INVESTMENT BOARD FOR RANGITĀMIRO ANNOUNCED
Ko te aroha te taukaea rangitāmiro i a tātau ki a tātau.
Love and care are the threads that bind us all together.
Rangitāmiro is proud to announce the appointment of its inaugural Investment Board, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of Whānau Ora Commissioning.
The Investment Board has been established to shape strategic investment decisions that will directly support whānau wellbeing across the rohe. Its role includes guiding commissioning priorities that reflect the needs and aspirations of tangata whenua and underserved communities.
Rangitāmiro contracts 51 providers that have a combined workforce of 301 Kaiwhriwhiri, to respond to the growing needs of whānau across region 1 from Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Hauraki – Waikato and Tūwharetoa. Dr Mataroria Lyndon, Chair, Rangitāmiro Investment Board, acknowledges the significance of this moment, noting the importance of the mahi ahead. “Our Investment Board brings together leaders who carry deep knowledge of their people, strong governance capability, and a shared commitment to whānau being at the centre of decision-making. We are united by a belief that investment should reflect our values, our tikanga, and our aspirations for future generations”.
Investment Board Members
The appointed members collectively bring regional representation and a depth of experience spanning whānau, hapū, iwi, and hāpori, as well as expertise in hauora and whānau ora, governance, data, commercial, and commissioning.
Dr Mataroria Lyndon – Chair
Ngāti Hine | Ngāti Wai | Ngāti Whātua | Waikato-Tainui
Dr Mataroria Lyndon is a leading figure in health and academia throughout Aotearoa. Dr Lyndon is a co-founder and Director of Population Health & Equity at Tend Health, a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Auckland, and a board member of Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Foundation, and Pūatahi Manawa Centre of Research Excellence.
Dr Lyndon has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Harvard University as a Fulbright Scholar and Frank Knox Fellow, as well as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and a PhD in Medical Education from The University of Auckland.
Dr. Lyndon advocates for the importance of cultural safety being central to clinical excellence, strengthening relationships, improving health outcomes, and enhancing the quality of care.
Riana Manuel
Ngāti Pūkenga | Ngāti Maru | Ngāti Kahungunu | Ngāti Whanaunga
Riana Manuel is the Chief Executive of Te Pou and Blueprint for Learning under the Wise Group Charitable Trust. She previously served as Te Aka Matua, Chief Executive of Te Aka Whai Ora, where she led a national mandate to shape policy, monitor outcomes, and commission services across local, regional, and national levels for both Kaupapa Māori and non-Māori providers.
Riana has more than 30 years of experience in the health sector, spanning national, regional, and community-based Kaupapa Māori organisations. A registered nurse who maintains her practising certificate, she remains closely connected to the realities of frontline healthcare.
Deeply committed to equity, Riana is driven by the belief that improving the social determinants of health will create lasting changes for future generations. She is motivated by service to her people and is dedicated to supporting systems that enable Māori and all communities in Aotearoa to thrive.
Leon Wijohn
Ngāpuhi | Te Rarawa | Ngai Tūhoe | Ngāti Tahu – Ngāti Whaoa
Leon Wijohn (BCom in Commercial Law, Diploma in Commerce in Marketing, CA) has held a range of senior management and governance roles, particularly within the iwi-Māori sector. A former Deloitte partner of 10 years, he played a key role in establishing several internal units, led Auckland’s accounting and advisory services, and founded and directed Deloitte’s Māori services practice.
Leon currently serves on several boards and audit and risk committees, and operates his own iwi-Māori development firm, which provides services in accounting, business strategy, property project facilitation, shared services, strategy implementation, and community engagement.
He brings broad commercial expertise, experience across both small business and large corporate environments, and a deep commitment to iwi-Māori and community wellbeing. His blend of cultural insight and strategic capability supports effective governance across diverse organisations.
Dr Leanne Te Karu
Ngāti Rangi | Te Ati Haunui-a-Pāpārangi | Muaūpoko
Dr Leanne Te Karu is a clinician and national health leader known for her strong advocacy for equity and for approaches to hauora that encompass social, cultural, environmental, and economic determinants of wellbeing. Her work champions Indigenous models of care and emphasises the importance of tikanga and community-centred health design.
Leaning on experience across clinical practice, policy, and national governance, Dr Te Karu has contributed to several significant health system initiatives, including leadership roles within the National Clinical Renal Network and the National Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Committee.
She brings deep expertise in strategy, equity, and systems transformation, and remains committed to improving outcomes for Māori and strengthening the foundations of hauora for communities throughout Aotearoa.
Dr Tristram Ingham – KSO, MNZM
Ngāti Kahungunu | Ngāti Porou
Dr Tristram R. Ingham is the Deputy Head of Department, Research Associate Professor and Clinical Epidemiologist in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago – Wellington. Dr Ingham has clinical, academic, and governance expertise in addressing health inequities, Māori health, long-term conditions, disability rights and health care governance.
Tristram is the Director of Manatohu Limited, chair of the Foundation for Equity and Research New Zealand (FERNZ), co-chair of the My Life My Voice Charitable Trust. He also chairs Te Ao Mārama Aotearoa Trust a nation-wide organisation representing Tāngata Whaikaha Māori.
Ernestynne Walsh
Ernestynne Walsh is a leader in data, technology, and Māori advancement across Aotearoa. She serves on the board of Te Taumata and is one of eight inaugural graduates of He Tukutuku Koiora, a programme established to develop future Māori directors and governance leaders.
Ernestynne is the AI Adoption and Change Lead at the Social Investment Agency. She previously held the role of Māori Data Service Lead at Nicholson Consulting, where she partnered with communities and government agencies to apply data in ways that strengthen mana motuhake and demonstrate meaningful social impact.
Recognised as the 2025 Te Hapori Matihiko Corporate Change Award winner, Ernestynne is committed to ensuring data and emerging technologies are applied ethically and effectively to achieve positive outcomes for whānau, hapū, and iwi.
These appointments were approved by the Rangitāmiro Board for a two-year term.
About the Rangitāmiro Investment Board
As a key advisory group within the Rangitāmiro Commissioning Agency, the Board will shape strategic investment decisions to strengthen whānau wellbeing across the rohe (Region 1). Its responsibilities include:
- Setting investment priorities that reflect whānau aspirations
- Ensuring funding decisions advance equity, impact, and intergenerational wellbeing for tangata whenua and underserved communities
- Providing strategic advice across planning and investment activities, such as the Investment Plan, Regional Needs Analysis, Workforce Planning, and other commissioning-related priorities
- Monitoring impact and performance, ensuring investment delivers value for whānau and communities
The Investment Board will hold its first hui on 15 December 2025.
End.
For all media enquiries: comms@rangitāmiro.nz
