Arihia Bennett is a New Zealand Māori leader. She was the chief executive officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu in New Zealand's South Island for almost 12 years, resigning the position in 2024. She is a member of

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Point ...

Ngāti Porou Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou is affiliated with the 28th Maori Battalion and has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zeala ...

and

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 16 ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

Biography

Bennett attended

St Margaret's College, Christchurch St Margaret's College is an independent girls' school in Christchurch, New Zealand founded on Anglican Christian values. It offers the dual academic pathway of NCEA and International Baccalaureate. History The school was established in 1910 on ...

. She started her career in social work, and worked for the government agency Child, Youth & Family and for the non-governmental agency Barnado's. From 1999 to 2002 she was a director for Ngāi Tahu Development Corporation, and served as chair from 2002 to 2005. In 2011 Bennett was appointed chief executive of He Oranga Pounamu, the iwi (tribe) organisation responsible for health and social services in the South Island. In 2012 she was appointed chief executive officer of the iwi, becoming the first female to hold the position. Bennett has held several advisory roles, including Commissioner to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Commission (CERC) following the September 2010 earthquake. She is a member of the Pūhara Mana Tangata Māori advisory panel to the Ombudsman's Office and a member of the New Zealand-China Council. She has served on the boards of Barnardos NZ and the Christchurch Women's Refuge (now known as Aviva). In 2021 Bennett was appointed chair of the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government's Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 2019 terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. Bennett is an alumna of graduate business school

INSEAD INSEAD, a contraction of "Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires" () is a non-profit business school that maintains campuses in Europe (Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), and North America (San ...

Fontainebleau. In 2024 Bennett resigned as chief-executive of Ngāi Tahu, after almost 12 years in the role. She was the longest-serving CEO to date.

Recognition

In 2008 Bennett was made a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

for services to Māori and the community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Arihia Living people People educated at St Margaret's College Ngāi Tahu people Ngāpuhi people Ngāti Porou people Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Year of birth missing (living people)