Sir Mark Wiremu Solomon (born 1954) is a New Zealand

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

leader from the

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 Poi ...

and Ngāti Kurī (Kaikōura)

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, an ...

. He served as kaiwhakahaere (chairperson) of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the tribal council of Ngāi Tahu, for approximately 18 years, from 1998 until December 2016. His departure as tribal chair followed his decision in April 2016 not to seek re-election as the tribal representative for Kaikoura. Solomon continues to act in various directorship roles including as chair of the Canterbury District Health Board.

Personal life

Solomon was born in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand.I am Ngāi Tahu
. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Retrieved 3 January 2013. His mother was of English and Danish descent,Mark Solomon Biography
Retrieved 3 January 2013. and his father was Māori, affiliated to the

and Ngāti Kurī iwi. Solomon has been married to Maria since about 1974 and has four grown-up children. He is an uncle of New Zealand cricketer

Shane Bond Shane Edward Bond (born 7 June 1975) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer and present bowling coach of Mumbai Indians, described as "New Zealand's best fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee". He represented New Zealand in Test, OD ...

Career

For over 20 years, Solomon was a foundry metal worker. In 1995, he was elected to Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu as the local representative for Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, a position which he held till February 2016. Three years later, he was elected chairman of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. The same year,

settled its Treaty of Waitangi claim with the Crown for $170 million. By the end of 2012, under Solomon's chairmanship, the iwi's commercial assets had appreciated to an estimated $809 million. Solomon's other roles have included being a board member of the

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring fr ...

from 2001 to 2007, as well as directorships of a number of companies.

Honours

In November 2012, Solomon was named as the 'Visionary Leader of 2012' in the Deloitte and ''New Zealand Management'' magazine national business awards. In the 2013 New Year Honours, Solomon was appointed a

Knight Companion 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 business.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Solomon, Mark 1950s births Living people Ngāi Tahu people People from Christchurch Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand people of Danish descent New Zealand people of English descent Canterbury District Health Board members