora.

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After spending almost 30 years in the banking industry, Glen resigned in 2002 to pursue a career in Māori business and social development. He has a professional or community involvement in a range of organisations operating in the forestry, farming and food sectors, as well as tourism. He has served on or worked for the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board, Taranaki District Health Board and its financial audit and compliance sub committee, Ngāti Ruanui Group Management Ltd (Hawera), Maunga Tu Maunga Ora Māori Business Development Agency (Taranaki) and the Taranaki Economic Advisory Group.

Glen has won several Māori business awards and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

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Kelly Barry - Board Member

Kāi Tahu
Kelly grew up in Ōtautahi where she began a successful and award-winning career in event management. Her passion for social and environmental change has been hugely influential in her professional life – by incorporating her passions with her strengths, Kelly has brought to fruition exciting events that allow communities to push boundaries.

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Kelly has been with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu in Research and Business Development for the last five years, where she spearheaded Takiwā Tourism, a model based on growing Kāi Tahu whānau through self-determined business ventures, alongside their own cultural identity and inter-generational aspirations.

Working with current and developing Kāi Tahu tourism businesses has provided Kelly with invaluable insight into the industry. One of her next challenges is providing more practical support for whānau-owned businesses. She has seen first-hand how big some of the gaps in support are and how hard it is for our small operators to not only establish themselves in the industry but to continue to operate sustainably year after year.

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Verity Webber - Board Member

Ngāi Tahu
Verity Webber is the General Manager Commercial at Ngāi Tahu Tourism where she has led the commercial and finance team since 2008. Verity is responsible for driving improved commercial value within the iwi-owned tourism portfolio spread throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

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This has included Shotover Jet, Dart River Adventures, Franz Josef Glacier Guides, Agrodome, Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters and a joint venture partnership with Earth & Sky.

Verity enjoys working for an iwi organisation where success is determined not only by driving profitability but by delivering on wider iwi aspirations.

Being iwi-owned creates a unique point of difference for the Ngāi Tahu Tourism group and enables the businesses to incorporate Māori culture and stories into their products with legitimacy. Ngāi Tahu Tourism has also benefited from being iwi owned when working with trade customers and taking the portfolio to international markets.

Verity is a chartered accountant and since completing her qualification with Deloitte in Wellington, she has held commercial roles in Christchurch and London.

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Dr Xiaoying Fu - Independent Board Member

Xiaoying is an expert on bilateral trading and investment between New Zealand and China. She has worked on many of the investments into New Zealand from China, and has helped many New Zealanders to do business there. Xiaoying has a strong understanding of various industries, and good insights into them.

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Xiaoying is currently chair of the NZ China HiTech Innovation Alliance, and was on the board of Kiwa Digital, Pure-Ora Mountain Ginseng Ltd and New Zealand Asian Leaders. She is a member of the Institute of Directors.

By training, Xiaoying is a scientist and an IT professional. She was a lecturer at Nanjing University before pursuing further overseas study in the United Kingdom. Xiaoying has a guiding passion for innovation, hi-technology and education.

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