Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Ben Bateman (Ngāi Tahu and Cook Island Māori) has previously served Te Rūnanga as its Chief Operating Officer since 2022. Ben has a lead role in shaping organisational strategies, leading their implementation and driving operati…
Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Ben Bateman (Ngāi Tahu and Cook Island Māori) has previously served Te Rūnanga as its Chief Operating Officer since 2022. Ben has a lead role in shaping organisational strategies, leading their implementation and driving operations that deliver outcomes for Ngāi Tahu whanau.
Ben had a diverse executive leadership career before coming to work for his iwi, both within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Chief of Staff, National Security Group) and the New Zealand Defence Force (Deputy Director, Intelligence and Operations Law). Ben was a Commissioned Officer in the New Zealand Army and retired in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Ben is also a Manawa Nui graduate of our Ngāi Tahu Group Associate Director programme, having held roles as an Associate Director of both Ngāi Tahu Property and Ngāi Tahu Seafood. He subsequently served as a Director of Ngāi Tahu Seafood, and then as the Chief Operating Officer of Oha Honey from 2020 to 2022.
The common theme of Ben’s career has been service leadership. He is deeply motivated to ensure the benefits of Settlement are enjoyed by Ngāi Tahu Whānui now and for future generations – Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei.
An experienced lawyer with Bachelors degrees in both Laws and Science from the University of Canterbury, Ben also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from Victoria University of Wellington. He is a seasoned professional director, currently serving as an Advisory Panel Member for the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, a Future Director on the Meridian Energy Board and a Board Member of the Ministry of Education, Risk and Assurance Board.
Kendall Flutey
Group Head Transformation & Innovation
Kendall is the co-founder of the financial literacy platform Banqer which has received widespread acclaim both nationally and globally. In 2017, Banqer received a Global Inclusion Award at the G20 Summit in Berlin. The company was then named Hi-Tech Startup Company of the Year at…
Kendall is the co-founder of the financial literacy platform Banqer which has received widespread acclaim both nationally and globally. In 2017, Banqer received a Global Inclusion Award at the G20 Summit in Berlin. The company was then named Hi-Tech Startup Company of the Year at the 2018 NZ Hi-Tech Awards.
Kendall’s mahi has been driven by her passion for improving social wellbeing outcomes for whānau and addressing inequities through providing rangatahi with the tools to enable better outcomes not only for themselves, but for their wider communities. Her efforts in raising the financial capability of over 700,000 students saw her receive the Young Māori Business Leader of the Year award at the University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards in 2018 and the Young New Zealander of the Year award in 2019.
After graduating from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in economics, Kendall worked for KMPG for a short period before following her heart and retraining in software development. Kendall’s other qualifications include a Master’s in Entrepreneurship and a Graduate Diploma (accounting), both also awarded by the University of Otago. Kendall has held governance roles with Whai Rawa, the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority, the Digital Council for Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. She is currently a Commission Member of the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme.
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