Karen Coutts is the interim Chair of the Board of Trustees. She has over 15 years governance experience in leadership and governance across iwi/Maori organisations, NGOs and Crown appointed. She served on the governing body of the Ngai Tahu board for the past five years and is currently an independent Director on the HSNO Committee, EPA. She has a background in the implications of use of environmental resources from the viewpoint of Māori economic development and to uphold Te Titiri o Waitangi. With her solid social science background, she brings te ao Māori lens, and Māori development and economic experience. She had a career holding senior operational management roles in the UK and senior policy roles in government in Wellington across social and then economic development with a Māori focus. Her most recent policy role was to lead policy advice on the Māori economy at the Reserve Bank NZ. Karen holds a Master Public Policy. She affiliates to Ngāi Tahu and Te Aitanga-a-Mahāki.
