Riki Manarangi: National Board Chair & Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee Member

Riki is a strong beliver that his strength is tosee things holistically, in that everything is interconnected. He gains this lens from being Māori (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Raukawa), Pacifika (Rarotonga, Cook Islands) and Pākehā (Ireland).

With this, both parents were also social workers for over 10 years and advocated empowerment of all fostering whānau to be good kaitiaki of our tamariki in while their care. One of his passions is to make sure that these values of empowering whānau are continued to be advocated for at a national level, with an interest to ahi kā the mana afforded to Birthright NZ over the past 65 years. He is a University of Waikato graduate having degrees in Law (LLB/LLM) and Management (BMS/MMS) and is an enrolled Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court. 

Active within the community over the past 15 years, Riki has been Chair, President and Secretary of various not-for-profit/charitable organisations.

Based in the mighty Waikato, Riki was the Deputy Chair of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce, and is an entreprenur and business owner, advisor to a consultancy firm, Key Relationships Manager for the New Zealand Shareholders Association and a Trustee of Birthright Waikato and Link House Trust.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds: Governor

Melissa is a well-respected and highly esteemed business and governance professional. An entrepreneur with internationally recognised success, Melissa is a past Birthright child, and has lived experience of being a single parent.

Melissa developed and teaches a course in Strategy and Disruptive Business Models for the NZ Institute of Directors. Melissa was awarded the ONZM for Services to Technology in 2015 and will be an integral part of the future direction for Birthright.  Melissa talks about how bringing love, connection and understanding into business about being important which is a fantastic fit with the mahi of Birthright.

Cleo Shortland: Governor

Cleo is an owner of a consultancy firm with a proven background in both change and risk management. Cleo is based in Tamaki Makaurau, of Ngāpuhi decent and brings a youthful parent voice to the governance table. Cleo’s role will be to support Birthright providing change management frameworks for affiliates and ensure Birthright is Risk compliant at a governance level as a Member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Auckland which will assist Birthright in it's ambition  to support our major centre, which has been hit the hardest by Covid lockdowns as Birthright progresses towards a presence within this region.

Lisa Hardy

Hawkes Bay Representative

Mark Ford: Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee Member

Mark is an experienced finance and operational management professional with over 20 years experience as a senior manager within the media/publishing, financial services, transport and water sectors. Mark is a member of the senior leadership team at Wellington Water where he is Chief Financial Officer and General Manager Business Services.  Mark is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). 

Mark is a member of the Birthright Wellington as well as the Birthright National Board where is is a member of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.