Leadership roles bring award

Tina Porou, pictured with her Blake Leadership Award, is one of a new generation of Maori leaders. Photo / Jayson Kingsbeer

Turangi woman Tina Porou has received one of New Zealand's most prestigious leadership awards, being named the winner of a Blake Leadership Award.

Named after Sir Peter Blake, Blake Leadership Awards are given for outstanding leadership as well as showing determination and the belief in achieving extraordinary things in the 25 to 44-year-old age range.

Mrs Porou, who is of Ngati Porou and Ngati Tuwharetoa descent, was one of six new Blake Leaders announced recently.

Her citation said she was a "vibrant trailblazer in a new generation of Maori leaders, deeply committed to her whanau, hapu and iwi, and dedicated to using her skills to grow their aspirations".

"Across boardroom or negotiating tables, Mrs Porou always brings a determined passion and focus to ensure the people and communities she serves are supported to achieve their objectives - whether it's establishing affordable housing or kaumatua flats at her marae, Hirangi in Turangi; spearheading initiatives in environmental management, or managing multi-million dollar budgets and developing sustainability protocols for one of the country's top 10 listed companies.

"She is a true people person, renowned in Maoridom, political and corporate realms for her superb communication skills, and an aptitude for taking complex ideas and simplifying them so that everyone involved is on the same page. She can smoothly bring together a meeting of minds from government, lobbyists and iwi.

"In environmental issues, Tina excels in building strong teams that make headway.

"She is also passionate about commercial growth for Maori - to build jobs, not just balance sheets - and finding innovative ways to accomplish that.

"At Contact Energy, her role is to establish the company's sustainability movement to drive performance and efficiency across the business. One of her proudest moments with the company has been working with the people of Ngati Tahu and addressing a 17-year grievance created by the Ohaaki Geothermal Power Station, near Taupo."

Mrs Porou's leadership roles have included environmental manager of the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board and the general manager of the Te Arawa Iwi River Trust, where she worked to improve the health of the Waikato River.

She was acting chief executive of Ngati Porou Whanui Forests on the East Coast, and holds a range of governance roles.

Dealing with the complexities of Maori organisations and corporate bodies has grown her understanding of what drives those entities in developing and protecting their assets.

That experience has helped Tina to develop a strong leadership style that is firmly grounded in her identity and cultural values, but also infused with expert knowledge.

Her leadership style has been described as intelligent, warm, agile, compassionate, unwavering and kaupapa-driven.

Tina's true motivation is her whanau.

Her daughter, Te Rina and her nieces have been a guiding light in her life.

Her whanau has inspired her to work hard, and create a better future for the next generation of Maori children, and, in particular, Maori women.