TANIA Simpson was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to governance and Māori
ŌTOROHANGA born Tania Joy Te Rangingangana Simpson was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year’s Honours for services to governance and Māori.
Tania and family moved to Te Kūiti when she was four. Her mother, Maxine Simpson, had a gift shop in Te Kūiti and her father, Murray Simpson, was a diesel mechanic and later a woodturner.
He was also deputy mayor for a period. Tania’s older brother was dux at Te Kūiti High School and Tania followed in his footsteps to attend Waikato University.
Her Simpson grandparents moved to Hangatiki in the mid 1930s to work on a farm where the Big Apple is now.
Her mother’s Davis grandparents also moved to Ōtorohanga at around the same time where her grandfather was a butcher and they later owned a fish and chip restaurant.
On her grandfather’s side – Tania is Ngāti Raukawa, Rereahu, and Maniapoto – and Tainui, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi on her father’s side.
Tania worked mostly in Hamilton and then Wellington, returning to live at Waitomo Caves after she was married. Tania ran her business Kōwhai Consulting from home.
She received an award at the inaugural Waitomo district “Our Legends” awards in 2003.
She also published a book called The Last Maopo about her grandmother’s Ngai Tahu whakapapa.
Tania was a trustee and later chair of Maniapoto FM for nine years until 2019.
Her daughter, Ariahuia Te Ruki, works in the communications team at Te Nehenehenui Trust in Te Kūiti, and son Hawaiki Te Ruki works at Pūniu River Care at Mangatoatoa.
Tania is a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2008, a director of Auckland International Airport, Meridian Energy, and Tainui Group Holdings.
She is chair of the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge, deputy chair of Waitangi National Trust, and a member of the governance group for the Deep South National Science Challenge.
She holds a Master of Mātauranga Māori from Te Wānanga o Raukawa, is an Accredited Fellow with the Institute of Directors, and was awarded the rank of Commander in the Order of the Taniwha by King Tūheitia and rank of Dame Commander in the Order of St Lazarus.
She has had a career in public policy and governance.
Tania is a past director of Global Women, AgResearch, Radio Maniapoto, Mighty River Power/Mercury Energy from 2001 to 2015, Landcare Research, Ngāi Tahu Tourism and the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
She was the first Māori director and a deputy chair of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand between 2014 and 2022.
As the first Māori director of the Reserve Bank – and despite not being an economist – she brought the perspectives of grassroots communities to monetary policy and economic discussions.
For her, this was linked to the long history of Māori involvement in New Zealand’s monetary system, including King Tāwhiao who set up a Māori bank in 1886 and printed his own banknotes.
