Senior Executive Leadership

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 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. 

Gabrielle Huria has spent more than three decades working to advance Ngāi Tahu aspirations, strengthen Māori leadership and create lasting opportunities for future generations. 

She currently serves as Group Head of Collective Advancement at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on advancing rangatiratanga, protecting Treaty Settlement rights and strengthening the ability of Papatipu Rūnanga to shape their own futures. 

She is also Chief Executive of Te Kura Taka Pini Ltd, the Ngāi Tahu freshwater company, focused on the tribe's freshwater Statement of Claim against the Crown through the High Court. This work seeks greater recognition of Ngāi Tahu rights and interests in freshwater and a stronger foundation for future freshwater governance and management. 

Gabrielle played a significant role in the Ngāi Tahu Treaty Settlement, leading communications during the negotiation and post-settlement periods and establishing Te Karaka, the tribal magazine, as its founding editor. 

Her extensive governance experience spans health, education, tribal development and commercial organisations. She was the inaugural Chair of Emerge Aotearoa, Chair of Te Whānau Ora o Te Waipounamu, and Chair and Representative of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tūāhuriri. She also chaired the Establishment Board for the University of Canterbury's build of the Digital Screen Campus. 

Throughout her career, Gabrielle has combined strategic leadership with a commitment to practical change. Her work is grounded in the belief that the strength of Ngāi Tahu lies in its people, its connection to place and its ability to determine its own future. 
She is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM). 

Kurt McLauchlan (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa) is Chief of Staff at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. In this role, he supports the Chief Executive and Tuhiraki to set strategic direction, coordinate organisational priorities, and navigate the political and policy landscape shaping the future of the iwi. 

Kurt has a long association with Ngāi Tahu. He began his career with Te Rūnanga in 2016 in the communications team, sharing the stories of the iwi, before becoming Strategic Advisor to then Kaiwhakahaere Lisa Tumahai. Following his return to Te Rūnanga, he led the Advance Pou within the Strategy and Influence team, supporting the organisation's political engagement approach and leading key policy work to protect settlement interests, before being appointed Chief of Staff. 

Between his periods at Te Rūnanga, Kurt served in the Office of Prime Minister Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern as a Senior Advisor, directly advising the Prime Minister on issues ranging from Treaty settlements and trade to New Zealand's response to COVID-19 and the Christchurch terror attacks. He later relocated to London to join the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where he advised presidents, prime ministers, and senior officials across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East on strategy, policy, and delivery. 

Kurt also served as Director of Strategy and Policy at Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations, where he led a directorate of 20 and advised Ministers on Treaty settlements and wider policy issues. 

Drawing on experience across Te Rūnanga, central government, and international advisory roles, Kurt brings a unique combination of iwi, public sector, and global leadership experience, helping Tuhiraki navigate complex strategic, political, and policy challenges while advancing the aspirations of Ngāi Tahu.