Brenda Leigh Tahi née Fairlie

Brenda Tahi was born in Gisborne and was educated at Gisborne Central Primary School and Gisborne Girls’ High School where she was Head Girl in 1973. She continued her studies at the University of Waikato and graduated with a Bachelor in Social Sciences majoring in Psychology and Māori in 1976. In 1984 she completed a course in Small Business Management. From 1980-87 she was Proprietor for Te Rehuwai Safaris Ltd, a tourism operation in Ruatahuna, and then worked as Community Development Co-ordinator for the Ruatahuna Resource Team from In 1989 she worked as a Project Consultant for the University of Waikato and also as Assistant Acquisition Manager for Cedenco Foods Ltd in Gisborne. From September 1989 to December 1991 she was Senior Policy Analyst for Te Ohu Whakatupu, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and subsequently took up an appointment as Acting Manager of Te Ohu Whakatupu. In 1990 and 1991 she took papers in Public Economics at Victoria University of Wellington, and completed training for management in the public sector with WISER (Women in Senior Executive Roles).

From 1992-1993, Tahi was manager of Te Ohu Whakatupu, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and in December 1993 took up a two-year appointment as sector manager for the central Government Group in the Office of the Controller and Auditor General. In December 1995 she was appointed Manager of Strategic Business Development at the department of Internal Affairs, and in October 1997 she became General Manager, Strategic Management Support.

From 1993-98, Tahi completed a Master of Business Administration through Henley College in London. Her dissertation studied strategic management in New Zealand Government. Whilst maintaining her professional career, Tahi has also pursued other interests: since April 1997 she has worked on and managed her own small beef and sheep farming operation.

Tahi acted as the Chief Executive of the Department of Internal Affairs in 2000, and in 2001 she established Brenda Tahi & Associates, a consultancy in strategic management and strategic policy development in the public and private sectors. Tahi has held various directorships including EEO Trust (1994-97), Lotteries Commission (2 moths as ex-officio – 2000), Hutt Valley District Health Board (2000-2004), Ministerial Advisory Committee: Review of the Centre (2001), Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (2001-), Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga (Māori CORE) (2002-), Accident Compensation Commission Deputy Chair (2002-), Huia New Zealand (2003-) and Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust (2004-). She has had memberships of the Institute of Directors (2001-), NZ Futures Trust (2002), Nga Rauru o Nga Potiki (Tuhoe claims collective), Tuawhenua Treaty Claims Committee (2001-), and Institute of Policy Studies (1995-). She is involved in tribal land administration and management for the Tuhoe Tuawhenua Trust and Ruatahuna interests, and is part of the marae and community committees management. Tahi writes non-fiction work.

Biographical sources

• Correspondence and curriculum vitae from Brenda Tahi: 11 Dec. 1992, 13 Sept. 2004, 30 Nov. and 1 Dec. 2005.