Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Richard Polson is currently the Group Finance Operations Manager at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Previously, Richard served as the President at Christ's College Old Boys' Association (CCOBA) and as the Chief Financial Officer at McMillan Management Ltd. With a strong background in finance, Richard has held various leadership positions at companies such as AgResearch, PwC New Zealand, NBCUniversal, Inc., and Paramount Pictures. Richard also has experience as a Director at Pulse Financial Solutions and as the Financial Controller at Paramount Home Entertainment (UK). Richard holds a BCOM in Accounting and Information Systems from the University of Canterbury.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu are the iwi comprised of Ngāi Tahu whānui; that is, the collective of the individuals who descend from the five primary hapū of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha, namely Kāti Kurī, Ngāti Irakehu, Kāti Huirapa, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was established by the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act 1996 and services the tribe's statutory rights and ensures that the benefits of the Settlement are enjoyed by Ngāi Tahu whānui now and in the future. Throughout the South Island there are 18 local rūnanga. An elected representative from each of rūnanga makes up Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the governing body overseeing the tribe's activities.