Te rau putiputi o te rau manawaora - Four familiar Taranaki wāhine join the PKW Trust

A change in the way Te Rau Manawaora, the PKW Trust (the charitable arm of the PKW Group), is governed has reduced the number of seats around the Board table from seven to four – and all of them bestowed on four familiar Taranaki wāhine Māori.

The Trust has undergone an in-depth review over the past two years to ensure the governance structure was fit for purpose.

“The findings of the review were that our Board wanted Te Rau Manawaora, the PKW Trust, to have a more focused approach in its purpose and function,” says Jacqui King, Te Rau Whakapuāwai / Head of Corporate Services. “The Board also believed that a leaner operation would help bring the results we are looking for, hence the four-seat board.”

The Board of Trustees will be made up of two members of the Incorporation’s Committee of Management, an independent representative and a Te Māngai Rau Titikura / shareholder representative – all of who elect a Chairperson. And this time, all the positions have been filled by women - Liana Poutu (CoM member and Te Rau Toi Tauira/Chairperson), Anne-Marie Broughton (CoM Member), Allie Hemara-Wahanui (independent representative) and Angela Kerehoma (Te Māngai Rautitikura/shareholder representative).

“While it is very exciting to have an our first all-female board on the PKW Trust, it wasn’t deliberately designed that way,” says Jacqui. “Each of these governors will bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to bear on the important work the Trust does for the benefit of our shareholders and our Taranaki whānau. On top of that, we have the exciting situation where these strong mana wahine will unite to combine that strength to advance and advocate for our whānau – that’s a seriously powerful combination and one that will inspire many of our wāhine Māori.”

Whenua will be finding out more about the new focused approach and the rau putiputi putting it into action in the next issue, which will mark 40 years since the inception of Te Rau Manawaora.

Liana Poutu

Anne-Marie Broughton

Allie Hemara-Wahanui

Angela Kerehoma